B1702DT Sunshine - How to remove the dash

[Marcooooo]

Hi all. I'm Marco and new to the forum. I live in with my wife on a small farm with our horses, chickens and other pets.

Since 2 days I'm the proud owner of a Kubota B1702DT Sunshine. It's our very first tractor and we've wanted one for a couple of years now. Finally saved up enough and got our own this weekend and looking forward to using it regularly. It has a front loader, tiller and mowing arm that all came with it. They are most definitely not original, but they work, so that's the most important thing. It was in need of some maintenance and TLC in general. It runs and drives fine, the electrics were... somewhat/partially there.

The horn, hand gas lever and indicator switch all don't work (yet) so I want to remove the dash to get this all working, but... I cannot, for the life of me, get the dash out. I looked up some videos (8000 series video I found here) and images and I removed the 2 bolts under the engine cover and found the 4 bolts underneath (only 2 are accessible...), but whatever I try, I can't get any movement in it. The firewall is moving somewhat, but it's still attached somewhere deep down and I can't see how or where. I'm no mechanic by any means, but I think I should be able to get the dash off... at least I thought. Can anyone tell me how or at least guide me in the right direction (without having to remove the front loader...).

I hope to contribute to this forum when times passes and knowledge is somewhat usable

I added 2 pictures for an impression of our 'newest' purchase.

Thanks in advance!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Take some pictures of the dash from the seat perspective and sides.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

these may help.

 

[Marcooooo]

Take some pictures of the dash from the seat perspective and sides.

Hopefully this helps. Removing the two bolts at the back gave me some room to open it up a little bit and I could see two brackets with two bolts, but I can only reach the nuts from the underside of half of them. The other are covered by a steel bar...

 

[Marcooooo]

these may help.

View attachment 171528

View attachment 171530

These kind of did and I'm afraid it are these bolts I need to get to, but I cannot fathom how. I looked from every possible angle and if it indeed are these brackets (see below) than I cannot reach the nuts below from the two most rear ones on each side. There's a steel bar across that's in the way. On top of that I can't reach the bolts from the top without bending the firewall plate backwards and trying to reach them with a bendy attachment to the socket wrench. Am I completely overlooking something here?

 

[Russell King]

I think you need to get the firewall off completely and then attack the dash. It looks like there are a couple of bolts that attach the firewall that you show in one picture. There are probably two or three more bolts along the bottom of the firewall. On my similar vintage L185 there is a 90 degree bend at the bottom of the firewall with bots through that flange. I recall they are difficult to see and that I had to use a long extension and socket from my small 1/4 inch ratchet set to fit through that tight area between the firewall and something in front of it.

Try a bright light and look directly down the front (engine) side of the firewall.

Also on mine the dash is held to brackets that supports the fuel tank on both sides of the tractor. The dash bolts screw into nuts from the bottom of the bracket and you basically have to lay on the ground looking up to see them. If you are limber you might be able to see them with your head at the height of the foot rests. The nuts happen to be welded to the bracket so they won’t turn when removing the four bolts. Took me a while to spot them but with today’s camera phones you might be able to scan upwards and see if you have something similar there.

 

[Marcooooo]

I think you need to get the firewall off completely and then attack the dash. It looks like there are a couple of bolts that attach the firewall that you show in one picture. There are probably two or three more bolts along the bottom of the firewall. On my similar vintage L185 there is a 90 degree bend at the bottom of the firewall with bots through that flange. I recall they are difficult to see and that I had to use a long extension and socket from my small 1/4 inch ratchet set to fit through that tight area between the firewall and something in front of it.

Try a bright light and look directly down the front (engine) side of the firewall.

Also on mine the dash is held to brackets that supports the fuel tank on both sides of the tractor. The dash bolts screw into nuts from the bottom of the bracket and you basically have to lay on the ground looking up to see them. If you are limber you might be able to see them with your head at the height of the foot rests. The nuts happen to be welded to the bracket so they won’t turn when removing the four bolts. Took me a while to spot them but with today’s camera phones you might be able to scan upwards and see if you have something similar there.

That's most likely the one and only way, but... I can't reach the underside of those bolts. The rear two are impossible to get to. There's a steel bar that runs the entire width in the way. Weird and I'm probably missing the obvious here, but I just checked and I can't reach them at all unless that bar is removed and I don't think I want to go that far right now. Don't have the courage yet

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm, isn't the real 'fun' part going to be removing the steering wheel ??

 

[Hugo Habicht]

That's most likely the one and only way, but... I can't reach the underside of those bolts. The rear two are impossible to get to. There's a steel bar that runs the entire width in the way. Weird and I'm probably missing the obvious here, but I just checked and I can't reach them at all unless that bar is removed and I don't think I want to go that far right now. Don't have the courage yet

The dash is probably the first part that was put on the assembly line and the rest of the tractor was then built around it.

Apologies for this non-constructive post, just couldn't resist. Been in this situation myself often enough. Normally leading to swear words that would get me banned here if I'd repeat them

Welcome to the Forum and good luck with your repairs!

 

[Marcooooo]

hmm, isn't the real 'fun' part going to be removing the steering wheel ??

According to the previous owner the steering wheel is still the original one and has NEVER been off since new (early 80's), soooo yeah looking forward to that easy task

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Do you have a work shop manual for this tractor?

 

[Marcooooo]

The dash is probably the first part that was put on the assembly line and the rest of the tractor was then built around it.

Apologies for this non-constructive post, just couldn't resist. Been in this situation myself often enough. Normally leading to swear words that would get me banned here if I'd repeat them

Welcome to the Forum and good luck with your repairs!

Haha thanks for the encouraging and uplifting words

I guess my vocabulary will expand rapidly once I'm at the point of no return

Thanks!

 

[Marcooooo]

Do you have a work shop manual for this tractor?

I downloaded a few and that's helpful and not at the same time... But that made me realize I probably need to remove a whole lot of stuff I can't reach without swearing, moaning and regretting my decisions