3 point lower link pin removal...HAAALLPPP!

[davedj1]

OK, what's the secret to getting these buggers out?
Lower Link Pin - 3 Point Hitch - L345DT - L345 Series - Kubota - Tractors
I have an older (89) Kubota L2850 and I need to get the 3 point arms off to install my backhoe.
Thanks for any advice and/or words of wisdom...lol:confused2:

 

[mljenkins]

The two times I’ve done it thus far on my l6060 I took a wrench and rotated them back and forth until they turned out. I’m also interested what others have to say as I can see those buggers getting in there tight over the years when not using the backhoe often.

 

[Herkypilot]

On my ~2007 L3540, I put a light coat of grease on the pins last year when I re-installed them. I'll know soon enough if that worked since I'm planning to take them off again this weekend.

HP

 

[JWR]

Never had mine off on any of the several tractors I have or had. Probably because none were backhoe equipped.

My thought is that the pins in the end of the arms back under the tractor take a lot of stress and banging around in normal use. I'm somewhat amazed that I have never broken or severely bent any as I have put some nasty forces on them, both steady and jerking, over the years. What probably happens is that the pins wear and are no longer straight nor perfectly round. That means trying to remove them you have to overcome the peaks and valleys in the pins, maybe even ridges, from normal wear. I agree with Herky that turning them with a wrench (probably vise grips) should help a lot. When you turn them you can hit them with WD-40 or some lubricant while turning them. Should come out easily after that. Of course make sure there is no load of any sort in any direction on the arms... you knew that.

 

[davedj1]

Thanks for the thoughts guys.
I finally (after looking them over, found some for sale on the internet) realized they were indeed not threaded in. I had an epiphany and used an allen wrench in the hole and with a little grinding on my pickle fork I drove that in behind the allen wrench and saw some movement, sprayed them down with some PB blaster and tapped them back in, then out and then a larger allen wrench and voila they came free.
I wire wheeled them, coated the holes and the pins with copper never seize and put the backhoe mounting plate on. I fabbed up the first mount that holds the mounting bracket and tomorrow morning I will take the plate off that ties the loader mounts under the tractor off and add onto it to support the front of the sub frame.
Stay tuned,
Dave