RWS, that is an awesome...yet awful...story. Kubota needs an award for being able to engineer these tractors to prevent, or at least discourage, all the DIY's. Good for you to find a way! Reminds me of the poem..."Somebody said it couldn't be done and I with a chuckle replied, "maybe it can't but I will be one who won't say so until I've tried."
Tractor Gal
I like that saying.
I can't blame Kubota. I should have taken the time to fill in the hole where I believe it happened, instead of Baja'ing through it.
My past mechanical experience is that all manufactures "basically" design their cars/tractors/planes...with production being more important than service afterwards.
I can't begin to tell you how many times I have said "WTF were they thinking?" when working on something.
It just goes with the territory.
And who knows, maybe I did all that work when a "real Kubota mechanic" has a trick to get that line in and out in 10 minutes.
I know when I was wrenching for "flat rate", I had a few tricks up my sleeve.