Hey Guys,
I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. I have a Kubota KX 161-3 mini excavator that I picked up last summer second-hand. I wish I knew more about the machine's history/maintenance record. (maybe made too hasty of a decision to purchase- but it is too late now!). It seemed in good shape and in good working order and had 3500 hours on it. It looks like it's had some work done on it, and not all the parts are OEM. (Red Flag?).
Anyway, I noticed that it started losing hydraulic power this fall. So I've replaced all of the hydraulic fluid, return and suction filters, and pilot filter. Since doing that, it's better (The tracks wouldn't steer well prior but now seem fine), but it's still not great. the blade seems able to lift the tracks off the ground and travel to full height, but when I drop the boom with it opposite the blade, there's not enough power to suspend the machine off the ground. I also don't think I have full power of the bucket either (although that's hard to tell where I live. The ground is still frozen in Northern Ontario.)
So, where should I look next? Could this be the hydraulic pump? Could it be an issue with a valve somewhere? Those parts start getting pretty pricey, so I'd like to be reasonably confident before I start throwing money at parts on a trial-and-error basis.
When I changed the hydraulic filters and fluid, I noticed some dirt and a small bit of metal in the hydraulic suction filter, but nothing dramatic. Also, the hydraulic fluid was pretty opaque brownish-colored. I'm not sure if that's a clue, but I thought I'd mention it.
Thanks in advance!
Kyle
I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. I have a Kubota KX 161-3 mini excavator that I picked up last summer second-hand. I wish I knew more about the machine's history/maintenance record. (maybe made too hasty of a decision to purchase- but it is too late now!). It seemed in good shape and in good working order and had 3500 hours on it. It looks like it's had some work done on it, and not all the parts are OEM. (Red Flag?).
Anyway, I noticed that it started losing hydraulic power this fall. So I've replaced all of the hydraulic fluid, return and suction filters, and pilot filter. Since doing that, it's better (The tracks wouldn't steer well prior but now seem fine), but it's still not great. the blade seems able to lift the tracks off the ground and travel to full height, but when I drop the boom with it opposite the blade, there's not enough power to suspend the machine off the ground. I also don't think I have full power of the bucket either (although that's hard to tell where I live. The ground is still frozen in Northern Ontario.)
So, where should I look next? Could this be the hydraulic pump? Could it be an issue with a valve somewhere? Those parts start getting pretty pricey, so I'd like to be reasonably confident before I start throwing money at parts on a trial-and-error basis.
When I changed the hydraulic filters and fluid, I noticed some dirt and a small bit of metal in the hydraulic suction filter, but nothing dramatic. Also, the hydraulic fluid was pretty opaque brownish-colored. I'm not sure if that's a clue, but I thought I'd mention it.
Thanks in advance!
Kyle