Oil leak…where to look? L3560 LE tractor

[Firstgear]

I am running like a chicken with my head cut off. We are moving from Ohio to Maine And building a new home on 24 acres we bought. But we need to sell the Maine home to fund the build and hopefully sell the Ohio home. We just got back from Maine, 800 miles one way. We have had to talk to Town Planning and Development, our real estate attorney and the surveyor. We have had to delay the Maine house going up for sale until the deeds are sorted out. We are back in Ohio now and tomorrow I need to see if I can get my mill (2700 pounds) moved as well as my lathe so that on Friday the industrial fork lift I am renting (shows up Friday) can load our builders dump trailer that I am borrowing. Borrowing the trailer because it has a load rating of 14,000 pounds. You can see the problem…barely time to breathe or even think.

My body is in full revolt telling me this is crazy…I can hardly get up out of the chair to walk in the other room. Once I get moving it isn’t too bad….aggghhhhhhh

So as you can see there isn’t time to troubleshoot. I need to rifle shoot this sucker. Assuming I get some time, given the location of the puddle what should I look at for finding and hopefully repairing the leak. The tractor has less than an hour on it and that is just for moving stuff With the forks. The oil is pretty clear, not amber. Help! What kind of oil is it? Where can I get some. If it is hydraulic oil, i just moved to Maine the new Kubota oil I had.

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

Are you sure it’s oil? Could it be coolant? Little wet spot on muffler I can see.

 

[Firstgear]

Are you sure it’s oil? Could it be coolant? Little wet spot on muffler I can see.

99.9% certain its either engine oil or hydraulic oil. It’s clear and doesn’t have an amber tint like I would expect to see in engine oil.

 

[Bmyers]

Is the plug in the front axle?

 

[GrizBota]

Is this a brand new tractor? If it’s beenrun a few hours, engine oil will be dark. If you’re sure it’s oil and not water, then my guess is the drain plug on the left end of the axle is loose. It’s only a couple inches above the nearest surface if the inside edge of the rim.

I’d fill it with what’s in it, which if it what Kubota put in it originally, is Super UTD2, about $25/gallon.I can tell it’s not 80W90 gear lube by the color (it’s not black).

 

[mcfarmall]

Check every hydraulic connection for tightness and moisture. Most likely a loose hydraulic fitting.

 

[Firstgear]

Is this a brand new tractor? If it’s beenrun a few hours, engine oil will be dark. If you’re sure it’s oil and not water, then my guess is the drain plug on the left end of the axle is loose. It’s only a couple inches above the nearest surface if the inside edge of the rim.

I’d fill it with what’s in it, which if it what Kubota put in it originally, is Super UTD2, about $25/gallon.I can tell it’s not 80W90 gear lube by the color (it’s not black).

Brand spanking new.

Touching it and rubbing between my fingers it didn’t feel like a high viscosity oil. It’s 86 degrees F out.

it has been run and moved out of garage several times. There hasn’t been oil on the floor before. That is what is crazy. We were gone to Maine about 10 days and before we left there wasn’t oil on the floor as I had to remove the tires off my log splitter to take to a tire shop to get fixed. After we got back to Ohio, I took the tires to back garage to put wheels back on log splitter and that was when I found the oil pool. I will check the plug.

 

[RCW]

Usually new tractors are low on oil in the front axle. Yours might be the exception….

Looks like a bunch, but that’s maybe a cup…just want to find cause.

Certainly does look like a loose plug or fitting.

 

[GrizBota]

Usually new tractors are low on oil in the front axle. Yours might be the exception….

Looks like a bunch, but that’s maybe a cup…just want to find cause.

Certainly does look like a loose plug or fitting.

I’ll bet his is low now. The portal portion of the axle holds a fair bit, so even if it was 90% empty, if the drain plug is loose, it’d make a mess.

So far as I know, there are no other hydraulic aspects on that corner of the tractor that would provide a source. Whereas the right front could have additional suspects (FEL, check plug). If the source is in the center of the front end, there’s a mess of hydraulic connections above and in front of the front axle for the power steering.

