Kubota l 35 Mystery Lever--Help!

[Al/Lindley]

There is a lever on the left side of the floor of my L 35 which according to the manual is the "Front Wheel Drive Lever". My front wheel lever drive lever flops around as though it is disconnected. I got under the tractor and saw where it connects to a shaft on the transmission. There is a roll pin there. The roll pin is not broken and the shaft seems to turn with the lever. The lever will pull forward about 5 inches and push backwards until the knob on the handle hits the fender with no resistance.
The only thing I did was replace the fender on that side. I removed one fender and put on a new one. Could I have disengaged something internally? Is it ok to drive?
Guess I never really paid attention to the lever before. But I don't think it is supposed to do this.
Thanks for your help.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Sounds like something somewhere isn't right.
Jack or lift the front tires off the ground.
With the tractor not running shift tractor to first gear, hold one front tire and turn the second tire if it turns it's not in 4wd, try moving the leaver and check again for a change.
If it does not engage the you'll be looking at doing some transmission work to it.

 

[Al/Lindley]

I was looking at the service manual and this lever goes in the transmission on the lower left side. Looks like the end of it sits in a 17 tooth gear and moves the gear up and down a shaft. What are my chances of unbolt in got lever from the side of the transmission and trying to get the lever back in the gear? I called the dealer but that didn't help. Any ideas?

 

[Stubbyie]

In order to replace the fender you had to unbolt it from the floor-pan and take off all the brackets.

The knob on the 4-wheel engage stick shifter unscrews; you may have had to remove it to get the floor plan to move around for bolt hole alignment. Did you inadvertently disconnect a linkage?

Removing and replacing the fender alone shouldn't have affected the 4-wheel engagement shifter.

Refer to your manual: do you think you can access the 4-wheel engagement gear you mention by coming through the top of the gearbox instead of splitting the machine?

I don't know, haven't gotten that deep into mine.

If you can access through the top, doing so would seem simpler than splitting the machine into two pieces.

If removing the entire top of the gearbox you have to take everything off the top. Use the 3-point arms to manually 'beat' the top loose while you straddle where the seat was, facing backwards. Use a helper, it's heavy.

When you get everything else either off or loose you might get lucky and be able to lay the fenders over at an angle lying atop the tires.

Go back with quality hi-temp RTV in a continuous bead on transmission top cover after cleaning mating surfaces scrupulously clean. Also new O-rings at hydraulic connector lines.

If your efforts go this direction, note it took us about 5-hrs to get it apart, going slow, and about the same to bolt it back together. Don't force a fit of the sheet metal: when it's all lined up it fits just right---like a tire, get all the bolts started and handy before going back around and tightening.

Before taking things apart I'd be dang certain the shift lever isn't somehow disconnected in its linkage.

Please post back your experiences so we may all learn. I'm truly curious what you find and how you proceed.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Looking over the diagrams for your model, I don't think it's possible for the shifter would come out of place. But I would verify that the center shaft is turning and that the roll pin is just not sheared off, I've seen it where the center is sheared but looking on the sides of the shaft it looks intact.

 

[gpreuss]

Looking over the diagrams for your model, I don't think it's possible for the shifter would come out of place. But I would verify that the center shaft is turning and that the roll pin is just not sheared off, I've seen it where the center is sheared but looking on the sides of the shaft it looks intact.

I believe I had the same sort of arrangement on my L185DT. The lever shaft froze in the transmission housing - in the wall - and the handle broke off. I freed the shaft up with penetrating oil and a vise-grip on the collar, welded the handle back on, and never had another problem. But I shifted it in and out of 4WD a lot after that, just to keep things loose.
I think Wolfman is hot on the trail on this. Make sure the shaft itself is turning.

 

[Al/Lindley]

Hi Guys
So I crawled under the L 35 and drained the fluid through a drain plug that is on the left side bottom of the housing. I put it in a clean pan and got about 7 gallons of it.
I then took one of those inspection cameras and put the end up into the drain plug hole.

Oh, I did make sure the roll pin on the front wheel drive lever is intact and that the shaft is connected with a roll pin to the lever and is moving everything that goes into the transmission case.

