M9000 Valve Adjustment or 'Overhead'

[dvcochran]

I am in the early stages of getting equipment ready for hay season.
My M9000 is running good and has just under 1,200 hours. Sometimes at startup I hear a very slight "ticking" usually for a short period. I have been told it is normal Kubota noise but want to be sure.
Is there a recommended valve adjustment around 1,000 hours or possibly a more comprehensive overhead like performed on bigger trucks I should consider? Also wondered if anyone is using an oil additive and what brand.
I can do my own fluid/filter maintenance but not confident enough to adjust the valves. Anything you would add to the job? Would you use a dealer only mechanic?

 

[SidecarFlip]

I am in the early stages of getting equipment ready for hay season.
My M9000 is running good and has just under 1,200 hours. Sometimes at startup I hear a very slight "ticking" usually for a short period. I have been told it is normal Kubota noise but want to be sure.
Is there a recommended valve adjustment around 1,000 hours or possibly a more comprehensive overhead like performed on bigger trucks I should consider? Also wondered if anyone is using an oil additive and what brand.
I can do my own fluid/filter maintenance but not confident enough to adjust the valves. Anything you would add to the job? Would you use a dealer only mechanic?

I have a pair of M9's one cab one open station. Never ran the overhead on either but am having the dealer do the open station right now at 3500 hours, the cab one has 2500 on it. The OS was getting noiser than the cab tractor and seemed a bit down on power so it's in the shop right now getting the overhead set and dynoed too. Told them to check the injectors but the mechanic there said he felt the injectors were fine as it starts fine, no smoke, idles nice and is very responsive to the throttle.

I'll probably do the cab tractor at 3500 as well.

I asked the mechanic at the dealer (who happens to be a shooting buddy of mine) how long he thought the motors would go and he said at least 10K hours the way I take care of them, with nothing major breaking.

Neither of mine ever 'ticked', but the OS was noiser than the cab sitting side by side. Nice to have 2 identical tractors at least mechanically, both are hydraulic shuttle, both on R1's, both have loaders, both have cast wheels.

I run (and always have run) Rotella T 6 in each of them since new. I was in the shop when Dennis pulled the valve cover on the 3500 hour tractor and the overhead was clean as a whistle. No blowby in the valve cover either and I don't change my oil by hours, I change by oil analysis. When Blackstone says my TBN numbers are sliding, I change the oil and filter (and I use only Kubota) filters.

Oh boy, just looked at the owners manual.... States valve adjustment every 800 hours.. I'm a bit past that on both....lol ooops.

Both run just fine though.

Yes, they are farm tractors. I'm a commercial forage grower.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Unlike a 'big truck' where the injectors are mechanically actuated and are adjustable, the only thing under the valve cover is the valves, 3 valves per cylinder. The injectors are 'fired' with pump pressure, no adjustment needed. I'd have a Kubota dealer do the overhead, but then thats me. With the M9's the muffler has to come off to access the overhead anyway.

You can do it yourself but you need the WSM to set them. I have the WSM but I still prefer the dealer to handle that chore.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bulldog]

Also wondered if anyone is using an oil additive and what brand.

Not to start a oil war but I recommend Amsoil 5w30 heavy duty diesel oil. No additives are needed and you'll have in my opinion the highest level of protection on the market. It's change interval is rated for up to 600 hrs or once a year.

I've bought 2 M9000's and neither have had any kind of ticking noise.

 

[GeoHorn]

Originally Posted by dvcochran
Also wondered if anyone is using an oil additive and what brand.

Use whatever additives Kubota recommends and none other. (You will find most engine snake oils are not recommended for good reasons)

Fuel is a different matter.

 

[dvcochran]

I have a pair of M9's one cab one open station. Never ran the overhead on either but am having the dealer do the open station right now at 3500 hours, the cab one has 2500 on it. The OS was getting noiser than the cab tractor and seemed a bit down on power so it's in the shop right now getting the overhead set and dynoed too. Told them to check the injectors but the mechanic there said he felt the injectors were fine as it starts fine, no smoke, idles nice and is very responsive to the throttle.

I'll probably do the cab tractor at 3500 as well.

I asked the mechanic at the dealer (who happens to be a shooting buddy of mine) how long he thought the motors would go and he said at least 10K hours the way I take care of them, with nothing major breaking.

Neither of mine ever 'ticked', but the OS was noiser than the cab sitting side by side. Nice to have 2 identical tractors at least mechanically, both are hydraulic shuttle, both on R1's, both have loaders, both have cast wheels.

I run (and always have run) Rotella T 6 in each of them since new. I was in the shop when Dennis pulled the valve cover on the 3500 hour tractor and the overhead was clean as a whistle. No blowby in the valve cover either and I don't change my oil by hours, I change by oil analysis. When Blackstone says my TBN numbers are sliding, I change the oil and filter (and I use only Kubota) filters.

Oh boy, just looked at the owners manual.... States valve adjustment every 800 hours.. I'm a bit past that on both....lol ooops.

Both run just fine though.

Yes, they are farm tractors. I'm a commercial forage grower.

I have been using regular old Rotella 15W/40. No additives. What weight are you using?

 

[SidecarFlip]

I have been using regular old Rotella 15W/40. No additives. What weight are you using?

I use 5-40 T6 but I live in a cooler climate than you do. I ran 15-40 up to about 5 years ago but I use the cab 9 to plow snow and it starts easier on 5-40. So does my diesel pickup truck. No additives either. Fuel, different story. I use Archoil fuel modifier and Powerservice in the fuel, all the time.

Like I said, at 3500 hours when Dennis popped the valve cover on the open station, there was absolutely no crud in the overhead at all. Ran my finger over the top of the head between the valves and it came away clean. No sludge and no blowby on the valve cover inside. Clean as new.

Same way with my pickup truck. It's a 97, 7.3 and I replaced the injection harness last year, had both valve covers off and clean as new inside.

I'm sold on Rotella.

I like just using one oil for everything, from the lawn mower to my portable genny, all get 5-40 T6 now.

Gets cold up here in the winter and when it's way below freezing, I need every advantage I can get. I don't plug them in in the winter. No electricity in the barn and no block heaters either.

I think that I'd probably use Amsoil if Rotella didn't do the job as well as it does.