"New" L345 owner questions

[BigP623]

New member and first time tractor owner here so bear with me....

We recently picked up a "gently" used L345. Its seen its better days long ago but got it for very cheap and it ran well so we took a shot. Decided to start fixing her up this weekend.
It had some hydraulic issues. The 3 pt was very slow and weak and shuddered a bit. We drained all the fluids and the stuff that came out was horrid. Filled it back up and ran it a while, then changed it again, only to see more gunk come out with the fluid. The 3 pt worked much better by the second change, still a bit slow but it is at least picking up our heavy bush hog now (heavy enough to make the tractor pop a wheelie when you take off, may be a bit much for this tractor we know). I did some research and found out about the suction filter screen behind the 'driver' side foot board. We drained the fluid again, and pulled the cap only to find out there was no filter present, previous owner/owners must have tossed it at some point. I read it is supposed to have a small shaft on the end to grab with pliers to pull it out, but the ones i see online to order look like just a hollow screen tube?? Anyone happen to know the part number for the filter screen? Is there only the one, or are there more than one?

Also, the 3 pt control lever is very touchy. Even with nothing on it, it will only stay up if the lever is almost all the way to the rear 'lift position'. barely moving it towards the drop position makes it fall very quickly. With the bush hog it will only stay up with it all the way to the rear in the lift position. Anyone know what may be causing that?

 

[keithcoady]

I'm a relatively new tractor owner so can't help with your hydraulic/filter issues but for the 3 point there is usually a knob below the front of the seat that controls how fast or slow the 3 point lowers.

If you turn it all the way to the slow position then it should lock it in place, or at least is does that on mine. To lower it you'll have to turn it back the other way a little but at least that will slow the lowering speed. Experiment and you'll find the setting that works best for you but it certainly sounds like that implement is much too heavy without a front counterweight.

Hope that helps but I'm sure the more experienced will chime in and provide you with better answers/options.

Keith

 

[100 td]

Does your tractor have a draft control?
While this manual is a couple of series older, it may assist you with playing with the controls. http://www.kubotabooks.com/AutoIndex/index.php?dir=Tractor%20Owners%20Manuals/&file=L235-L275%20Ops.pdf
Picture quality degraded on save, have a squizz in the manual
Not sure if anything else in the manual will correlate?

 

[BigP623]

Does your tractor have a draft control?
While this manual is a couple of series older, it may assist you with playing with the controls. http://www.kubotabooks.com/AutoIndex/index.php?dir=Tractor%20Owners%20Manuals/&file=L235-L275%20Ops.pdf
Picture quality degraded on save, have a squizz in the manual
Not sure if anything else in the manual will correlate?

I suppose I do have draft control. It has the 2 levers like that. The labels are so weathered I wasn't sure what the second one did, now I know.

As far as the knob under the seat goes, the only way the hydros lift is if the knob is turned all the way to 'fast'. Turning it towards the slow way (clockwise) the 3 pt will drop but not lift. it would be nice if it dropped slower because of what we will be using it for, lifting and dropping will be happening frequently (dodging stumps in the woods), but if we cant lift it quickly that may become an issue.

As far as the filter location, am I in the right ballpark with the cover at the lower rear in front of the diff? Is this the only hydro filter on this model?

 

[Russell King]

My L185 has the filter screen in the location you state and it is the only one. You should be able to look at Kubota.com illustrated parts list online to find part numbers. The one for my tractor is still available so I imagine yours is also. They are just hollow screens with a partial ends

Adding weights on front will counterbalance rear weight and allow you to steer better.

On my tractor the speed knob has nothing to do with the up speed only the down speed



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[007kubotaguy]

Hello
Your tractor does not have a filter on the left side . It should have a filter close to the hydraulic pump on the right side. It's a cleanable screen. It has a cap on it you remove and a spring and the filter should drop out. Be sure your filter has a rubber gasket on the top were it sets in the housing. It sounds like you are using the draft control and not the position control to raise and lower. That is why you don't have good control. Also check the rod that comes from the top link bracket to be sure it is not bent or broken.
Good Luck Lance

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Your filter issue is easy, but not cheap, that is if the filter is still available.
Filter $75.01
37300-37710

Spring $1.64
37300-37740

O-ring $1.51
04811-50600

Your three point issue sound like a lift cylinder issue.
Probably bad rings on the piston.

 

[rbargeron]

The floppy lift lever has 2 nuts and can be snugged up using a couple wrenches.

