How to Remove Giant Crankshaft Nut from L3710?

[Henro]

I just took a look at it.

I can't access the screws by removing the front axle, because the frame itself obstructs the screw heads above the axle. It looks like the only answer is to remove all the fasteners attaching the engine to the front frame, which go all the way back to the rear of the loader, and move the front frame forward.

To do this, I have to have the loader off. To get the loader off, I have to have hydraulics. To get hydraulics, I need to seal the hole in the cover.

I don't know what would happen if the engine were detached from the front frame, held in place by whatever fasteners are at the rear, and then jacked up. I assume it must be possible to jack up the oil pan and engine without breaking the engine loose from the transmission.

Just a simple question, but are you saying the screws do not have enough space to come out even if you loosened them? Or that you cannot loosen them?

Only asking because I have a small device that is a ratching handle that a hex screw bit slips into, and it allows the bit to insert into the screw head, with little space in front of the screw head needed. BUT if the loosened screw did not have space to come fully out, such a tool would be worthless, even though it might loosen the screw.

Just suggesting that a special tool might be out there that would work if you have space to get the screws out after they are loosened.

 

[Mr Haney]

Thanks for working so hard to come up with answers.

It appears the screws will not have room to come out until the engine is above the frame.

My current plan goes like this:

Plug the hole with metal-impregnated epoxy. Start the tractor and run up the RPM's to see if it leaks. If not, put it together and see if it holds up through the hot weather. After that, when it's not blistering hot every day, I can decide whether to try again or send it to the dealer. If it leaks, I'll call the dealer right away.

I have had enough of struggling with this thing in July. The weather is very unpleasant right now. In the afternoon, the sun broils the area where the tractor sits, and it seems like every time I go out to work on it, the rain starts as soon as I get outside. Then there are the mosquitoes...

My new concern is water in the crankcase. I used a pressure washer to blow out the black oil and dirt that covered everything as a result of the steering cylinder leak, so I'm afraid I may have shot some water into the hole. I'll make sure I drain the crankcase as well as possible and change the oil before starting the tractor.

 

[ve9aa]

I know this really doesn't address your "current" issue with the screws but in the early 1980's my father put a rod out right through the side of the block on his 1978 Honda CVCC wagon. A quarter or "loonie" (Canadian dollar coin) sized hole, best as I can recall. (the issue wasn't low oil, but overrevving....a different story-lol)

He drove that Honda 3 days to work and back. I am not making this up. Granted, he only lived ~2miles from work, so that's what, 11-12miles? The engine never did out-n-out fail. The partial connecting rod was hitting stuff now and again, causing a phone call to me to come look.

I bought the car for a dollar, had the block welded, put a new connecting rod onto the old piston and got 50k more miles out of it.

I recall it being a little low on oil when i looked at it, but it still purred like a kitten and got >40mpg to boot.

Why I am telling you this, is "maybe you don't have a huge gushing leak".

I don't blame you for not wanting to work on it in this heat.

If it were me, I'd put oil in it, slap on some Gorilla brand duct tape or rag or cheap JB weld for metal and run it and see what kind of leak you had. I bet it's still somewhat useable. I am not a mechanic, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night ;-)

Good luck sir !

 

[Mr Haney]

I'll come back and let everyone know if my engine seizes.

On the plus side, I think replacing the engine is easier than replacing this cover.

 

[Henro]

Could you describe the “hole” better”?

Not that I can help much other than offering hair brained ideas…

But I am curious and apologize if I missed a description. For example, is it a hole or a crack?

 

[#40Fan]

Take a picture of the hole and let us see the problem.

I don't see how running it long enough to remove the FEL would do any damage that hadn't already been done before you noticed the hole.

You can remove the starter and wedge a screwdriver between the flywheel teeth and starter hole to keep engine from rotating when removing and installing the crank nut.

 

[Mr Haney]

Could you describe the “hole” better”?

Not that I can help much other than offering hair brained ideas…

But I am curious and apologize if I missed a description. For example, is it a hole or a crack?

I don't know if I can get a phone in there to shoot a picture. The hole is on the forward surface of the part, where it meets the side. I don't have it in front of me, but I would say it's about 1/8" wide at one end, and it tapers to nothing at the other. I would estimate the length at 1/2".

 

[Henro]

I don't know if I can get a phone in there to shoot a picture. The hole is on the forward surface of the part, where it meets the side. I don't have it in front of me, but I would say it's about 1/8" wide at one end, and it tapers to nothing at the other. I would estimate the length at 1/2".

