L3010 hydraulic leak from right front wheel

[filldirt]

I have a 1999 L3010 and have a leak apparently coming from that cylinder (not sure what it is called) at the end of the axle for the rt front tire. I'm assuming their is a gasket / seal kit.

Anyone have experience with this?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Are you talking about the front axle case?

 

[filldirt]

Yes sir, you nailed it. I can't tell exactly where the leak is. After sitting for a day, there is just a wet spot (probably 10" diameter) directly below the axle case.

 

[Billdog350]

On those vintage machines, 90% of the leaks are at the pivot seal 060 in this diagram. they're a bit of a PITA to get out and back in. MAKE SURE TO REMOVE THE SNAP RINGS 100, 150, 080. The assembly should almost fall apart once they're all removed, or a slight tap with a rubber mallet.

There is a metal collar that often stays behind from the 060 seal on the "male' surface that inserts into the 060 seal on the axle housing. Make sure to remove that with a flat screwdriver and pry, or you'll never get the assembly back together.

Good snap ring plyers are a MUST. I got the $99 ratcheting/locking ones from Napa, they're pricy but they work well. You can buy and return or keep them for the other side that will inevitably go a few weeks/months later.

 

[filldirt]

Excellent, thanks!! Have a local Kubota dealer, so will use this info to order the parts.

 

[rbargeron]

There's some reading here including a step-by step. There are 4 different places the leak could be coming from. Best place to start is to take off the wheel, clean it all down and see where the leaking oil re-appears. Then buy the part. That said, Billdog350's post above is right - most common leak point is the 060 seal. Good luck, Dick B

 

[filldirt]

Great stuff. Guess I know what I'm doing this weekend.

 

[stkline81]

I just noticed this on my '02 L3010 too. Is this what yours look like?

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Kingcreek]

On those vintage machines, 90% of the leaks...<snip>

Hehe, I had to chuckle when I saw "vintage".
My '99 kubota is the new modern tractor that I bought to replace my '64 John Deere! Its the same year as my pickup truck and I don't think of either of them as vintage. Maybe I'M vintage!?!?

 

[Billdog350]

Hey Kingcreek, when I used the word vintage I meant just a fancier word for "a period is which something is made or was begun" taken from Merriam-Webster...

I have an L3710 and don't consider that machine old, especially by Kubota standards...there are plenty of machines from the 70's that guys are still using daily on this forum....

 

[Kingcreek]

Whew, glad to hear that. I thought it meant "old stuff"!
thanks, just made me chuckle is all.

 

[filldirt]

That's it stkline81, except mine is a little more intense. Was trying to order from Merrick, but having a time trying to find the part numbers.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That's it stkline81, except mine is a little more intense. Was trying to order from Merrick, but having a time trying to find the part numbers.

Go strait to Kubota.com and get the P/N's.
http://www.kubota.com/part/partsList.aspx

 

[filldirt]

Hey Bulldog350, 10-4 on the "good" spring clip pliers. On my 3rd set, finally got to work (haven't received the $90 set from Napa yet). I've got the snap ring 100 and 150 out. Through the "window" is the top of bearing 90 (I think). Tried prying through the hole, using an allen wrench to slip in and beat with hammer. Nada. Here are some pix. that bearing seems to be happy just where it is. I do see some rust in the upper section when I look up (Kubota front axle 2 pix). Still waiting on parts to arrive so have some time.

thanks for any advice

And P.S. thanks North Idaho Wolfman. got the part #s

 

[REWDOC]

I just purchased a 1996 L2900DT and noticed the right front axle leaking last week but seems to have slowed down. Will using 80W90 gear oil prevent the leak?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I just purchased a 1996 L2900DT and noticed the right front axle leaking last week but seems to have slowed down. Will using 80W90 gear oil prevent the leak?

No, a leak is a leak, fix the seal.

 

[Billdog350]

Filldirt, glad to help. I've done that job at least a dozen times and its not fun. The BX's don't have that nice bearing cap to remove from the bottom so you're working in a tighter space and need 90deg snap ring plyers to get to the snap rings....

Those look like some real light duty snap ring pliers. While the ratcheting Napa ones will make the job 10x easier, you can still use a heavy duty regular set from Sears/MAC/Snap-On as well. They can't be the "replaceable pin" style, they need to be fixed pins due to the extreme tension on those snap rings.

Once all the snap rings are removed, the whole assembly should come off the axle. If you need to get at things more easily, you can also unbolt the 4 large bolts and remove the whole knuckle assembly so you can get at it on a bench.

 

[RyeThomas]

Filldirt, glad to help. I've done that job at least a dozen times and its not fun. The BX's don't have that nice bearing cap to remove from the bottom so you're working in a tighter space and need 90deg snap ring plyers to get to the snap rings....

Those look like some real light duty snap ring pliers. While the ratcheting Napa ones will make the job 10x easier, you can still use a heavy duty regular set from Sears/MAC/Snap-On as well. They can't be the "replaceable pin" style, they need to be fixed pins due to the extreme tension on those snap rings.

Once all the snap rings are removed, the whole assembly should come off the axle. If you need to get at things more easily, you can also unbolt the 4 large bolts and remove the whole knuckle assembly so you can get at it on a bench.

Well said, just went through this on my BX. Easy job IF, IF you have a very good set of fixed snap ring pliers. If not then you'll be beating your head against the wall, ask me how I know.
My big set of 90* were too big and everything else I destroyed till I borrowed a set from a JD mechanic friend of mine I do some work with.
Good luck.

 

[filldirt]

Hey Billdog350, still waiting on my "heavy duty" snap ring pliers, but trudging on. Had to use a torch to heat up the housing to get the steering ball joint off to remove the knuckle. Then I realized that after removing the inner "C" clip the housing (item 16) is what came off (I was thinking it was still the internal guts). Will probably make it easier to reassemble. For now though, I haven't been able to get seal 060 out. There are 3 C clips, 2 "inner" and 1 "external". The lower inner C clip allowed me to pull the lower bearing and shaft and access the outer C clip - the one that allows the 016 housing to drop. the 2nd inner appears to only hold the middle bearing, and consequently does not affect removal of the seal (I assume). See my pix. I've got a wheel puller trying to extract but so far not cooperating.

Am I missing something?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You might have better luck pulling at just the seal, not the bearing and the seal.