 

[D2Cat]

BigP623, if you need the filter, and don't want to spend the $75 North Idaho Wolfman indicated, I think I have one setting around here somewhere that I removed from an L305. I cut the entire housing out and replaced with a screw on hyd. filter.

If interested, send me a PM and I look for you.

Here's how I did mine. The whole thing, including filter was like $30.

 

[BigP623]

Hello
Your tractor does not have a filter on the left side . It should have a filter close to the hydraulic pump on the right side. It's a cleanable screen. It has a cap on it you remove and a spring and the filter should drop out. Be sure your filter has a rubber gasket on the top were it sets in the housing. It sounds like you are using the draft control and not the position control to raise and lower. That is why you don't have good control. Also check the rod that comes from the top link bracket to be sure it is not bent or broken.
Good Luck Lance

That link is in fact broken, but wasn't sure what it was for yet. I saw that it was adjustable but wasn't sure for what.

I'm a very mechanically inclined person, this tractor is just a bit overwhelming at the amount of things that it had wrong. We have at least gotten it to the point where it's is running well and functioning, just need to work out all the small stuff now.

 

[BigP623]

BigP623, if you need the filter, and don't want to spend the $75 North Idaho Wolfman indicated, I think I have one setting around here somewhere that I removed from an L305. I cut the entire housing out and replaced with a screw on hyd. filter.

If interested, send me a PM and I look for you.

Here's how I did mine. The whole thing, including filter was like $30.

Where do you get the filter connection to retrofit the system??

 

[D2Cat]

"Where do you get the filter connection to retrofit the system??" BigP623, Are you asking about the bend on the bottom that goes over to the hose?

I was looking for something with a slow sweep, not a sharp bend. I will have to look, but I think that is stainless steel. I went to my local scrapper who has a huge pile of SS, and just went snooping. Found a piece with 1" IPS (I think) with the bend, cut it to suit, chamfered the edge and slid it into the hose.

If that's what you're needing I will look in my "bone pile" and see what I can come up with!! I think everything else came from Surplus Center, Omaha.

 

[BigP623]

"Where do you get the filter connection to retrofit the system??" BigP623, Are you asking about the bend on the bottom that goes over to the hose?

I was looking for something with a slow sweep, not a sharp bend. I will have to look, but I think that is stainless steel. I went to my local scrapper who has a huge pile of SS, and just went snooping. Found a piece with 1" IPS (I think) with the bend, cut it to suit, chamfered the edge and slid it into the hose.

If that's what you're needing I will look in my "bone pile" and see what I can come up with!! I think everything else came from Surplus Center, Omaha.

I was talking about adding a canister style filter to the system and doing away with the one that was there. Was it just a universal canister filter mount?

 

[BigP623]

One more question I also have. On this tractor, is the only way of stopping the engine is by using the decompress cable? Turning the key off does nothing, although someone had gone through the wiring of this tractor and I plan on rewiring the entire thing, it is using an aftermarket key switch. The only was to stop the engine at the present t time though is by way of decompress. Is this normal on this older model?

 

[Tooljunkie]

I think its similar to my l1501, right side by accelerator pedal. Above it on transmission housing is a small lever. Lift it to stop. You will see its attatched to pedal linkage.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That model did not come with electrical shutdown.
You stop the motor one of 2 ways.
Might have a stop lever is lower right hand side.
or more likely you move the throttle lever backwards to kill fuel and kill the motor (it's normally spring loaded).

Avoid using the decompression control to kill it as it can do damage to the engine.

 

[MagKarl]

Avoid using the decompression control to kill it as it can do damage to the engine.

How is this possible? No compression = no fire, what am I missing?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Cold air passing hot valves can cause issues, and those issues can turn into major issues.

 

[BigP623]

That model did not come with electrical shutdown.
You stop the motor one of 2 ways.
Might have a stop lever is lower right hand side.
or more likely you move the throttle lever backwards to kill fuel and kill the motor (it's normally spring loaded).

Avoid using the decompression control to kill it as it can do damage to the engine.

I know this is plenty of newbie style questions, but what exactly would the decompression function be used for then if not to kill the engine?

 

[rbargeron]

Decompression is for cold starting - it allows a cold engine to turn over easier. When the starter is turning the glow plugs are powered too. After turning over a few seconds decompressed, push the button back in to start. Overall there's a bitless battery drain using decompression.

At many latitudes it doesn't make much difference so owners ignore it and the cable rusts stuck. It was discontinued on the next models.

For stopping L345 has a small lever on the right for cutting fuel. Later models got a pull-knob.