Thanks gentlemen for the encouragements and suggested procedures. It's too hot for torches and such so I'll be in the land of midnight sun for several days. They didn't have Stoody products locally so I went online. Some pretty interesting products I'd never heard of so I bought some I would like to have tried at one time or another.
Busted bellhousing on Kubota B series
- Thread starter jaxs
- Start date
etpm
Veteran Member
Stoody sells welding rods similar to and available from other manufacturers. But Stoody sells their stuff in small quantities and packaging that is friendly to the folks who are doing small jobs, like your job. They fill a niche and it's a good thing.
Please be aware that some stick welding electrodes/rods need to be kept moisture free. In fact, I think pretty much anything besides 6011 and 6013 need to be kept moisture free. This is because any water that the flux coating absorbs will release hydrogen during the welding process. The hydrogen will dissolve into the molten steel during welding. This then makes the weld brittle. If enough hydrogen is dissolved into the molten steel it will come out of solution as the steel cools and the weld will have porosity as a result. So make sure you store your welding rod such that it cannot absorb any moisture.
I'm really looking forward to you posting pictures of your successful repair. It really makes me happy to see people take on challenges and succeed.
Cheers,
Eric
Yea the ability to buy specialty rods in small quaintly is the reason I acted like a kid at the candy counter. I believe you are correct about moisture in rods. Popular believe is that 7018 is the only (or at least primary) rod requiring oven storage. Not that I'm in a position to demonstrate or prove anything but welding is fraught with more misinformation than theories on extraterrestrial life. IMO 90% of home welders can be served as well by half dozen rods as they are by countless number available. I liken it to giving the average dove hunter a fine shotgun,he would still miss more than he hit. Looking at your join date leads me to ask if you knew Carl aka Shield-arc? If not I encourage searching his posts for great reading with an unbelievable library of pictures. I hope his collection of information,pictures and knowledge are preserved somewhere.
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pmsmechanic
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2013
- Messages
- 4,041
- Location
- Southern Alberta, Canada
- Tractor
- 4410 and F-935 John Deere, MF 245
Google "Arc-Tec welding rods". It's an Alberta company that sells welding rods. Their 223 XC welding rod is super easy to weld cast iron with. I stumbled onto this rod about 30 years ago and used it to weld the cracked cast centers on the wheels of a tandem farm truck. The wheel centers have not cracked since and I'm no expert welder.
My latest cast weld was a 4' cast bowl flower planter. The 223's worked better than a specialty cast rod but still the welding wasn't pretty. They just wanted it to stay together and I got it to do that.
I just use an AC welder. I just added this so that someone reading this can give these rods a try if they want.
My latest cast weld was a 4' cast bowl flower planter. The 223's worked better than a specialty cast rod but still the welding wasn't pretty. They just wanted it to stay together and I got it to do that.
I just use an AC welder. I just added this so that someone reading this can give these rods a try if they want.
rbargeron
Elite Member
I'm coming late to this discussion - the OP said the clutch rattled - but did not say the tractor fell in half - just a couple bell housing holes had broken out. The housing is ductile die-formed mild steel, easily weldable.
For now I'd suggest a low cost repair - putting a temporary brass (or oilite) sleeve around the shaft, with the other end mostly filling the worn crank bore acting as a pilot bearing. It won't be a perfect fit, but it will be trapped in there and should tighten things up enough to operate with much less clatter.
You could make a couple retainer clamps to help hold the cracked housing to the block. Attach them with the same bolts - but do any welding on the housing AFTER the bolted clamps are tightened, holding it in place.
With this kind of alteration making the machine usable, put some hours on it to see what else it might need before deciding whether to dive deep.
Take care, Dick B
For now I'd suggest a low cost repair - putting a temporary brass (or oilite) sleeve around the shaft, with the other end mostly filling the worn crank bore acting as a pilot bearing. It won't be a perfect fit, but it will be trapped in there and should tighten things up enough to operate with much less clatter.
You could make a couple retainer clamps to help hold the cracked housing to the block. Attach them with the same bolts - but do any welding on the housing AFTER the bolted clamps are tightened, holding it in place.
With this kind of alteration making the machine usable, put some hours on it to see what else it might need before deciding whether to dive deep.
Take care, Dick B
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This thing is turning out more educational than originally thought. A new chapter in the saga opened yesterday. I ordered a few parts and was informed parts have been declared obsolete. Parts for a 25 year old tractor built from 1988 through 1996 already obsolete? IMO that speaks volumes about Kubota's customer support. If they believe that's a slick way of selling new tractors,it might work for some people but not for me. Only a fool would buy a new Kubota knowing parts will not be available 25 years later. So you can already learn something from this thread. As mentioned in first post the only support I could find at Kubota was an AI bot.
mrmikey
Veteran Member
That's the new norm, make it obsolete so you'll buy new yet you can still get parts for a 50+ year old 9N, go figure.
5030
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2003
- Messages
- 24,651
- Location
- SE Michigan in the middle of nowhere
- Tractor
- Kubota M9000 HDCC3 M9000 HDC
Kubota Corporate is changing and not for the better I might add. The 'old guard' is being replaced with younger people that have different ideas abut how to conduct business and what parts and accessories need to be stocked.
I believe they are attempting to emulate the John Deere business model. Not sure that will work out in a positive manner for them in the long run.
Right you are. Here and other places people ask what tractor they should buy. My opinion is 4 cylinder 2000 or 4000 Ford for 40 to 60 horse and 4020 Deere for 100 horses. Bought at fair market price according to condition then restaored to like new costs 75% less than new,will last the rest of your life and still make your grandson a good tractor. I haven't spent enough on repairs for my MF65 and Ford841 in the past 30 years to buy a steak dinner.