Kubota T1880 Won't Drive

[Caden]

Here's what we need to know to determine what the issue likely is:

Do you lose all other electronics (lights, radio, dashboard etc.) at the same time the starter stops working? If so, do they come back on when you stop trying to crank, or do you stay without any power?

You will have to answer this question before we can logically proceed.

If you have no power to anything, and saw an electrical arc under the hood, then the starter is probably not the issue, IMHO
But, if the starter is the only thing that doesn't work, then you need to look at the starter and related components.



It looks like the sensor you circled, near the starter on the side on the block, is likely either an oil pressure sending unit or an engine knock sensor, nether of which should much care about some oil on the exterior.

You are correct, it is bad for the starter to be covered in oil, but again, we need to first determine if the starter not running is merely a symptom of another issue.


The best advise I can give at the moment is to follow the troubleshooting steps that @Russell King stated above. You have nothing to loose, it is the easiest and most likely solution based on the info we have.

 

[Pat_USA]

Here's what we need to know to determine what the issue likely is:

Do you lose all other electronics (lights, radio, dashboard etc.) at the same time the starter stops working? If so, do they come back on when you stop trying to crank, or do you stay without any power?

You will have to answer this question before we can logically proceed.

If you have no power to anything, and saw an electrical arc under the hood, then the starter is probably not the issue, IMHO
But, if the starter is the only thing that doesn't work, then you need to look at the starter and related components.



It looks like the sensor you circled, near the starter on the side on the block, is likely either an oil pressure sending unit or an engine knock sensor, nether of which should much care about some oil on the exterior.

You are correct, it is bad for the starter to be covered in oil, but again, we need to first determine if the starter not running is merely a symptom of another issue.


The best advise I can give at the moment is to follow the troubleshooting steps that @Russell King stated above. You have nothing to loose, it is the easiest and most likely solution based on the info we have.

The day before, it rained and the windshield wiper didn’t work. When I got home for a quick stop, I left the engine running. When I came back out, I noticed the wiper was working, even though it wasn’t raining at my house. I headed out to take care of some business and forgot to lock the vehicle, including the padlock, that night. It didn’t really matter since the thieves have my spare keys and know how to pick the padlock & all the high-security locks. The next day, the vehicle wouldn’t start. I had a doctor’s appointment, so I took the second vehicle. When I got home, I put the battery on the charger, but later it still wouldn’t start. Thinking it was the battery, I kept it on the charger and even used a jump starter, while the battery was charging but still no luck. I tested the battery and it showed almost 13V, so I knew it wasn’t the battery.
It's No noise, no crank, no dash lights, all of them at the same time.

URGENTCY:

Thieves know whenever I have issues with my rider and/or my truck. After a teeth cleaning appointment, I returned to my vehicle and saw a wet spot. Looking underneath, I found gas actively leaking. I had smelled gas when driving recently but didn’t notice any leaks at home. The thieves sabotaged the rubber fuel line by making a pinhole at the top of framing (make it hard to repair) several years ago and the OBD2 showed “Minor Evap Leaks,” though I couldn’t pinpoint the problem until one night after shopping at Lowe’s near by my house, I smelled gas, saw the wet spot, and realized the leaks. I went home, ordered five compression fittings from Amazon, cut the line & connected together with compression fittings. I only used this vehicle when my truck was down. It worked fine until two or three years later, when my truck broke again. Driving this vehicle, I noticed leaks once more, and upon inspection, one side was missing the O-ring while the nut remained intact. I knew the thieves had removed it to cause a leak. After repairing it, since I have 4 remaining fittings, I wrapped yellow tape around it so I’d know if it was tampered with. Now, the leak is active, and I’m afraid it might catch fire if I drive it home, especially it's rush hour. I could try fixing it, but without an O-ring on hand, it’s tricky. I recently canceled AAA due to unauthorized auto-renew charges. I have a barb-type fitting at home, which might be tighter than compression fittings. This explains why during recent driving, the reversing or turning isn’t smooth. I happen to bring my distributor tool bag with me. I also just put an adjustable wrench in the bag, but I might need two to tighten the bolt.

What should I do? It's still hot outside; I might have no choice and just have to do it.

Kubota called me this afternoon; they told me they couldn’t rethread due to insufficient material (something like that).
I asked him to email me with the options & price.


I can't download a short video so I just take a screenshot from the video (IMG_2750)

 

[Pat_USA]

With these leaks. Is it safe enough to drive home? I can wait until there is less traffic.

 

[Caden]

What should I do? It's still hot outside; I might have no choice and just have to do it.

Sorry to leave you stranded, but if this is still a relevant question, do not drive with a gas leak.
Even if its not near the exuast or other heat, its not a good idea.
You seem to know what you need to do to repair it so call someone/ ride service for a ride home to get your parts you know you need.

 

[Russell King]

I would not drive a vehicle that has a gas leak. It is not really safe.

I guess if I was desperate to get it home I might get a good CO2 fire extinguisher and know how to use it and then take that in the vehicle and drive it but that is not even safe.

The pictures show that the sensor (oil pressure) in front of the starter is one source of the oil leak. You might be able to tighten it up and stop it from leaking.

The oil being all over the bottom indicates that it is being blown by the engine fan and being spread out. So that makes it difficult to pin it down. They do make a kit that has dye to put in the oil, an ultraviolet light and some special glasses to help see the dye color. You add the dye to the oil, run the engine a while then shut it off and use the UV light and glasses to see where the leak is.

But you need to get the gas leaks fixed first.

I don’t know exactly how much you need this vehicle so it might be time to try to sell it as is and get those problems off your plate. I think you could also donate it to a charity.

 

[Pat_USA]

I would not drive a vehicle that has a gas leak. It is not really safe.

I guess if I was desperate to get it home I might get a good CO2 fire extinguisher and know how to use it and then take that in the vehicle and drive it but that is not even safe.

The pictures show that the sensor (oil pressure) in front of the starter is one source of the oil leak. You might be able to tighten it up and stop it from leaking.

The oil being all over the bottom indicates that it is being blown by the engine fan and being spread out. So that makes it difficult to pin it down. They do make a kit that has dye to put in the oil, an ultraviolet light and some special glasses to help see the dye color. You add the dye to the oil, run the engine a while then shut it off and use the UV light and glasses to see where the leak is.

But you need to get the gas leaks fixed first.

I don’t know exactly how much you need this vehicle so it might be time to try to sell it as is and get those problems off your plate. I think you could also donate it to a charity.

I know I intend to sell it until the distributor has been fixed & working now, plus I spent a lot of money on it too. I had it for almost 10 years and drove it less than 40K or 50K miles. Now I started learning something when I started doing some work by myself.

 

[Pat_USA]

I would not drive a vehicle that has a gas leak. It is not really safe.

I guess if I was desperate to get it home I might get a good CO2 fire extinguisher and know how to use it and then take that in the vehicle and drive it but that is not even safe.

The pictures show that the sensor (oil pressure) in front of the starter is one source of the oil leak. You might be able to tighten it up and stop it from leaking.

The oil being all over the bottom indicates that it is being blown by the engine fan and being spread out. So that makes it difficult to pin it down. They do make a kit that has dye to put in the oil, an ultraviolet light and some special glasses to help see the dye color. You add the dye to the oil, run the engine a while then shut it off and use the UV light and glasses to see where the leak is.

But you need to get the gas leaks fixed first.

I don’t know exactly how much you need this vehicle so it might be time to try to sell it as is and get those problems off your plate. I think you could also donate it to a charity.

I always depend on other people to do the work or fix it for me. For the last 3-4 yrs, I started to watch YouTube & tried to do something that I think I can do. I'm learning that I'm capable of doing things that I never expected I could do. I had to redo the water pump that I hired a guy to do it. He did sloppy work. I just found out today when I crawl under the truck to see that the guy that I hired to do xxx (I have to check the name of the parts), he didn't complete the job, plus stole my parts. He used old bolt on the left side, I have to look in the order/catalog, what parts he took it with him.

 

[Pat_USA]

I learned how to set the distributor on TDC, it took me a long time to understand it. I can do it better than all 3-4 mechanics that I hired. I also have some tricks that I can manage by myself, it took me 30 mins or less. My mistake is I forgot to put the retainer back to secure the distributor before I tighten the bolt.
I still don't understand, set it 5 or 10 before TDC & I don't know how to use digital timing light, etc.

 

[Caden]

Okay I'm confused, at first it won't crank, but now you're setting the timing?

Or is this a different vehicle with the gas leak? I got lost I think.

Were you able to get the gas leak fixed?

 

[Pat_USA]

Okay I'm confused, at first it won't crank, but now you're setting the timing?

Or is this a different vehicle with the gas leak? I got lost I think.

Were you able to get the gas leak fixed?

