B6100 - how to remove left side cover

[ShaunBlake]

I din' want to do it, but I'm forced to work on my B6100D main wiring (everything behind the dashboard).

Trying to get at the starter, I find that the left side cover is pinched between the steering knuckle and the oil filter. How does that cover come off without removing the oil filter? (The tractor isn't in the garage -- it's down in the bottom behind my next-door neighbor's house, and this task is even less fun than I anticipated, so I'm hoping for a great tip!

 

[Daren Todd]

Can you turn the steering one way or the other to get it out of the bind with the steering knuckle?

Honestly, with it sitting over night, you shouldn't lose much oil by pulling the filter. You can put a small pan under it to catch the little bit of oil.

On mine you have to remove the exhaust pipe and clamp to get it off it currently sits in the corner of the garage


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[ShaunBlake]

I can turn the wheel, and that was the second thing I thought of, after imagining the oil puddle. Tried turning it back and forth a bit, but it didn't seem to move the knuckle away from the block enough to get the bottom flange between it and the filter.

The loader bucket is on the ground, with a good-sized juniper partly in it, so turning the wheels isn't easy enough to just go for it. I was hoping some of the B6100/7100 owners would have a suggestion or two. Your L is similar to mine (gotta take the muffler off before anything else can be done).

Your suggestion to just pull the filter is a good one but I'm not close to service time so haven't gotten oil and filters yet, otherwise I'd have done that first.

 

[kubotasam]

Have you removed the 4 nuts that hold the muffler and its elbow to the exhaust manifold so it can be removed completely from the side of the tractor? Have you tried jacking the other side of the front axle up so the filter side will drop down?

 

[ShaunBlake]

Have you removed the 4 nuts that hold the muffler and its elbow to the exhaust manifold so it can be removed completely from the side of the tractor? Have you tried jacking the other side of the front axle up so the filter side will drop down?

Yes and no.

I took the muffler off, so I can slide it (the side panel) around enough to discover I can't get it up between the steering knuckle and the oil filter.

As to your idea of jacking the far side: wonderful suggestion! I see how that would give me the room to slide it out. It's stranded in the bottom behind my neighbor's house, so jacking isn't a realistic option. DT's idea of turning the wheels came close, but the pressure is too great for me to turn the wheels far enough to approach getting it out.

Bit the bullet and pulled the filter off. Only about 20 hours on it, so I really didn't want to waste a filter... "penny wise and pound foolish", eh?

Anyway, I've learned a couple of great tips... now how to remember them!

Thanks, guys!