Z326S Oil Pan

ZD326S

Member
Aug 19, 2017
119
3
18
Owensburg, Indiana
Called 2 different Kubota dealers this morning and both confirmed that the engine has to be pulled to remove the oil pan at a substantial shop hourly rate with several hours estimated labor hours. All that comes to mind is WOW!!!! :eek::mad: Anyone else run into this..... and came up with a different remedy? I can buy a lot of oil for the cost of fixing it.
 

Digger Dager

Member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
M59 TLB, B3200 w/front snow blower, 3 @ ZD326 62" rear discharge mowers
ZD326S,

We have 2 of these with the 60" rear discharge decks. Luckily, no damage to the oil pans. You can keep putting oil into the engine, and let it leak all over your yard. The bonus is after a while, you won't need the mower, for all the dead grass. :)

I had to replace an axle seal recently. Looking under the machine at that time, it appeared to be something I would be able to do myself. If you are handy with wrenches and have a way to lift the engine, you can save the labor cost by doing it yourself. There are a lot of things that have to be disconnected and/or removed, and then put back in the right order for everything to work. Invest in a WSM and follow the instructions. Might take a couple rainy days, but you save big on the labor.

A case of adult beverages and a couple friends might make for an enjoyable weekend project.

Digger

PS: I was able to go here http://www.kubotabooks.com/AutoIndex/ , find and download the WSM for the ZD326.
 

Saxman

New member

Equipment
L3830 ZD21
Jun 19, 2010
154
3
0
Mt. Vernon, IL
I have a ZD326 and while I wouldn’t want to have to pull the engine it appears to be fairly straightforward. Undo the flange that drives the hydro in front of the radiator, radiator hoses, electrical connectors and fuel line to pump. Motor mount bolts and with the hood off and a cherry picker I think up and back would have it out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ZD326S

Member
Aug 19, 2017
119
3
18
Owensburg, Indiana
Yea,what I read on the internet said it was an approximately one hour job to pull but the 2 dealerships I called seemed to think it was an 8 hour job just to pull. Then they said there would be parts and labor to fix the leak and reinstall. :confused:
 

100 td

Active member

Equipment
B21TLB (B21, TL421 & BT751) Toyota SDK4 T116 Bobcat
Aug 29, 2015
1,776
9
38
ɹǝpunuʍop
Broken gasket, or leaking gasket, any chance with the right tools to get in and tighten up the pan bolts?
 

ZD326S

Member
Aug 19, 2017
119
3
18
Owensburg, Indiana
Can't even see the bolts on the back side and pretty tight to even get your hand in the spot. It's not the standard gasket, it's one of those gel make your own gaskets I'm told. They keep asking me if I'm sure it's not the main seal so I'm suspect there may be a history or tech bulletin (no recall) for that issue. But best I can tell it is from the backside of the oil pan, but I'm not 100% sure.
 

ZD326S

Member
Aug 19, 2017
119
3
18
Owensburg, Indiana
Yes, this is a good machine I have had it going on 11 years and I mow some 10 acres a week during mowing season. Research shows that some have had trouble with the rear seal leaking and I see some have cut a 4 1/2 inch diameter hole in the rear plate to work on the issue. Think I better do the same to make sure where the oil is coming from first, it may be running down from the lower part of the rear seal to the oil pan.
 

ZD326S

Member
Aug 19, 2017
119
3
18
Owensburg, Indiana
Appears to be the oil pan and I can see the gasket is protruding outside of the pan. I'll have part of the lower bracket cut away to get to the back oil pan bolts and weld ears on the cut part to bolt it back together.
 

Attachments

lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
5,287
1,976
113
Mid, South, USA
IIRC there ain't no gasket. Silicone...aka "liquid gasket". Rarely leak, actually I can't recall the last oil pan leak I saw. Rear main seals? Different story. Done plenty-mostly on the early ZD326's. And yes the engine's got to come out to R&R the oil pan. That or start cutting on the frame for access...your choice. Easier to just pull the engine, IMO.

If someone can do it in an hour, I need a good tech.....but when I say "good", I mean if you can do this job in an hour and it be good QUALITY work (no loose bolts, low fluid levels, scratches, dents, dings, etc). :D

It's about 3 hours from the time the tools come out til the time they go back into the drawer. I think Kubota's flat rate is around 4 hr if I remember right, and they figure that on a machine that's squeaky clean (new) with zero hours runtime on it, they do it 3 times in succession and then average the times. My goodness after you do it the 2nd time you should be good at it. But if you do one every 5 years, not so much.
 

ZD326S

Member
Aug 19, 2017
119
3
18
Owensburg, Indiana
Okay, I do see a little oil around the back of flywheel so back to the rear seal suspicion. I cut a 4 1/2 inch hole in back plate and can see flywheel bolts perfectly....hopefully I can complete the rear seal replacement from here. Never done this before....any special tools or things to watch out for advice? My engine is D1005 (E2) SN 7G1911 Code Number 1G067-10000. Any advice would be appreciated before I start.
 

ZD326S

Member
Aug 19, 2017
119
3
18
Owensburg, Indiana
No more oil leak! Flywheel off - leaking main seal exposed - pull out old seal - carefully put in new seal - flywheel back on and good as new. Now I will put ears on the diameter plate removed and bolt it back on. Did not have to pull engine.
 

Attachments

Saxman

New member

Equipment
L3830 ZD21
Jun 19, 2010
154
3
0
Mt. Vernon, IL
Cool. I bet it did take lots of lube. Those back plates are made of good stuff


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk