L3400 DT clutch adjust - loader in the way

[ValveJob]

I've been getting all service up to date on a L3400DT (gears). It's an 06 and had 119 hours with no oil or filter changes when I got it. Thats all taken care of.

I got around to the clutch adjustment as described in the owners manual. It's a 2 part adjustment since it's 4 wheel drive. First adjust peddle play. Then make an adjustment to 3 places on the flywheel, accessible on the flywheel housing.

The problem is that the cover on the flywheel housing is right behind the loader mount. There is only a half inch or so of room. So here are my questions:

1. Does anyone have any advice or tricks to make this adjustment with the loader on? I guess it would do me good to remove it if I have to.


2. How important is this adjustment? I had some gear grinding but there was a lot of slop in the peddle. Making that adjustment helped a lot. If I am patient and give it 3 seconds after pressing the peddle there is minimal gear noise, yet some.

3. I'm wondering if this secondary adjustment is out of tolerance would it make the gears more prone to slip rather than grind?

I welcome any advice / coments. Some of you geniuses have some good ideas on this I'm sure. This is my first request for help. Hopefully I can be on the helping side soon.

Thanks,
Tom, the guy with the valve job

 

[joekimtkd]

Welcome Tom.

I don't know anything about your tractor but I have B7510DT and had a heck of time with my gear grinding problem too. you could find my post here in August or September some time in this forum.

For that, all I could do was reduce idle speed. and starting engine with gear engaged first. (had to by-pass the safety switch.) That way gear doesn't grind at all. Also, when I changing gear to gear... change it quick. that way it doesn't grind again.
And YES I did clutch adjustment too. mine was a bit simpler.

and don't forget to tightening the rear wheel with torque wrench.

I have found "Propeller Shaft" is constantly turning even though Clutch is depressed. but once Gear is engaged or PTO is engaged... Propeller shaft is stop turning when I depress clutch.

I don't understand this at all, but I'm just live with it.

Mine is cheapper tractor than yours. so probably that is why... but your tractor is better and newer than mine... so it must be some glitch in it though.
and Trust me, I WILL NEVER BUY THE GEAR MODEL EVER AGAIN~!

I've been told most of loaders are quick attachment.
So you could take it off soooooo easily.

Good luck.

Joe.

 

[ValveJob]

Welcome Tom.

I don't know anything about your tractor but I have B7510DT and had a heck of time with my gear grinding problem too. you could find my post here in August or September some time in this forum.....


....and don't forget to tightening the rear wheel with torque wrench....



Good luck.

Joe.

Joe,
Thanks for the reply. I'll keep all that in mind. I find it interesting you mentioning torqueing the rear wheel nuts. Either you had one come loose or you have ESP.

The rear wheels on my tractor will reconfigure to a wider wheel base by about 3-4 inches. I did this the same day as the clutch adjust. The Wheels pull out and rotate and mount on a different bracket. It's pretty cool. But then the lug bolts go in from the front and the nuts on the back. Thats the way it's designed to do. My wrench was too big to get in back so I could not tighten them up much. It's at my land not at my house so I parked it untill I can get back with the right tools (one being torque wrench).

Also the book says once you do torque them, drive it something like a 1000 feet and re-torque. I can see that is good advice.

Tell me you didn't have a rear wheel come loose and it is ESP.

Thanks again,

Tom

 

[ValveJob]

You'll need to drop that loader mount to get at that access point, might be worth doing, since it probably hasn't been adjusted since the clutch/tractor was new.

Vic,

I kinda suspected that but thought I'd give it a try here on the forum first. Comming from the master gives it weight. It will be good for me.

Thank you very much,

Tom

 

[joekimtkd]

Joe,
Thanks for the reply. I'll keep all that in mind. I find it interesting you mentioning torqueing the rear wheel nuts. Either you had one come loose or you have ESP.


Tell me you didn't have a rear wheel come loose and it is ESP.

What is the ESP~?

I built my cab with mig welder first time in my life. and I was working on electrical work and installing lights and all. so I was getting on the tractor and found Kubota has gooooooooood suspention~!
So I started to check the rear tire and it was badly loose. Whole tractor was shaking good with one finger~

So I checked WSM and found good answer right there.
In this forum, "It could happen to you" was the post title.
and there is "It could happen to you, Part 2" for another bad issue too.

Since you have better tractor and newer... I don't think you will have any trouble at all. but still you should give TLC on her~

Joe.

 

[traildust]

What is the ESP~?

Joe,
Maybe ESP is code for Crap Your Pants

Scott

 

[ValveJob]

What is the ESP~?