Since I replaced the distributor last year, I’ve had ongoing problems. It died unexpectedly and even blew out my nearly new muffler, plus I had trouble starting it. I thought it was a distributor issue but didn’t realize it was more complicated than YouTube made it seem. Several people tried resetting the distributor, but the fix never lasted, and I ended up blowing the muffler twice. The previous mechanic replaced the timing chain and reset the distributor, but he did it wrong—the truck died on the highway the first time I drove it, and he never came back to fix it because he believed that he did everthing correctly. I had to tow it home. The last mechanic corrected the previous mistakes, got it running, and did other work to pass safety inspection, but it still didn’t run smoothly, and it took longer to start each day. I told him it needed to be reset it again, and I could drive to his place for that. The day before it died, it was hard to start every time. The next day, I had a feeling it would fail, so I brought my distributor tools. Sure enough, it died at a stoplight, but I managed to reset the timing. Luckily, there was another vehicle nearby in an empty library parking lot in case I needed help, plus I still had AAA. Last year, when I called mobile mechanics saying it wouldn’t start and I thought it needed timing reset, most didn't want to touch it. But after towing it home repeatedly, a nearby shop still didn't want to do the work. All of this happened before the current issue—no noise, no crank, no dashboard lights.
I noticed a gas leak on the right side, I believe someone loosened bolt a little. The O-ring was still in place but stick out a little, so I tightened it (maybe too much), which made the leak worse, so I stopped as it was getting dark. I plan to remove it again today and start over, making sure the O-ring is positioned correctly on the fuel line before inserting it.

If it leaks a bit, I think I can safely drive to Lowe’s or Home Depot, which is about 4 miles away. In the past, when it leaked at Lowe’s, it was only 2.6 miles from home. Maybe driving slowly will prevent too much pressure or heat, making it safe enough for a short trip. It’s tough without a smaller or shorter adjustable wrench, especially in tight spaces where there’s not much room to maneuver the tool.

 

[Pat_USA]

I was so lucky to have a nice guy park next to my vehicle this morning. I asked if he had some small adjustable wrenches, and not only did he have them, but he also had some various size of barb fittings and clamps. He even ended up fixing the leaks for me. There are still wonderful people around, and sometimes luck and fate or faith bring them into your life, just like you guys!!!

The leaks were caused by the use of plastic O-rings instead of brass ones, which led to the gas melting the plastic.
I’m going to leave negative feedback on Amazon for this item to warn people not to use it on gas, even though it’s listed for repairing fuel lines.

 

[Caden]

There are still wonderful people around, and sometimes luck and fate or faith bring them into your life, just like you guys!!!

That is great to hear, glad your vehicle is repaired.

 

[Pat_USA]

This is the message the the Kubota guy sent me via email"

Blades shaft damaged and blade missing .Needs new blade Spindle Assy.,blade, blade bolt and washer. Belt is worn needs to be replaced. The parts cost is $206.51 Labor 130.00 plus tax. Give me a call and let me know what you want to do.

What is a blade spindle assembly, and is it difficult to install (& remove)?
If it’s tricky, I’ll just buy the blade spindle assembly and have Kubota handle the installation.
I also need to pick up a new blade set, washer, and bolt. I already bought the new belt during my last visit when I ordered the new bolt and washer.
I’m confident I can install the new blade, deck belt, and put the decking back on myself.

 

[Pat_USA]

I just called Kubota and spoke with a guy. They can’t use a bigger drill bit or bolt, and they can’t just replace the part in the center. I have to get a new spindle assembly. The parts without a new belt cost $166.50 plus tax, and labor is around $130. They said the bolts are rusted. I asked him to check the right side first to make sure it’s still in good condition, and he called back pretty soon to say it’s fine. I told him to go ahead and order the parts. He will order the parts as soon as he hung up the phone. I should get it back by next Friday, 10/9. I estimate the total will be around $330.

Is it worth it? The tires have also started to dry rot., the deck also has some cracks, should I clean up & use JB Weld.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

This is the message the the Kubota guy sent me via email"

Blades shaft damaged and blade missing .Needs new blade Spindle Assy.,blade, blade bolt and washer. Belt is worn needs to be replaced. The parts cost is $206.51 Labor 130.00 plus tax. Give me a call and let me know what you want to do.