I moved the camera end around until I found the end of the front wheel drive lever inside the transmission. I could see the gear and lever clearly in the display. I moved the camera slightly and focused in on the area where the front wheel drive lever is engaged into the gear. It is actually there. The end of the lever is in the "u" shaped groove in the gear. However if I move the lever, the end of the lever moves out of the groove without taking the gear with it.

All i can figure is that the end of the lever is not sunk deeply or locked into into the groove in the gear. I can't see any space between the lever and the groove, but the gear wont slide or move when I move the lever.

So I got a piece of welding rod and slid it in the drain hole next to the inspection camera. I was able to get the welding rod on the gear teeth (not easy) and attempted to slide the gear in either direction to make it fit more tightly in the groove. So far after a week of trying, I can't move the gear on the shaft.

I've called a number of dealers with the question of whether or not I can operate the tractor this way. I even called Kubota in Ohio a couple times. I asked Kubota for the resident expert on L 35's and they said he was in Japan. I asked for his number there too. Mostly i am told by all that they don't really know what will happen.

There is a detente spring and ball on this shaft according to the parts diagram. Perhaps it is keeping the gear from sliding.

But hey, it's warm out, and I will sit under this thing till cold weather if I have to. Estimates at the dealer to fix it vary from 1900 to 3500 dollars.

I appreciate knowing about the top casting under the seat. I agree that it would be better to remove that rather than split the tractor in half.

So I will continue trying to learn and do this without hurting my tractor. I love this machine.

All I did was remove the tin under the seat to replace it. I didn't pay any attention to the arm and only took the rubber end or handle off the arm I didn't remove the arm. I didn't disconnect any linkage but just removed the knobs on the various shafts sticking through the tin. When I put the new tin on, the arm will not pull out of the tin about 6 inches and it used to actually be connected to something internal before.
Thank you for you comments and help,. I really do appreciate it. Al

 

[Stubbyie]

Mr. Lindley, you show extraordinary perseverance and orginality using a camera to view inside the transmission housing.

To your problem: I don't know what you're facing and I can't myself visualize what the problem might be, based on your very clear explanation.

I just don't see how changing sheet metal affected the front wheel drive lever. When you unscrewed the hand-knob, did you inadvertently unscrew the shaft somehow deeper in the transmission? I know on mine I had to hold backup to get the knob off.

Have you tried (with a full hydraulic fluid load and plug reinstalled) lifting the front end off the ground with the loader and then trying to engage the front wheel drive? Maybe, just maybe, something is somehow in a bind internally that might be alleviated by getting the front end off the ground. If you want to leave the plug out for the momemt, perhaps jacking the front end up?

Transmission engaged, not in neutral? On both column GST and gear selector?

Clutch pedal 'up' or 'out', not 'locked down' using the hook?

I am extremely curious how you proceed and what you discover. I will be watching your continuing posts with great interest.

As part of this topic but unrelated to your immediate mechanical problem, can you share exactly what camera rig you used? I would not have thought the probe head would fit through the drain plug port. The prospect of using a camera in this way might be of great interest to many Forum members.

Please post back with as much information as you can so we may all learn.

 

[Al/Lindley]

Hi Stubbyie
I'm still working on mt L 35 problem though it rained last night and was cold. I was lazy and didn't go out. The night before I removed the fenders and floor and seat and everything again. I did it because I wanted to see how far the pedal would travel down and what would happen to the front wheel drive arm when I moved it to its extreme limit forward without the fender or sheet metal around it. . I found that when it does the gear stands still in its original position. The lever just comes out of the groove in the gear and the gear stays on the shaft in one position. My inspection camera is ok but on Monday I will have a much better one. I called the Mac tool guy and he has some whiz bang camera that I can take movies with. Also it has a it much bigger light on the end of the LED.


My brother and I worked to move the gear using a pretty stout "pick" that we bent into shape. But I didn't succeed.

I will get some hydraulic fluid and re fill it and try your method of raining the front end and engaging the transmission. For the life of me i can't figure this out.


