Check it out

[Harv]

<font color=blue>keep water out of the air intake </font color=blue>

Time to embarrass myself again. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

I've cleaned, changed and otherwise monkeyed with the air filter assembly, but I have yet to figure out how/where air gets into the system on my L2500.

If anybody's got an answer, you may have to talk real slo-o-o-o-w so I can follow you. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[jfakerj]

Branch

Thanks for the heads up about the water. I plan on having the engine off and cool and I'll be real careful around the air intake, also around the fuel fill cus I think water under pressure can go back through the breather cap.

Thanks again

Jerry

 

[Branch]

Harv,
Don't know if the Kubota is much different than the Deere as to the intake setup, but spraying really high pressure water around seams and joints on your air intake system isn't really a good idea. Seals designed to hold a couple pounds of negative vacuum pressure don't stand up well to between 1-2,000 lbs of positive water pressure. I just try to keep the spray head on my pressure washer away from some areas around the air cleaner system. An ounce of prevention is worth...
Branch

 

[Harv]

Branch -

I totally agree with your "ounce of prevention" approach, and I would definitely avoid pressure spraying around the air intake if I could figure out where it is. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I guess I'll just do like you say, and stay away from the air cleaner system altogether.

 

[Bird]

Harv, I sure would like to see under the hood of your tractor; don't guess I ever looked under there on your model, but on mine, it's very obvious where the air intake is.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Bird -

<font color=blue>on mine, it's very obvious where the air intake is.</font color=blue>

Don't underestimate my ability to not see the obvious. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Actually, since this discussion began I've only been able to look for it in my manuals. When I get back to the property (this weekend?) I'll pop the covers and take a firsthand look. I just don't happen to recall seeing anything that looks like an intake when I was changing the filter.

I'm curious now -- on your tractor, where is the intake relative to your air filter? Also, where does it show up in your parts manual and what do they call it?

 

[Bird]

Harv, on my B2710, the manual calls it the "inlet hose" even though it's a rigid plastic piece, round on the end that attaches to the "air cleaner assembly body" (in other words the can the filter's in/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif), and flattened on the other end. It runs from the filter can forward just across the top of the radiator with the front end turned down, so it's sucking in air from just in front of the radiator.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Okay, Bird -

Now I'm really scratching my head!

What's referred to as an "inlet hose" on my 2500 goes from the filter canister to, I think, the intake manifold (see #090 in the attached diagram). The only other thing that appears to be a gateway to the outside world is a doohickey called an "evacuator valve" (#046), which, from its name and design, appears to be a blower, not a sucker (technical terminology).

Coincidentally, I finally got my Workshop Manual today, so I checked out what it says about the air cleaner system. No mention or picture of an air intake (probably 'cuz it's so obvious /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif).

And, just to take this thread even further off course, my one and only local Kubota dealer/parts house is closing down for good -- tomorrow! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif It's actually called Farwest Equipment, and apparently the company has decided to close down all of its California stores. I hope this isn't a trend precipitated by the energy crisis and soaring cost of operation around here.

The only possible upside is that Kubota is said to want to maintain a presence in this area, so they'll be looking to open or contract another dealership of some sort real soon.

Omigod!!! I just realized this thread is in John Deere territory! Sorry for intrusion, fellas! /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Harv,

Put you hand under the rubber nose (046), at idle you'll feel it "snorting" more blowing than sucking... Crank up the rpm's to 2500... now you have a "vacuum cleaner"... if you could "smother" the air intake, you would "shut" the engine down...

On "our" John Deere's you remove the rubber nose and dump out any trapped dirt... Ok Mr. Kubota owner? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
(yes, we also have to change air filter's etc.)

 

[DFB]

Harv, my 4100 has both, an air intake tube just as Bird described leading out over the radiator and that rubber nose /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif is refered to in the manual as a dust unloading valve. It supposed to be cleaned as routine maintenance every 10 hrs. Also there is an Air Restriction Indicator thats part of the system to be checked every 10 hrs or daily that when visible requires immediate servicing of both the primary and secondary air filter elements. Gee, I hope your not feeling a little green from being over here. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[jfakerj]

DFB

I believe the Air Restriction Indicator on my 4300 works the same as the 4100. The guy I bought the tractor from told me to sevice the filters when The red line gets down to about 25 or so (it's on 10 now). Is this correct or is he wrong? The book doesn't say much. I don't have the book here but I think it said to change filters when the bar shows. If that's the case, why all the other numbers on the thing. How do you do it?

Jerry

 

[Bird]

Well, I guess we can both scratch our heads, Harv. Maybe you've got a new model that generates its own air./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I sure can't tell from that diagram how the air gets in. Is that cannister perforated somewhere?

There may be a misprint in my parts manual, but I also have the hose from the cannister to the intake manifold; part #6C070-5826-0, labelled "HOSE, INLET, (and it attaches to the back of the cannister like yours) and then there's the other plastic part from the cannister forward across the top of the radiator; part #6C070-5825-0, also labelled "HOSE, INLET" (it attaches to the side of the cannister, and is one digit difference in part number, but I would have called the one that gets the air first the "air intake" I think instead of calling it a hose). And of course, mine also has the "VALVE, UNLOADER" which yours calls an "evacuator valve" (same thing apparently).

My Workshop Manual is a loose leaf manual for a 3-ring binder, but the parts manual is a book, so I can't get it in my scanner without just tearing a page out, or I'd include a picture (of course, it wouldn't help because yours is obviously different/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif).

