L3800 Steering Controller leaking

[Machman]

Greetings All...

I have a 4 year-old L3800 HST with leaking (Hydraulic) steering controller. Dripping pretty bad at front center of tractor. Tractor only has 222 hours total time and dealer wants $2,200 to replace. OUCH!!! I have always been a Kubota fan, but this is nuts. Shop says they have 80% failure rate on repairing this cylinder and therefore they only replace. Any suggestions?

 

[mickeyd]

Welcome to the OTT forum. You came to the right place to get answers.

Boy that seems like it should be covered by Kubota as it seems to be a design flaw.

I have the lower version L3200 of about the same time period with a few more hours.
Since I don't have any problems, I wonder if it is related to yours being a HST and mine geared?

 

[Jim L.]

The original steering controller assy was TC220-37000. Superseded by TC220-37004 and available at $2,235 for part alone, not labor. The assy has a breakout with Kubota part numbers for repair of the assy.

Maybe the local shop is not doing something during repair, or the old assy has more problems and that is why it is superseded. Perhaps someone can answer that.

The other option would be to send the assy to an ag and industrial hydraulic steering repair shop. I see a couple of them north of you but have not used them so no recommendation by name. Certainly worth a few phone calls to see if it is considered repairable, willing to repair it, how long it would take,...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

First what is your serial Number?

 

[Machman]

Serial #
86893
Purchased 5-20-14

 

[mickeyd]

According to Kubota Parts, my tractor has the TC220-37000. I sure hope that it doesn't start leaking.

I see on the parts list that they even have a TC220-37005 now.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You have a Steering box that's in the middle of the three revisions, I don't know what they changed, but it's most likely slight.

I personally would take it apart, see what failed and rebuild it, if it fails again then I would buy a new steering box.

 

[Machman]

Thanks for taking time to respond.
Buying Orange wasn***8217;t a good investment for me.

Since I will be going through more hydraulic fluid... is there a good product that***8217;s not $75/5 gal as is the Kubota fluid you would recommend?