L3800 Oil Change

[cc9016]

I recently acquired a 2012 L3800 and changed the oil and filter this past Saturday (02/27). Prior to making the oil change I referred to the Owners Manual for the correct amount that would be required for the change. The manual stated the L3800 HST would required 7.5 qts. with a new filter also installed. So once the crank case was drained I reinstalled the filter and drain plug and promptly put in 7.5 qts of new W15-40 oil as stated ion the manual. I ran the engine for several minutes to get oil into the new filter and shut the unit down so I could check the oil level on the dip stick. When doing so the reading on the dip stick was 3.5" + or - above the high level reading marked on the dip stick. After rechecking the manual and the dip stick again I drained out 1.75 qts from the drain case. Upon doing so the oil level reading on the dip stick was dead on the high level point of the dip stick. prefect!
So I ask, has anybody encountered this problem before and if so dose anybody know why there is such disparity between the actual and the printed manual?

 

[D2Cat]

Were you changing the engine oil or the HST oil? Maybe you changed the engine oil and added the quantity required for the transmission...?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Check the rubber that's on the dipstick and make sure it's not loose.
I've had several that have pushed the metal stick into the rubber and give a false read.

 

[Russell King]

Some engines have multiple drain points for the engine oil. Perhaps you did not get all the oil drained?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[yamatitan]

Yep it should have two drain plugs you probably didnt pull the second one. By how much it was over that sounds like it to me.

 

[Bulldog]

I was going to say it sounds like you only drained one side of the oil pan.

 

[bcbull378]

I have a GL3830 and it does have 2 drain plugs because the oil pan sits over the front drive line like a saddle so you need to pull both plugs in order to remove all engine oil

 

[cc9016]

Thank you all for your replies. To those who mentioned I only drained from one drain plug, you are correct. That's exactly what I did but the manual clearly mentions to drain the oil, remove the drain plug. It does not say plugs (plural) or both. When looking at the bottom of the of the oil pan both drain plugs are at the same level and exactly opposed each other (left side, right side). the manual illustration indicates two plugs but again it says "drain plug". I don't get it... Is the oil pan designed with a divider in it separating the left from the right side thus creating a double reservoir and causing the need to remove both drain plugs to drain both sides in lieu of one?
I think back to many small engines that are built with two daring plugs but only one needs to be removed to drain the entire crank case.

Still a little confused,
cc9016

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yes the front drive shaft tunnel splits the pan.

 

[cc9016]

Thank you to North Idaho Wolfman for providing a quick response to my last post and his clear resolution to my dilemma. As they say it was clear as the nose on my face and I got tell ya I feel a little %&$*!@& stupid that I didn't see the how the front drive shaft splits the oil pan. That was a $35.00 lesson in Kubota engineering.
Thanks again to all,
CC9016

 

[mport]

I would leave it as is unless it was way past due for the last oil change. You could change it a little sooner next time. No point wasting good oil.