I Got Off Lucky

[DeepWoods]

While doing the 400 Hour Service Maintenance, I also changed the coolant per the manual. While draining the coolant I noticed that the radiator wasn’t sitting right in the mounting grommets. On further inspection I saw that the fan blade had hit the shroud and had melted the blades on the tips. I was kind of stumped as to what had caused the damage, but the fan was spinning without any contact to the shroud. I finally looked under the frame in the front end and found that sometime this past year while using the grapple, I pushed a large enough branch into the area where the radiator and the condensing coil for the A/C were, causing the radiator to be lifted up and hitting the fan. Luckily neither coil were punctured.

Here are a couple pictures of the damage to the fan and shroud.

So to keep this from happening again, I am in the process of making a guard to fill in the area under the frame. I had to install the snowblower hitch just to make sure any guard I make doesn’t interfere with it this winter . As soon as I finish, I will add a picture to my post.

 

[Oliver]

Good observation and I think it illustrates the benefit of just looking things over, which we tend to do when performing maintenance on our own tractor (or vehicle).

 

[Magicman]

You were indeed fortunate. Take care of your tractor and it will take care of you.

 

[D2Cat]

Isn't there a stud on the bottom of the radiator that goes thru the grommet and has a nut with a hair pin in the stud to keep things in place?

 

[DeepWoods]

Isn't there a stud on the bottom of the radiator that goes thru the grommet and has a nut with a hair pin in the stud to keep things in place?

I will look to see if there are any remains of them. It would make sense, but I didn’t see anything like that as of now. My guess is, if they were there, they got sheared off when things got pushed upwards

 

[DeepWoods]

Just looked on the Kubota illustrated parts site, and there are no studs or pins holding the radiator in place. Probably because when the bonnet is closed the radiator is captured by it and the lower mount.

Odd thing is I could only view the parts site using Google Chrome.

 

[DeepWoods]

So I finished the 400 hour maintenance, and got the guard I fabricated mounted to the front frame. Pretty sure it will stop any further sticks from getting to the radiator in the future. I have always wanted to put guards to protect the hst and suction filters under the tractor, so getting lucky with my radiator, moves the filter guards up on my list of things to do. Pretty much done in the woods for this year, so it can wait till after hunting season is over.

 

[Nicksacco]

Excellent project!
It looks really good too.

 

[GeoHorn]

Nice! (crank the heat up a notch on the welder next time.)