I am looking at this unit under the seat...must be the hydraulic unit of sorts. There are a bunch of three point hitch arms and hydraulic pipes going into it. My thinking in desperation is that it would be easier to remove that unit and work from the top than it would be to take the tractor apart..I'm not ready to do that yet...just have been looking at it.


When my inspection camera arrives I'd love to be able to take a video and show you this thing.

Thanks for your help!
Al

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Al,
It's not that great of a mystery why it won't shift into 4wd, it either has a broken gear/ grove or bent/broken shift fork, either one it's going to take splitting it to fix it.
The 4wd shift fork on this is not what I would call Kubota's better design, it's a simple bent rod instead of a full fork, it only engages the gear at one point instead of 2 like a normal shift fork.

Pulling the top of the 3 point lift off should let you see it, but that's it you'll see it, you will still need to split it to fix it, so save the time and effort of pulling parts that don't need pulled and split it at picture #2 and get it fixed.

 

[D2Cat]

With your camera can you look to see if the rod (item #10 in second picture) somehow got pulled out of the groove in the gear? If so, maybe you can get it back into the correct position without separating tractor.

I would think you could free up any pressure that might be on the front without filling up with fluid, just jack up the front off the ground.

 

[Al/Lindley]

Al,
It's not that great of a mystery why it won't shift into 4wd, it either has a broken gear/ grove or bent/broken shift fork, either one it's going to take splitting it to fix it.
The 4wd shift fork on this is not what I would call Kubota's better design, it's a simple bent rod instead of a full fork, it only engages the gear at one point instead of 2 like a normal shift fork.

Pulling the top of the 3 point lift off should let you see it, but that's it you'll see it, you will still need to split it to fix it, so save the time and effort of pulling parts that don't need pulled and split it at picture #2 and get it fixed.

View attachment 11784

View attachment 11785

Thanks wolf man
I appreciate your comments, though I don't know if I have the talent to fix this. I can rebuild a Diesel engine from scratch but don't know about splitting a kubota.

It occurred to me that maybe I didn't cause this problem. Ever since I changed the sheet metal I became aware of the loose front wheel drive arm. Since I bought the tractor used, maybe it's been like this.

Thanks again
Al

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Al,
Do you have a flat hard surface a good floor jack a couple of heavy jack stands and some blocks of wood?
Splitting them is fairly simple job and I'm sure if you can rebuild an engine this would be a walk in the park!
They are meant to be split so they come apart easy without any special tools.
Besides that we are all here to help!!

 

[daverd4]

Al Could you tell me what you found wrong my L35 is doing the exact same thing. Did you split it or take it to a dealer?
Thanks David

 

[jgtools]

i know on my 3240, when i shift into front wheel assist, the fwd lever sometimes feels like it wont engage ,but if i slowly put tractor in motion, forward or back wards, the shifter will easily engage. always wanted to know why i meet this resistance with the fwd shifter it tractor is at a standstill ?? hope all works out good for you.

 

[aeblank]

The resistance is gears meshing. Don't force it, as you said, move if you have to.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Tooljunkie]

Most of those cameras have a fairly small diameter profile. Mine is 3/8" if i recall. Maybe 10 mm. It does not have a display, i use a laptop. Fairly good picture and can also record video.

Perhaps someting in the detent wore out and jammed the locking collar.
I recall something similar, a bearing got loose, then a snap ring let go then a ball popped out and spring jammed the collar. Maybe a little probing with a magnet around the bottom will reveal something.

 

[daverd4]

Mine is like the lever going into the side of the case is not connected to anything you pick the lever up and it turns the shaft but you let go and the lever just falls down. Could anyone tell me if it's better to leave the backhoe on to split the tractor or does it need to come off? Just wondering if it would stabilize the back half with it still attached .

 

[Tooljunkie]

I would pull backhoe off. Just unnecessary weight to control.then if you have to move it, extra weight to push around.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Edit Complete Post:
After looking back over the schematic, pull the backhoe off, you're going to be splitting it on the rear half (transmission to rear end connection), so it much easier to roll the rear away from the front (front being blocked and supported), than it is to move the front.