What is a blade spindle assembly, and is it difficult to install (& remove)?
If it’s tricky, I’ll just buy the blade spindle assembly and have Kubota handle the installation.
I also need to pick up a new blade set, washer, and bolt. I already bought the new belt during my last visit when I ordered the new bolt and washer.
I’m confident I can install the new blade, deck belt, and put the decking back on myself.

Is the deck at the dealer? That sounds like the cost for the shaft, blade, bolt, washer and, maybe, bearings and a belt. My search showed $600 for the spindle assembly, so I'm a little confused. But if you get the deck back ready to go for $300, I'd consider that reasonable.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Is it worth it? The tires have also started to dry rot., the deck also has some cracks, should I clean up & use JB Weld.

I can't assess the overall condition of your mower to tell you if it's worth it. But, if you need a riding mower, you sure can't buy one for the cost of new tires.

You could send pictures of the deck cracks, but typical cracks need to be welded up. JB Weld is good stuff, but not what you need here.

 

[Caden]

Is it worth it? The tires have also started to dry rot., the deck also has some cracks, should I clean up & use JB Weld.

Probably worth it for the spindle repair, especially if it runs good.
Besides, you can't have us participate in a 5 month long repair thread just to sell the mower!

I would ask for some pictures of the crack once you get the deck back.
Do not JB Weld, not good for this purpose.
If the cracks are in important places than a welder/ metal shop can fix them, but if they are small and insignificant they can remain as is, if you drill a small hole at the end of them to keep them from spreading further.

 

[Russell King]

I just called Kubota and spoke with a guy. They can’t use a bigger drill bit or bolt, and they can’t just replace the part in the center. I have to get a new spindle assembly. The parts without a new belt cost $166.50 plus tax, and labor is around $130. They said the bolts are rusted. I asked him to check the right side first to make sure it’s still in good condition, and he called back pretty soon to say it’s fine. I told him to go ahead and order the parts. He will order the parts as soon as he hung up the phone. I should get it back by next Friday, 10/9. I estimate the total will be around $330.

Is it worth it? The tires have also started to dry rot., the deck also has some cracks, should I clean up & use JB Weld.

The blade spindle assembly is a complete assembly that bolts to the mower deck. It contains the outer case, the shaft, bearings and seals and sometimes a pulley. They will remove the existing spindle assembly and replace it with a new assembly. You can ask them to provide you the old assembly but you need to ask now, not when you pick it up since they might throw it away if you don’t ask.

This makes the repair process easier and faster so the cost of the new assembly installed is usually less than repair of your existing assembly especially since your existing assembly would need a new shaft.

I suggested that you should replace the spindle assembly several days ago in post #81 so I think you are doing the cheapest and easiest repair to get your mower back again.

 

[Pat_USA]

I can't assess the overall condition of your mower to tell you if it's worth it. But, if you need a riding mower, you sure can't buy one for the cost of new tires.

You could send pictures of the deck cracks, but typical cracks need to be welded up. JB Weld is good stuff, but not what you need here.

Kubota has my deck; I will take the pictures when I get it back. It's around 500+ hrs, I don't use that each year (If my rider works with no problem). But if I had a problem, I barely used it, it just sit waiting to find the right person to fix it. Now I started to learn how to take care of it (& fix it if it's easy) , plus I have a group of nice people that I can ask for help to get the right answer or direction. (smiling face)

 

[Pat_USA]

The first two pictures show the deck after I removed it and before dropping it off at Kubota.
The next two are close-up shots of the damaged threads,
and the last picture was taken before he switched the blades.
The price above doesn’t include the new belt, since I already purchased it during a previous visit.
I’ll call Kubota to have them save the old part for me. Thank you for reminding me.

The previous mechanic repaired the important crack with my welder, but I stopped hiring him because it took him forever to do the job. He often arrived very late, promised to return the next day, and never showed up. This happened so often that I’d end up waiting all day for nothing. Sometimes he came only once a week, which was frustrating because I needed to use the rider. When he missed yet another appointment, I told him if he didn’t come that day or the next day (it had been a month already), I’d hire someone else to finish it. He never showed up, so I hired someone to put the belt and decking back. At that time, I didn’t know how to install the deck belt or reattach the deck; since I had removed it myself, I'm sure I could put it back. The person who referred him had warned me, though not in detail, and after hiring him, I understand why. He was busy working on other customers’ cars during the day, which is likely it took him so long to finish each job, but he is a good guy, though.

I’ve been tied up with more important matters and haven’t had time to check on my truck yet. I’ll update after reviewing and following the advice I’ve received and share the outcome.