Sounds like a crackhole! A term I just made up. Forgive me!

But everything I have read is if a crack, you need to drill a hole at the end(s) of the crack before doing anything else. This is to prevent crack growth.

It sounds like you will need to do whatever is necessary to make a permanent fix, rather than a temporary/hopefully-permanent fix…

So I doubt the easy solution like using epoxy or JB Weld is going to work long term.

 

[#40Fan]

Sounds like a crackhole!

I bet that JB weld could fix it, but I'd be more worried about what caused it. Sounds like it is in a location that wouldn't be susceptible to being hit by an object, which makes me think it could have been something coming apart on the inside.

Killer dowel pin from a 12V Cummins comes to mind.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I don't want to pile on, OP, but when you do get ready to pull that gearcase, you better have at least a couple of inches to pull it straight forward before you can lift it out. It'll have to clear the gears, etc sticking out the front of the block.

I sure hope one of the real mechanics checks in soon.

 

[Mr Haney]

It's not a crack. The rear end of the steering cylinder rod hit it.

 

[RBsingl]

I don't know if I can get a phone in there to shoot a picture. The hole is on the forward surface of the part, where it meets the side. I don't have it in front of me, but I would say it's about 1/8" wide at one end, and it tapers to nothing at the other. I would estimate the length at 1/2".

To get you through the hot weather and summer chores, drill it out to a clean 5/8" or whatever size is needed to create a clean round hole and then use an expanding hole plug (plug expands in diameter as you tighten the bolt that compresses the sealing portion) to seal the opening. Replace the pan this fall.

Rodger

 

[Mr Haney]

With the radiator out and the sheet metal and fan out, I finally got a really good look and a photo.

The damage isn't limited to the hole, which is small. The front cover cracked, and the cracks are pretty long. I contacted the dealer for a service call.

Sometimes you just have to pay.

 

[#40Fan]

Let us know the damage ($$$ wise) when you have the repair done.

 

[Mr Haney]

My homeowner's insurance deductible is $2500. Thank goodness the insurance company is protected.

 

[ve9aa]

Maybe I missed it (too lazy to comb through all the messages) but how did a part of your steering come in contact with the front cover on your engine? (that sounds nasty)

(I hope I have that right)

 

[Mr Haney]

Kubota put the steering cylinder inside the frame so the tractor has to be taken apart to rebuild it. Rebuilding it in place is not possible. I removed it, had it fixed, and replaced it. I turned the wheel a few times to bleed the air and move the rod so it lined up with its forward attachment point. While I was doing this, the rear part of the rod crushed the gear case.

I have no idea why Kubota put the steering cylinder where it is. It blew out after 1200 hours, on a tractor that should last 4000. If 1200 hours is normal, then you would expect to have to take the tractor apart three times during the tractor's life. Seems like a lot to me.

 

[Mr Haney]

Well, there has been a new development.

The dealer called me back and surprised me by being very helpful. I have generally had really bad experiences with car and motorcycle dealers, so I figured tractor dealers were just as useless, and that's why I didn't call them until I got desperate.

The guy I talked to suggested ways to get the cover off. He is looking at a similar tractor, and he is going to call again. That amazes me, since they know they can make some money by coming to get it.

He confirmed that I can jack the tractor by the oil pan, and he said taking the engine out was not going to work. He said I might be able to remove the frame from the engine and slide the front mess forward to get access to the screws.

I took a look at it, and while the frame is screwed to the engine, and the so is the loader, it appears there are other screws that attach the transmission to the loader, and they can be left in place when the front frame is detached. That would hold the loader up while I slide the frame forward.

It appears to be a matter of 4 screws on one side and 5 on the other. I may be able to handle that.

He also said they are willing to attach the cover and leave the rest of the work to me, as long as I understand they can't warranty it. That would save me a lot.

I guess I should have called earlier, but ordinarily, I would rather have a snake thrown on me than let a dealer get into my life.

 

[Lil Foot]

I would rather have a snake thrown on me than let a dealer get into my life.

Now that's funny, but I totally understand!

 

[Mr Haney]

I quit.

It appears I might be able to get the front frame to move forward a few inches if I took 30 more screws out, but it's more than I want to deal with, especially with this weather.

One more poke in the eye: the dealer can't pick up the tractor because the bucket is down. I have to hire a tow truck.

This loader's design is amazing. The support frame and grill guard are huge. Later models are different. The M6060 is a much bigger machine, and it doesn't appear to have all this junk on it. I wonder why Kubota did it this way. I saw a video of a guy removing an M6060 loader, and it's a joke compared to this one.