Bird

 

[Harv]

John, DFB -

I always use the "Past 12 Hours" method for reading messages and I seldom pay any attention to what forum they come from. That eliminates color boundaries and lets me absorb the wisdom of all you folks, regardless of which <font color=green>tractor</font color=green> you happen to drive yourself. Looks like my strategy paid off. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Well, I've been keeping my "nose" clean and I sort of wondered how dirt got in there (gee, I hope everybody realizes we're talking about the tractor here /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif). Kubota calls it an "evacuator" valve, which has definitely thrown me off the track. The dictionary sez:

evacuate - To empty or remove the contents of; To excrete or discharge (waste matter); to withdraw or depart from; vacate.

Somehow I didn't see that to mean "air sucker". Go figure. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Also, the design of the thing makes it hard for me to believe it would have any tendancy to open up and draw air in. I guess I'll check it out with the engine revved up, as you suggested, John.

Looks pretty resistant to casual pressure washing, but now I know what to watch out for.

Thanks, <font color=green>guys</font color=green>! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

(Oops! Bird just slipped in a reply. I'll go see what he has to say and post again, if appropriate.)

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thank you DFB /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

For the life of me I couldn't remember dust unloading valve.(my manual's home) My first thought was dust valve, then dust unloading valve, and it just didn't sound "normal", so I didn't mention for fear of sounding like a "nut"...anyways...

Harv & Bird,
Pull that dust unloader valve, rubber nose off, (it would be interesting to find out the "official" terms used by New Holland & Kubota) and that little opening there... is where the Air comes in... really... while you're at it, pull the end off the air cleaner and remove the "outside" air filter to see the "inside" air filter... and look inside for any "perforations" for air to enter, nope... just that little bitty opening

Ok I just can't wait to find out the other's official nomenclature... sitting at the edge of my seat waiting /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Harv]

Bird -

I just replied to the <font color=green>green</font color=green> guys on this subject. You're probably reading their posts right now.

This "evacuator" nose thing really has me going now. They call yours an "unloader valve", huh? Who was it that told me that Kubota manuals are first translated to French and then it's the French manuals that get translated to English? Could explain a few things.

It's interesting that your tractor has an unloader/evacuator valve and a bonafide air intake which mine seems to lack. I am not aware of any kind of perforations on the filter cannister, but I'm sure as heck going to climb all over that thing this weekend to be sure.

This is starting to remind me of my high school music days (sax, clarinet /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif) -- when I encountered a particularly loooong passage that left no opportunity to take a breath, I asked the conductor what I should do. With a totally straight face, he said, "Rectal breathing, son. Rectal breathing." /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Bird]

Oh, incidentally, Harv, I was quoting the part names and numbers from the Parts Manual. However, in the owner's manual, my "valve, unloader" IS called an Evacuator Valve. And the manual says, "Open the evacuator valve once a week under ordinary conditions - or daily when used in a dusty place - to get rid of large particles of dust and dirt." And in another place, where it says to replace the primary filter element annually, it also says, "Check to see if the evacuator valve is blocked with dust."/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Bird]

Nope, John, on my B2710 Kubota (and B7100 before), that little flattened rubber valve is shown to be for letting excess dust out without opening the cannister, and both the tractors have much larger inlets elsewhere to let the air in (of course, I haven't figured out just what Harv has). I'll tell you what that little rubber valve reminds me of, and that's the condensation tubes that were used on a lot of cars to let the condensation drip out from the air-conditioner; flattened on the end so insects or debris would not get up in there. And if that tube on the car got clogged up, you'd have water dripping in the right front floorboard of the car until you squeezed that little tube to open it up and let out whatever was blocking it.

Another thing, Harv, is the fact that neither your drawing nor the one in my parts manual show the "dust cup" inside the air cleaner cover; I'm only guessing that your tractor has one since both my Kubotas have had them. And apparently they don't sell it separately; you have to buy an "air cleaner cover assembly" to get a new dust cup. If your drawing is correct, I'll speculate that your air cleaner lid or cover is vented around the edge to let the air in.

Bird

 

[DFB]

Jerry, all the book says is "when the red plunger inside the indicator is visible, air cleaner requires immediate service". Doesn't mention anything about numbers or lines. I'd say the lines allow you to monitor the condition of the filter so it can be maintained before the flow becomes too restricted.

John, I like your "rubber nose" description better than Deere's official one and along with Harv's procedure of "keeping the nose clean" we now have our own TBN technical jargon. (possibly to be included with Muhammads list of abbreviations)/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

And just to add to our list of descriptive wording, the Deere manual instructs to "check for proper operation of the air indicator by unscrewing it from the air filter outlet tube and sucking on the indicator's vacum port with your mouth. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

DFB

 

[Harv]

Bird -

I wish I could stick my head under the hood and take a closer look right now, but my neck is about 120 miles too short. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

In lieu of that, I dug up some digital picts I took during my last maintenance spree. I was looking to see if your theory about a vented air cleaner lid held any water (just an expression /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif). Unfortunately, I didn't see anything that supports that idea.

Now, I've been known to miss the obvious before (like what my wife wants for Valentine's day), so I've attached a somewhat hefty picture for your scrutiny. Hard to imagine this is holding anybody's interest at this point, but it's now an Unsolved Mystery. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

I agree, Harv, that picture sure doesn't support my earlier theory. (I quit last night since out here in the country, and with my ISP, you can usually just forget about doing anything on the Internet between 8 p.m. and midnight).

Bird