New B7100 - few concerns

[chknscratch]

Hey Guys! I have been using this site a lot over the last few weeks to familiarize myself with the B7100 that I got to pick up last week. I have almost no background/experience with tractors other than one or two days of driving and doing small tasks with some family's tractor.

I got a B7100 and a nice spread of attachments, but I have a couple things I think I need to get in order. The tractor belonged to an older gentleman who I think was the third owner. He passed away last year and the daughter inherited it and sold it, since she had no use for it. It sat outside in a field for almost a year, without being cranked. I was told it needed glow plugs, but I am not so sure they knew exactly what was going on with it. I did change the oil and filter, as well as the fuel filter. I think the diesel in it is fine as far as I can tell. Here are a few questions I have:

1) I did finally get it running today, but I am convinced the wire that leaves the ignition switch and should make a run to the glow plugs, does not make it all the way to the glow plugs. I was getting no reading on them, when applying my multimeter to them while they were hooked up. I took the front most one out and hooked it directly to the battery and it glowed red hot. I ran a line directly from the back of the ignition switch(connection 17) to the glow plugs, let it glow for about 20 seconds and it turned right over. Can anyone share a picture of where their wire feeds into the glow plugs? I am scratching my head.

2) My fuel injector closest to the front is leaking a little bit. I tried applying a little more torque to it to try and seat it, but it hardly tightened up any more. I may take this completely out, study it and reinstall/re-seat.

3) While the clutch is engaged, I cannot leave neutral to shift to any gear, without it making an awful noise. My guess is this means my clutch is stuck to the flywheel and that is why it can't properly engage another gear from neutral. What can be done before I split the tractor open to try and break the clutch away from the flywheel?

Here is a video of it running, right after I got it to finally turn over:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx_PCkMot9o

Here is a video of the leaking fuel injectors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXWlgDm4p1k

Here are a couple photos of it:
Leaking injector photo:


All the equipment before loading:


Clutch safety switch has poor alignment and slips off the nut sometimes:


Overhead of the engine:


The tractor, with my helper:


Any advice you guys have is much appreciated, TIA!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The first thing you need to do is go to Kubotabooks.com and download all three manuals, Operator, Parts, and Service manual.

It doesn't look like you have a feed wire running to the glow plugs. In the service manual it will have the wiring schematic to show you where the glow plugs hook up to.

Put the tractor in 1st and start it, can you push the clutch in and stop it?
If you can't then the clutch is seized, if you can stop it then you're most likely have problems in the transmission.

You will need to pull the line and check the fitting for a crack in the taper fitting, if there is none then you need to clean the fitting a tighten.
Make sure the nut on the bypass is also tight.

 

[chknscratch]

Thanks NIW. I did find the books last week and have scanned them all. I have seen the wiring diagram, but nothing that shows a good visual of which way I should see the wire come around the engine and connect into the glow plugs. I guess my question is, do other peoples have a wire that comes in and ties to the glow plug closest to the seat or the radiator?

Hopefully I will have a chance tomorrow to start the tractor in first gear. That was my gut as to what my next step should be. I read about hooking the tractor to a chain and driving away from a tree, to try and get the clutch to jar itself loose. Just to make sure I am clear on your instructions, I will already have my foot on the clutch to start the tractor, when you say put the clutch in, I assume you mean after I have released it and begin moving forward? I will try this tomorrow.

Thanks for the pointers on the fuel injectors, I will try removing it tomorrow as well if I get the opportunity.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yes it will start moving the second it starts (actually it will move with the starter turning) even if the clutch pedal is depressed.
Using a strap or a heavy chain to help break it loose might work, also just running it around pushing the clutch pedal a number of time has been know to work sometimes too.

 

[chknscratch]

Good to know. I will see what happens. I would like to think it will free up since it was supposedly a good working tractor just a year ago and it only sat through one winter down here in the south. I know I have a lot going on tomorrow and Tuesday, but I will try reporting back asap. Thanks!

 

[Big Kahuna]

Wiring diagram
As for the clutch, the tractor just needs run for an hour or two and it will release, its just from sitting.


Big Kahuna

 

[chknscratch]

Thanks BK for the wiring diagram and the advice. Thankfully, the clutch acted normal today. I am not sure if I was missing the last 1/2 inch on the clutch pedal yesterday when getting the awful grinding. Maybe it was locked up, but I think I was just scared I was going to damage something. To be honest, I was so excited the engine turned over and started running so smoothly, so easily. It feels like my clutch only needs to be depressed about 2-3" to engage the safety switch, but then to actually press the clutch "all the way", the pedal basically goes flat to the ground and the safety switch button and bolt have long since slipped past each other. I don't think this would be normal, but I am extremely new to tractors. Do I need to take some slack out of my rod leaving my clutch as shown in the shop manual?

