kubota l345 front engine case removal help

Russell King

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The end of the crank shaft extends out of the pulley and has splines on it. Usually a splined coupling is installed and drives a pump or electric PTO.

No welding is involved normally

I think you will have to cut the shaft off and sacrifice the front splined shaft to never be used again. You may want to cut it off long and then you can grind it down to get the nut off. Then you could get it machined round to get some shaft installed somehow if you need the front shaft.

That sounds like a lot of effort but can be done
 

Jsjac

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I would carefully cut the weld at the coupling then grind the weld off the shaft.
Probably have to reweld the coupling when putting it back together.
If you need the front shaft to run the pump do not cut it off. It will be very hard to get it put back on straight enough.
 

woodman55

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I agree with jsjac, go slowly and carefully and grind off the weld, use a small grinder or large carbide bit on a die grinder. I can be done. Patients is the key.

If you weld it back on ( not recommended), make absolutely sure there is no under cutting of the weld.
 

Chanceywd

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Looking at your first picture I see threads behind the nut. Is it possible the shaft is threaded into the crank and the nut is a lock nut? Maybe try a pipe wrench or vice grips to see if it backs out before cutting?

I have no experience with this model just crank pulleys in general held by a nut.

Bill
 

rbargeron

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Unfortunately someone in the tractor's past fixed a failed front pump drive by welding directly to the splined end of the crank, preventing removal of the nut without cutting the weld off.

From your other posts, if the 4wd tractor's engine is being taken out and replaced by the 2wd's engine, I'm wondering why this front cover needs to come off?

The short driveshaft for the loader's front hydraulic pump is a long-discontinued item for these tractors. People usually improvise with some kind of a set-screwed couplings, and avoid welding on the crank end.

Is this engine in running condition now? If so I'd use it as a lathe and machine the weld area down to original spline diameter so the nut will come by it, then cut the rest of it off. If a pump drive needs to be reinstated, it might be possible to make a flanged driver that centers on what's left of the crank end, and gets its drive from bolts in the pulley.
 

Chanceywd

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What if you cut it off leaving the threads and make a matching threaded coupling from some hex stock or long coupling nut. Then you could bore the shaft size on the other side to shaft od before welding them together. Then that gets threaded onto the crank end. i would leave the existing nut in place to back off after cutting threads and removing any burrs there after cutting. Then the new long nut would secure the pulley and drive the pump.
 
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rbargeron

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Good so far - how would the new coupling nut be prevented from loosening? It has to be tightened enough to drive the pump.

The new pump drive shaft should use a flexible chain coupling like the present one so the pump can be bolted to the frame.
 

Chanceywd

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I didn't think about that, I guess engine would be clockwise rotation? and wouldn't stay tight. Unless you pin or have a setscrew.
 

rbargeron

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With radiator out, and the pump taken off at the chain coupling, the axle should come away for the OP's engine swap.
 

Chanceywd

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Looks way better than when you started!
Hope that is the worst you have to deal with in this swap.

bill
 

007kubotaguy

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You can just run the loader off the tractor hydraulic system. Not quite as fast but very usable. There are several members on here selling the hydraulic block you need to tap into the hydraulic system of the tractor.
 

Calmachine831

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Can someone tell me why the axle has to come off in order to remove the front engine case? Reminder that I need to remove the engine case to inspect the frost plugs(if that's what they are called) to see why I'm getting coolant in the oil.
 

Russell King

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Looking at the picture in post #12 the pulley is below that flat plate. The flat plate is part of the front axle assembly. To get the cover off the shaft the pulley has to come off the shaft. For the pulley to come off the flat plate has to be out of the way.

Good job on grinding the weld of
 

Russell King

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Looking at the picture in post #12 the pulley is below that flat plate. The flat plate is part of the front axle assembly. To get the cover off the shaft the pulley has to come off the shaft. For the pulley to come off the flat plate has to be out of the way.

Good job on grinding the weld off
 

Calmachine831

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Looking at the picture in post #12 the pulley is below that flat plate. The flat plate is part of the front axle assembly. To get the cover off the shaft the pulley has to come off the shaft. For the pulley to come off the flat plate has to be out of the way.

Good job on grinding the weld off
I keep thinking why can't the engine be lifted out like a truck ?
Looking at the picture in post #12 the pulley is below that flat plate. The flat plate is part of the front axle assembly. To get the cover off the shaft the pulley has to come off the shaft. For the pulley to come off the flat plate has to be out of the way.

Good job on grinding the weld off
So its necessary to still roll away axle/ engine forward? why cant engine be raised up with engine hoist?
 

rbargeron

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I keep thinking why can't the engine be lifted out like a truck ?

So its necessary to still roll away axle/ engine forward? why cant engine be raised up with engine hoist?
Because, like on many tractors, the engine is the frame. Everything else bolts to it.
 
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