L4330 engine problems

Bartfelcher

New member

Equipment
KUBOTA L4330
Sep 25, 2016
5
0
0
Oneonta, Al USA
I have a L4330 with a V2203 engine that has over heated, and now I have oil in the water and water in the oil. Does anyone know if all V2203 engines are interchangeable ? (block wise) I realize that I may have to swap like the oil pan, intake, etc. But I need to know that if I buy a V2203 replacement engine that it will bolt back up to my tractor. Any ideas ?
 
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1970cs

New member
Apr 26, 2016
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Grand Ledge
Re: engine problems

Have you torn it down to figure out what happened? It could be a cracked head or blown gasket!

Pat
 

Bartfelcher

New member

Equipment
KUBOTA L4330
Sep 25, 2016
5
0
0
Oneonta, Al USA
Re: engine problems

Oil was getting into the water and making the water into a sludge. I replaced the head with new head & head gasket., still getting oil in water. After it sat for awhile I checked the oil & water is now getting into the oil.
 

D2Cat

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Lifetime Member

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L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
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40 miles south of Kansas City
Re: engine problems

Might want to go up above your first post where it says "SEARCH" and experiment with a few different words to see if you find some existing links to similar problems.

Often times beats reinventing the wheel, and saves time waiting for someone to respond.
 

1970cs

New member
Apr 26, 2016
1,124
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0
Grand Ledge
Re: engine problems

It would have been nice to know that you have dug deeper than indicated on the O.P.!

Yes, if you order a new engine from a Kubota dealer it will fit. Now I should a turkey here, but I won't be.

If you order a new engine, you will have to drill holes in the block at where Kubota prescribes. This will have to have pictures e-mailed by the dealer before they even order the new engine.

Thank the EPA for this!

Pat
 

rbargeron

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L5450, L48, L3250, L345 never enough attachments
Jul 6, 2015
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238
63
western ma
Re: engine problems

Oil was getting into the water and making the water into a sludge. I replaced the head with new head & head gasket., still getting oil in water. After it sat for awhile I checked the oil & water is now getting into the oil.
Very often people having tractor problems post here before they've gone very far into diagnosis, and replacement of major parts. There is a lot of experience and knowledge here you can likely tap into - but it would help to post more details of the original symptoms, how they developed and changed, (noise, loss of power, smoke, etc). Now that there's water in the oil too, has the engine run long enough to be damaged by it?
 
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Bartfelcher

New member

Equipment
KUBOTA L4330
Sep 25, 2016
5
0
0
Oneonta, Al USA
Re: engine problems

Sorry to have put anyone out, but I realize there are many apps for the V2203 engine. I was hoping to find a reman / new engine that would fit the tractor without going through a dealer, as they are quite priceeee. The tractor cranks and runs fine, it does smoke, no noise, no knocking as of yet, but I didn't run it long and have not run it at all since I found the water in the oil.
The main question is, can or will any V2203 engine be adapted to fit the L4330 tractor.
Thanks for your input,
Richard
 

torch

Well-known member

Equipment
B7100HSD, B2789, B2550, B4672, 48" cultivator, homemade FEL and Cab
Jun 10, 2016
2,619
869
113
Muskoka, Ont.
Re: engine problems

I don't know if that engine has a water pump or not, but in another recent thread I recommended a product called Block Seal, by CRC. I have found it to be a very effective repair for a cracked block, provided the directions are followed religiously. Someone else mentioned that it may not work without a water pump. And they might be right. But if the alternative is replacing the engine, I think I would try it first!
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
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Sandpoint, ID
If it's getting water in the oil I think it's done, as rare as it is, it does sound like it either warped or cracked the block, or maybe you popped a frost plug seal out of it, but the only way to know that is to tear it down.

You could do as Torch suggested and try the block seal by CRC as it is a really good product and you do have a water pump on that model, you really have little to lose.

Now if you want to get another V2203 to swap it out to and for it to be a simple swap, you want a V2203 new style IDI engine (indirect Injection).
 

lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
5,207
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Mid, South, USA
Not all kubota engines are "the same". There's a few different variants, even of the exact same displacement engine. Lot of times the governors and injection pumps can vary from engine to engine depending on what application it's for. Compression ratios can vary. Exhaust an intake manifolding can vary. Turbo vs naturally aspirated blocks-they're different too (turbo blocks are drilled for the oil return). Water pumps can be different depending on what it's going into or coming out of (if someone was to buy a donor engine). Crankshaft pulley. Etc.

If you end up having to replace it, keep those things in mind. Kubota has a model number on each engine, for instance V2403-DI-E2MA, and each number/letter has a meaning that designates it's application among other things.

I'm one of those who, when I went into the business, I thought many of the Kubota engines were interchangeable. Had a guy with I think an L2900 that needed an engine (broken crankshaft). He found the same displacement engine that came out of a reefer unit. I go to install it, bellhousing different. Flywheel different. BUNCH of stuff was different. I had to swap the stuff from his old engine, got it bolted to the tractor, started it and find out that it runs 1800 RPM continually, no idle. Thats how I found out that the governor is different, and the linkages. And the injection pump as well. By time it was all said & done, the guy put nearly $3000 into a used engine to make it "work" on his tractor. At that time, brand new engine from Kubota was $3400.

Let us know how the sealer works...I'm curious.
 

Bartfelcher

New member

Equipment
KUBOTA L4330
Sep 25, 2016
5
0
0
Oneonta, Al USA
Thanks for the info. I had kinda figured there might be some issues with changing parts from old engine to new engine. I'm not sure about trying the block sealer as I'm not sure as to how to get all the oil from the water system, my understanding is that it has to be free of all oil and anti-freeze to work. I did get a reply for a remaned engine for the LOW LOW price of only $4,990.00. The Kubota dealer only wants $5,045.00 for a new engine (no labor included). Looks like a trip down to see my friendly neighborhood
banker.
Thanks for the suggestions and ideas.
POOR Richard