As for the glow plug wire, I trace it going into the group of wires that are inside some kind of electric tape kind of jacket. They go under/between the gas tank and battery but looking at the other side, the black wire with red stripe(the glow plug cable, does not come out in the mix with the others. It does seem like a straighter shot to the glow plugs would have this wire exit the bundle with the others, when they turn left and go to the starter and all, under the gas tank. The glow plug wire could enter the engine on the fuel injector side and tie into the glow plugs there, but I have a good light and can't see a wire leave the bundle of wires at any point. For now I have some 12 gauge wire tied into the front glow plug post and I just touch it to an exposed connection on the black/red wire leaving the back side of the ignition switch at connection 17 as shown in the wiring diagrams.

Is a leaking injector a very risky or bad thing? I don't plan to use it for 10's of hours, but would like to get some tilling done asap, now that I got the tractor and put off the injector project for a week or two, if I am not doing damage or being stupid.

 

[Alexisferos]

nice little tractor.
the fix to the injector is easy, remove the metal line that has the problem, and take a file- rasp and clean the head of the line in the place that connects to the injector, carefully clean and the injector at that place, connect everything bleed the line and start the tractor.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Clean the injector line and less pressure tightening is way better than over tightening

Big Kahuna

 

[hodge]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on a fine tractor purchase!
Every job needs a supervisor, and you look like you have a fine one.

 

[chknscratch]

Thanks for the responses guys. I will try and get it pulled apart and inspected.

He is quite the supervisor indeed. He is already wanting to climb all over the tractor!

If anyone can snap a shot of their wire connecting the glow plugs to the ignition switch from the view over the engine, it would be much appreciated! I found one example on google images, but it doesn't seem quite right to me. Should this wire have any kind of thermal cover on it like the jumper cables that connect each of the glow plugs?

Thanks again guys for all the advice, this is really a great forum!

 

[Alexisferos]

there no dificult with the glow plug wire, i see that you have found the black wire in front of battery, just connect it to the glow plug there, my l1501 has the black wire connected with

to the glow plugs.

look here, the cable from google.
http://twentywheels.com/imgs/a/a/h/a/q/style_kubota_b7100_4_x_4_hydrostatic_mower_tractor_3_lgw.jpg

 

[chknscratch]

Thanks so much Alexisferos! I think this will get me going. I was concerned if the wire kept contact with the engine block if it would melt it. It appears yours touches the engine just as the one on google images did. I will route the wire from this angle. Thanks!

 

[chknscratch]

Quick update:

I got to use the tractor today for the first time as a tractor instead of just seeing if it would run.

First I had to replace the oil, because when I did an oil change the other day I didn't know that "diesel oil" even existed. I emptied the oil that had only been run for about 30 min and plan to use it in lawn mowers and such as suggested on this forum or another.

I was missing one of my stabilizer pieces on the left side that had broken either during transport or while the previous owner was using it. I went to Tractor Supply Co to see if they had anything to help rebuild it and they didn't. Well the guy working there was nice enough, but he assured me that the stabilizers weren't even necessary and most people don't even run with them. Maybe this is the case on larger wheel bases, but I ran the box blade to try and clear a couple tons of wood chips the landlord had a tree company spread over a garden area for me. I did find during some of my turns that the lift arm that lacked the stabilizer was scrubbing the inside of the AG tire and its treads.

The tires are probably in their last year of use anyway, but I did score the rubber a bit. I was mad at myself for trusting him even though it didn't seem right. I did make a good bit of progress, but started about an hour before sundown, so I could only work so long. I cleared probably about 5-7 cubic yards with the box blade. My tractor lacks the FEL as you all probably saw in my first post. I think the FEL would have been ideal, but I was trying to work with what I had. I hope to finish clearing the wood chips away and then run the tiller over the ground in the next 24 hrs, then get some plants in the ground.

One other thing that concerned me was the clutch safety switch and the bolt that presses it on the clutch lever are out of wack. I push it in enough to let the bolt press the safety switch, to start the tractor. Once running, I have to push the pedal about another 4", which means the bolt slips past the safety switch and gets hung up on the side. I think this means my clutch is essentially partially engaged while I am using it. I have to push the pedal so far down, that it is essentially level with the foot rest.

I had a blast using it, but I am afraid I may have been a little rough on it. I worked in low gear setting, in second and third mostly. I used the 3 pt hitch lift to free the tractor if it got hung up and the wheels started spinning.