I tipped my mini excavator

[DarkBlack]

If it was hydrolocked and you cranked it, you now have expensive damage, in all likelihood. That bends valves and con rods and can destroy pistons

Valves don’t bend during a hydrolock condition. Connecting rods yes, valves, no

 

[DarkBlack]

I have a mini excavator with a Kubota Z482-EF04 motor. I tipped it on its side today. After I up righted it I tried to start it but it would not turnover, I tried again to start it and it started but its blowing a lot of white smoke. I let it run at idle for about 45 minutes but its still blowing out the white smoke. it starts and rev like normal but when I try to used the hydraulic the motor stalls. Pic attached.

Any ideas.

How long was it on its side before you stood it back up?
45 minutes of running is more than enough to clear any excess diesel, or oil that might have migrated. If it’s smoking like that still, you have something bigger amiss.
Check your engine oil level, and color and smell. Is it getting white or smell like antifreeze?
Check your radiator level. Is it going down?
Start it cold with the radiator cap off. Does antifreeze come shooting out?

 

[WinterDeere]

The OP says it revs normally even while blowing smoke so he may be alright...

OP reports idling fine, but stalling under load:

...when I try to used the hydraulic the motor stalls.

 

[gstrom99]

Bending rods usually happen when fluid is sucked in with the engine running.

I'd bet a donut, that it was running when it tipped. I'd also bet another donut, that the motor is severely damaged now.

 

[hayden]

OP reports idling fine, but stalling under load:

Unfortunately it sounds more and more like it hydrolocked and bent a rod. That would result in low compression in one or more cylinders, incomplete combustion which would explain the continued smoke with diesel smell, and low power because it's down one or more cylinders.

A compression test would likely confirm the theory and require the least disassembly.

 

[hayden]

BTW, this might be a legitimate insurance claim, if it's insured.

 

[4570Man]

I'd bet a donut, that it was running, when it tipped. I'd also bet another donut, that the motor is severely damaged now.

It very well might be but I’d pay admission to watch a starter motor bend a connecting rod like many claim is possible.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Next time turn the engine over with a wrench, not the starter.

 

[Dftodd]

By far the most likely is the starter motor stalls and nothing happens. If the engine was still running when it flipped that’s when bad things happened. It was start starved for oil and any number of bad things could have happened or it could’ve sucked oil bad things happened.

Starter motor stalled the first couple tries when the OP tried to start it.

Third try, it fired.

That excess fuel/ oil in the cylinder compresses against the valve preventing it from opening.

Thats how it gets bent.

 

[Dftodd]

It very well might be but I’d pay admission to watch a starter motor bend a connecting rod like many claim is possible.

It's not the starter motor bending a rod. It's another cylinder firing and bending the compressed rod in another cylinder.

 

[4570Man]

It's not the starter motor bending a rod. It's another cylinder firing and bending the compressed rod in another cylinder.

When the engine is running and sucks fluid that happens but if the engine was stopped and gets filled with oil then it can’t turn at all.

 

[Dftodd]

When the engine is running and sucks fluid that happens but if the engine was stopped and gets filled with oil then it can’t turn at all.

It depends. I've had them go either way.

Depends on where it is on the cycle, cylinder position, if it's on all cylinders, or just one.

As well as horsepower of the engine.

The engine wouldn't spin over twice, before it finally did and fired.

Thats a classic hydrolock scenario.

 

[arto98607]

Sorry to hear OP has this trouble, I find this interesting thread.

My speculation after having read all 32 posts:

I doubt the engine was idling when it tipped over, rather it was running at a decent working rpm and continued to run after it had tipped over.
Bent one or more rods due to liquid (engine oil?) entering combustion chamber(s) before it shut down.

Engine compression test should be done...

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Whenever we had a Jeep on its side or upside down for more than a minute or two, standard procedure was to pull the plugs before trying to start it.

About half the time there was some oil squirting out when cranking it, and that was almost always with the driver shutting the engine off near instantly.

 

[newbury]

Next time turn the engine over with a wrench, not the starter.

Better yet - next time you get even near turning over DON'T.
/edit
In about the first 10 hours of operating my B7610 I was moving full buckets of sand through a path in the woods when one wheel dropped in a hole. The bucket was fairly low but the machine started to go. Dropped the FEL immediately, almost had to change my pants. Haven't done it again.

 

[Dftodd]

Better yet - next time you get even near turning over DON'T.
/edit
In about the first 10 hours of operating my B7610 I was moving full buckets of sand through a path in the woods when one wheel dropped in a hole. The bucket was fairly low but the machine started to go. Dropped the FEL immediately, almost had to change my pants. Haven't done it again.

I have to be careful on my 6 acres.

It's relatively level, but occasionally with clearing, I'll find an old den or other hole covered in twigs and leaves that a tire will drop into.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

It's not the starter motor bending a rod. It's another cylinder firing and bending the compressed rod in another cylinder.

Maybe, but starters are strong enough to bend valves. As a result, before trying to start the engine should be turned over by hand with a wrench. Alternatively, pull the glow plugs and then crank.

On a gas engine, a guy would pull the spark plugs and then crank over the engine (had to do this to an engine that went into U-Boat mode just this summer).

 

[WinterDeere]

Whenever we had a Jeep on its side or upside down for more than a minute or two...

I knew if there was anyone other than me who could utter these words, as if you've had multiple vehicles on their side multiple times, it would be you or Renze.

A buddy in high school accidentally rolled his jeep when he hit a high railroad crossing off-plumb, with a bunch of us in the vehicle. We got out, stood the thing back up, and did it like 3 more times.

 

[aa2tn]

A better time to ask questions would have been before you tried to start it up.

 

[gstrom99]

Next time turn the engine over with a wrench, not the starter.

NEXT time?