L345DT low oil pressure/pan removal help

[Jok]

G'day,

I bought an L345DT cheap that had low oil pressure thinking it was the camshaft bung and easy fix. I replaced oil and filters, tested the PRV using kitchen scales, measured oil pump against specs. Now I need into the oil pan to check the pick-up, the oil I removed clogged my filter in my funell when pouring into a tub. The new oil I put in was thick and black within minutes of running engine so it's probably the strainer. The trouble I am having is I can't persuade the oil pan to come off, I've got all bolts off, can get the front levered down a few mm with a screwdriver but the back where the pan meets the shim won't budge. Are there any dowls there that would require an engine removal? If not any hints on how to break the gasket and blue max?

Cheers

 

[#40Fan]

Are there any bolts that attach the oil pan to the bell housing/transmission?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

There are 2 alinement pins.
Have you removed the front axle bracket?
Or at least gotten the 4 studs out of there?
There are 2 bolts at the bottom of the flywheel housing.
It might require loosening the flywheel housing to take the pressure off the oil pan.

 

[Jok]

Are there any bolts that attach the oil pan to the bell housing/transmission?

Yeah there were 2 bolts but I removed them

There are 2 alinement pins.
Have you removed the front axle bracket?
Or at least gotten the 4 studs out of there?
There are 2 bolts at the bottom of the flywheel housing.
It might require loosening the flywheel housing to take the pressure off the oil pan.

Yeah I got the front axle and camshaft cover off and 2 flywheel bolts out. I don't have an engine crane so haven't loosened to the flywheel. I might be able to get hold of one of no other way

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You don't need to split it, just loosen then a turn or two and that will give you a little gap to get it off.

 

[rbargeron]

If the front axle and its bracket are removed, the flywheel can stay bolted to the crank flange. There is a shim plate that is clamped between the clutch housing and oil pan - its bolts and studs if any need to come out to allow the oil pan to drop down. The upper clutch housing-to-block bolts may have to be loosened a little as well to free the oil pan.

 

[Jok]

If the front axle and its bracket are removed, the flywheel can stay bolted to the crank flange. There is a shim plate that is clamped between the clutch housing and oil pan - its bolts and studs if any need to come out to allow the oil pan to drop down. The upper clutch housing-to-block bolts may have to be loosened a little as well to free the oil pan.

I'll try loosening them this afternoon then I got some movement out of it this morning but the pan cracked a little while I was off doing something. The last owner has put silicone in the dowel pins, I can see it down the side

 

[Jok]

All bolts through to the engine loose, still no movement. On parts diagram looks like there are bolts behind flywheel that go to the engine through shim. I'm fairly sure the engine needs removal

 

[Jok]

Ah fudge, there is two bolts hidden under the drive shaft I missed. Well the strainer wasn't blocked, not sure where I should look next. Can I get to the back of the camshaft if I remove the engine?

 

[rbargeron]

With the pan cleaned out, put a gallon of diesel fuel in the pan and raise it up into position so the sump is submerged put a couple pan bolts in loose to hold it up. Take out the oil pressure switch and with the engine decompressed (head still on?) turn the engine over on the starter and see what spits out - don't let the engine run with just diesel in the sump. If nothing comes out - try putting compressed air in through the pressure switch hole to blow it back.

Going back to the beginning, how did it run before? Smoke? Noise? Best luck, Dick B.

 

[Jok]

With the pan cleaned out, put a gallon of diesel fuel in the pan and raise it up into position so the sump is submerged put a couple pan bolts in loose to hold it up. Take out the oil pressure switch and with the engine decompressed (head still on?) turn the engine over on the starter and see what spits out - don't let the engine run with just diesel in the sump. If nothing comes out - try putting compressed air in through the pressure switch hole to blow it back.

Going back to the beginning, how did it run before? Smoke? Noise? Best luck, Dick B.

Cheers, I'll try that after I weld it back up. It ran great before, started instantly on turning key

 

[rbargeron]

Back to basics - are we sure the oil pressure switch is working? One way to check the actual pressure would be to hold a rubber-tipped compression gauge against the hole for the switch and have a helper turn the key. Even just the starter motor should give some oil pressure with cold oil.

 

[rbargeron]

...........Can I get to the back of the camshaft if I remove the engine?