I built my cab with mig welder first time in my life. and I was working on electrical work and installing lights and all.....
Joe.

Joe,

ESP: Extra Sensory Perception
Since you brought up the wheel issue and I had just had a wheel experience but mentioned nothing about it, I figured you must have ESP or a wheel loosening experience.

But now that I know you built your own cab, I figure you're a genious with ESP and experience

I learned too much from the school of hard knocks. This tractor is the best money I ever spent and I'm trying to do it right. I owe a lot of what I've learned and done to this site and people like you.

I'm checking all the nuts and bolts when I torque those lug nuts.
I'm going to do that clutch adjustment but it will be a little while untill I can drop that loader.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Bug-O-1]

It might be late to respond to this story,but I'll post it here to. Once Upon A time, I bought a (07) Kubota L3400 with loader,and now have 400 hrs. on it,time to change all fluids. Before I bought it, I started it up,drove around for 10 mins., used the loader up and down, it was great.
But after a couple weeks of using it at home, with a Fransgurd 4000/winch, another story. I noticed after the tractor was warmed up, I had to hold the clutch down for up to 20secs. or so before I could put it in to gear, but as long as I was shifting from fwd. to reverse, it didn't grind at all, as long as the tractor didn't move, but when put in neutral, I had to hold the clutch down 20-30secs. Not Acceptable, so when Kubota sent a survey, I wrote this tractor sucks, in a Christian way. A week or so later, a Kubota Rep. got a hold of the dealer and recommended putting 2 more gal. of transmission fluid in, and that did help a lot on the grinding. Now I just hold the clutch down for 4-8 secs., much better and tolerable. THE END, of chapter one anyways...........

 

[Bulldog]

You'll need to drop that loader mount to get at that access point, might be worth doing, since it probably hasn't been adjusted since the clutch/tractor was new.

Hello SDV, want to see if you have heard of this problem. On my L3000 the clutch won't disengage if I'm pushing hard in 1st low or high. Works fine in every other gear. The free play is correct and the clutch itself has been checked and rechecked. Any ideas?

 

[Bug-O-1]

Hello SDV, want to see if you have heard of this problem. On my L3000 the clutch won't disengage if I'm pushing hard in 1st low or high. Works fine in every other gear. The free play is correct and the clutch itself has been checked and rechecked. Any ideas?

I noticed this same problem on my L3400 DT this year at 600 hrs. So far it doesn't happen a lot, but when it does get stuck in gear, I have to pop the clutch a couple times to get it out of gear. All I know is it didn't do that when it was new. I might try adjusting the clutch behind the loader mount some time, some day when I have more time than problems.

 

[Bulldog]

My dealer said it's most likely the pressure plate. Said if adjusting it didn't help the only way to fix it was split the tractor and put a new clutch in. I'll run mine as long as it will before I split it open.

 

[Bug-O-1]

My dealer said it's most likely the pressure plate. Said if adjusting it didn't help the only way to fix it was split the tractor and put a new clutch in. I'll run mine as long as it will before I split it open.

If that dealer is right, then I'm with you on that, I wont split my tractor either, until it's stuck in gear and wont come out. I thought this tractor would last me 20 years before it started acting up, I guess I should of chosen the automatic L3400, instead of the standard

 

[Bulldog]

On mine I now try to either push in a higher gear or if it's where I really need low I will try to unload the drive train just before I need to clutch. My 3000 is geared so low that in most cases I never really need anything slower than 3rd. I have no regrets going with a gear tranny but I do wish I had bought one with a shuttle shift. When I bought the 3000 it was such a upgrade over my B7100 I didn't think about going another step up and get one even nicer. Live and learn I guess.

 

[gpreuss]

Getting back to the original problem, I wouldn't think that you'd need to worry about those adjustments at 120 hrs, assuming they were correct to begin with. I have found that you do have to come to a complete stop to shift gears. Also that you sometimes need to wait a few seconds with the clutch depressed before trying for a gear, going from neutral. I've never thought it was a problem.

 

[Bug-O-1]

Someone said that the clutch adjustment behind the loader mount on the L3400 DT has nothing to do with shifting, it's for the 2 stage clutch where it engages/disengages the PTO, or something like that.

 

[Bluegill]

Getting back to the original problem, I wouldn't think that you'd need to worry about those adjustments at 120 hrs, assuming they were correct to begin with. I have found that you do have to come to a complete stop to shift gears. Also that you sometimes need to wait a few seconds with the clutch depressed before trying for a gear, going from neutral. I've never thought it was a problem.

Right, not a problem at all. Just have to learn to use a gear drive tractor.