 

[Fordtech86]

Why does it look like the front axle has already been worked on/removed? Look at the bolts holding the front axle support, they have been messed with….

 

[GrizBota]

Why does it look like the front axle has already been worked on/removed? Look at the bolts holding the front axle support, they have been messed with….

Right you are. Both of those two fasteners on the left side of the pivot point saddle for the front axle have been beat on. And one is a nut and the other is a bolt? That doesn’t “look” right. I hope they don’t charge extra for the rust. But maybe that’s what Big K is going, sort of like the mix and match on the rear wheel lugs.

I’ll stop looking after this, but I see that the two hydraulic lines for the third function are the lowest thing on the bottom of the tractor. Looks like someone didn’t want to think too hard when that was installed. Myself, I’d tell the dealer to come out and fix these aspects or bring a trailer and take it back.

 

[GrizBota]

Well I couldn’t stand it. I went down to the shop and looked at my Grand L3830 which is about 16 years older.

Several observations:

1) My tractor has both nuts and bolts fastening the pivot point saddle, same as the OP’s. So probably not a concern. My fasteners have not been beat on. Maybe the tractors are delivered to the dealer w/o the front axle installed now (I’d be surprised).

2) My tractor has both the fill plug and check plug on the left side. So…if the front axle were overfilled and the check plug was loose (and the OP’s tractor is the same as mine and opposite the orientation shown in the line drawing above) then the check plug could be a potential source as well.

3) My tractor has less rust (as in none) than a brand new one. I guess Kubota wasn’t include the free “pre-rusted” option package at that time, or I got shorted.

 

[jimh406]

First thing I'd do is call the dealer since you said it is new. In the case of some major issue, it would be good to have them involved.

Next, I'd look up how to service it and check all of the drain and sight plugs including the front axle as others have noted. If your new one is like most, the filters are painted on, so probably not leaking from those.

I agree that it's probably a hydraulic fitting for the loader or 3rd function valve if equipped.

 

[number two]

First thing I'd do is call the dealer since you said it is new. In the case of some major issue, it would be good to have them involved.

Next, I'd look up how to service it and check all of the drain and sight plugs including the front axle as others have noted. If your new one is like most, the filters are painted on, so probably not leaking from those.

I agree that it's probably a hydraulic fitting for the loader or 3rd function valve if equipped.

Kindly ask your salesman to have someone stop by and check it out!
Explain that you're moving and it's brand new.
Maybe have them notify your new dealer you're coming..
Could help with future issues.
Good Luck!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Check the lines on the hydraulic oil cooler, know leak spot.

 

[whitetiger]

Why does it look like the front axle has already been worked on/removed? Look at the bolts holding the front axle support, they have been messed with….

The tractor was shipped on a crate with the front axle removed, the dealer installed it. Looks like they were a little rough during installation and did no touch-up.

 

[whitetiger]

Open the hood and look behind the battery, you will probably see oil. like Wolfman said, it is probably a hydraulic oil cooler hose leaking from a loose hose clamp.

If you do not want to mess with it, call your dealer's Service Department to get it taken care of.

 

[Firstgear]

Dealer is sending out a service technician since the tractor is still under warranty. I will let everyone know the outcome is.

 

[Firstgear]

Everything looks good. Not sure if the fluid leaked from my log splitter (was adjacent to tractor) which has been known to do, but not when I had it tipped up like i had it. Service technician gave it a very thorough look over. I was satisfied. Now to see if the leak demon will show up again or not.

Special thank you to all that took the time to help troubleshoot what it might be. Let’s hope the leak demon goes to someone else’s garage.

 

[GrizBota]

Well I wouldn’t have guessed that. The leak was from a different piece of equipment.

Did you check the fluid level in the front axle anyhow, since they have been known to be under filled from the dealer in recent years.

What did they think about the routing of those 3rd function lines? Standard “They’re all like that.” ?