I don't think there would be a leak back there unless the clutch housing is filling with engine oil. The block has a coolant freeze plug up there but I think that would also leak into the clutch housing, not back to the engine sump.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I don't think there would be a leak back there unless the clutch housing is filling with engine oil. The block has a coolant freeze plug up there but I think that would also leak into the clutch housing, not back to the engine sump.

There is a plug, Like the front in the back of the cam that can come out (very rare) that will effect oil pressure, it doesn't leak into the bellhousing because there is a Freeze plug style of cap that fills the cam hole.

But on this model the cam plugs are not driven they are threaded plugs so them coming out is near to impossible.

 

[Jok]

Back to basics - are we sure the oil pressure switch is working? One way to check the actual pressure would be to hold a rubber-tipped compression gauge against the hole for the switch and have a helper turn the key. Even just the starter motor should give some oil pressure with cold oil.

I'm not 100% sure, I bought this off a fella who sells China tractors and fixes tractors/mowers for resale. He said he checked the oil gauge and it wasn't that. There are tooling marks on the gauge to confirm, I also ran the engine flat out and opened the oil fill port. There was no oil spraying out the rockers but there was oil up there. I won't be able to gauge it until I reassemble.

But on this model the cam plugs are not driven they are threaded plugs so them coming out is near to impossible

In the parts list there are 3 different plugs, but the front is a screw in so I'll leave the cam shaft aside for now.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that leaves: blocked galleries, worn out big end bearings, or busted pressure gauge?

I assume that is the sensor is picking low oil the blockage is before it.
Could I blow out the galleries between the pump and sensor using carb clean and air gun?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm not 100% sure, I bought this off a fella who sells China tractors and fixes tractors/mowers for resale. He said he checked the oil gauge and it wasn't that. There are tooling marks on the gauge to confirm, I also ran the engine flat out and opened the oil fill port. There was no oil spraying out the rockers but there was oil up there. I won't be able to gauge it until I reassemble.



In the parts list there are 3 different plugs, but the front is a screw in so I'll leave the cam shaft aside for now.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that leaves: blocked galleries, worn out big end bearings, or busted pressure gauge?

I assume that is the sensor is picking low oil the blockage is before it.
Could I blow out the galleries between the pump and sensor using carb clean and air gun?

Let me say oil does not spray from the rockers on a Kubota engine, it more or less seeps.
They use very little oil to lube the top end, and the push rods are solid so no oil goes up those.
You can leave the valve cover off and adjust the valves with very little if any oil loss.

If you haven't taken an actual pressure test, you might just be a chasing a ghost!
I've worked on a ton of these and have never seen one with plugged oil galleries.
DO NOT spray and cleaner in them or you'll destroy a bearing in the flick of an eye.
They can not be washed!
If you were to do anything you would flush oil through the passages.

You need to put the pan back up on it fill it with some oil and with a mechanical oil pressure gauge on it crank or run it and get a reading.

 

[Jok]

Let me say oil does not spray from the rockers on a Kubota engine, it more or less seeps

It was just seeping out, so that's good.

You need to put the pan back up on it fill it with some oil and with a mechanical oil pressure gauge on it crank or run it and get a reading

I rang the fella I got it from, he said when he pulled the oil sensor and ran the engine there was just a light flow of oil down the side of the block at idle. When he has done that before it was spraying out everywhere. I'll fix the sump back up and put it back together. Is there anything I can check on the big end bearings while I can seel them from bottom?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

It was just seeping out, so that's good.



I rang the fella I got it from, he said when he pulled the oil sensor and ran the engine there was just a light flow of oil down the side of the block at idle. When he has done that before it was spraying out everywhere. I'll fix the sump back up and put it back together. Is there anything I can check on the big end bearings while I can seel them from bottom?

Not really, Kubota's require you to to slide the crank out the rear to get to the bearings, so that takes a complete teardown to find out.
You can check for lash in the connecting rods and maybe the thrust bearing in the crank.

Very rarely do these engines have oil issues, the oil pumps can do 10000+ hours and still show little to no wear.
Having the wrong oil filter on them can cause issues or a plugged up oil pick up screen.

Have you heard it run?
If you have, was there any knocking?

 

[Jok]

Have you heard it run?
If you have, was there any knocking?

Sounded fine, no weird noises

 

[007kubotaguy]

One simple place you may look is the relief valve located in the oil filter housing. Not a place that you see problems very often but it does happen.