Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

StickFlicker · Jul 24, 2013

Hello all,

Well I was able to sell my IH 244 and my Ford 2110 in time to purchase a newer DK 50 w/cab and FEL. The guy told me it's a 2005 but after getting it home I suspect it is more like an '01 or '02. It didn't dawn on me that he would misrepresent (new age lingo for lying) the age of the tractor and since is has 1104 hours on the meter (which is way more important to me than the year) I just took his word. The reason I suspect different is the serial number. Once I noticed it I made a mental note of the number. Later while looking at other DK 50's for sale online I noticed that numbers beginning with the same sequence are also listing the year as 2001 or '02. Oh well live and

And I was able to get it for what I wanted to pay (15K) so I was not wanting to miss out on this one since smaller cabbed tractors are very rare here.

Don't get me wrong I really like this tractor but I did spot a few little issues. So before I go into exploratory mode I was hoping someone would have an old service manual they could part with for a reasonable price. If you do, PM-me back.

A few of the things I noticed during pre purchase inspection were:
*Clutch need adjusting,(has 2"s of play), little jumpy upon engagement when in hi range.

*The PTO stub is ever so slightly bent as I can see a slight wobble. Also missing the PTO cover.

*The right rear cab window was blown out by a rock while brush hogging just 2 weeks before I bought it. Dealer price for new replacement is over $500 USD. I'm in the process of fabricating one out of polycarb. Since I'm going to this trouble anyway I think I'm going to ad a screened vent sub-window within the poly window. IOW I will make an smaller opening within the window and have a screen on the outside with a small removable poly cover plate on the inside. It will be good for ventilation but also for communicating trough without having the door ajar. Maybe I'll post some pics.

*The antenna is snapped off but I'm working on a fix for that one this weekend. Actually I drilled out the old pice of antenna in the base and went to H.Depot at lunch and bought 2' of #6 solid core copper. It fits the hole in the base and is bendable so it should be a decent replacement.

*The only other thing I noticed was a slight engine knock when engine starts cold but it goes away in 45 seconds. Once warm the knock is gone. The seller said it's done that since he bought it 4 yrs ago. He picked it up when it had 300 plus hours on it and he has added 800 more since then.

Any advice/help with my new(ish) Kioti is much welcomed.

I also want to add a bucket level rod.

ritcheyvs · Jul 25, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

See this for year to s/n mapping:http://pt709.synology.me/kioti_year.pdf

psj12 · Jul 25, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

Purchased one of the CD manuals listed on Ebay. Seems to be a good quality and the price was right.

Coyote machine · Jul 25, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

Welcome to TBN. Sometimes year sold is not reflective of year manufactured. Tractors are largely sold by year purchased, NOT date of manufacture, so it's possible you were told the actual year sold to first purchaser. Dates of manufacturer make a difference when it comes to part installed from factory or updates , etc.
It is NOT advisable to post any personal contact info. Ask people to PM you instead.
If it were me I'd drain the existing oil and send a sample out for testing to see what the wear profile looks like. And I'd put a full synthetic diesel oil in and see how she sounds. Also some injector cleaner to see if the knock is actually one or more 'cold'/ dirty injectors.

StickFlicker · Jul 25, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

Thanks for the replies. I did think about the CD option but didn't know if they are a good way to go. I've always had/bought paper copies for my past machines.

Good information from you guys. And I learned something new (thanks C.Machine), I never thought about year sold vs year made. Also the oil sample analyses.

Speaking of additives, do any of you have good/bad experience with Marvel Mystery Oil? I know it's been around forever but I've never used it in an engine.

Thanks again and oh yes, PM me if you want to contact me.

Coyote machine said:
Welcome to TBN. Sometimes year sold is not reflective of year manufactured. Tractors are largely sold by year purchased, NOT date of manufacture, so it's possible you were told the actual year sold to first purchaser. Dates of manufacturer make a difference when it comes to part installed from factory or updates , etc.
It is NOT advisable to post any personal contact info. Ask people to PM you instead.
If it were me I'd drain the existing oil and send a sample out for testing to see what the wear profile looks like. And I'd put a full synthetic diesel oil in and see how she sounds. Also some injector cleaner to see if the knock is actually one or more 'cold'/ dirty injectors.

ritcheyvs · Jul 25, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

I used Marvel in the old days to quiet hydraulic lifters in beater cars but I don't think it belongs in a Diesel engine, particularly with solid lifters.

Like CM said, get a good diesel oil, like Delvac 1300 or (even better) Mobile 1 Turbo Diesel Truck. In any case, it needs to be a "C" rated oil. Some "S"-only (for gasoline engines) oils won't handle the soot produced by Diesels. The Synthetics (like M-1) improve cold-weather starting and cling to the metal better but you can't extend oil changes with a Diesel unless you do oil analysis between changes (hardly worth the cost). The knock could be mechanical but a wonky injector can create all kinds of wierd sounds. Try an injector cleaner (like Lubro Molly Diesel Purge) before you take a wrench to anything. Also check all your glow plugs, a bad glow plug can cause rough idle and some noise until the engine heats up.

While most oil additives are worthless (just use good oil) but fuel additives have a role. A biocide (get at a boat store) will kill the microbes that grow at the fuel-water (there is always some water in the tank) interface and many recommend a diesel fuel additive to improve lubricity of the ultra-low sulfur Diesel, which is all you can buy now.

Whenever I got a vehicle (car, boat, or tractor) with a Diesel, I always replaced the fluids and filters first thing unless I knew the maintenance history of the vehicle. Filters (especially the air filter) are critical for Diesels, especially any machine that may run in a dusty environment. Diesels (almost all of them) do not have a throttle so huge quantities of air go through the motor. It doesn't take much sand dust to destroy compression.

StickFlicker · Jul 25, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

Thanks for the info. You all are doing just what I hoped (relaying experience/knowledge) and I appreciate it.

I asked about the Marvel M.O. because I used some at work today (I maintain HP's large scale digital printing presses, they are like a computer printer but they are the size of a bus). Anyway I read on the can that it can be used in diesels engines as a fuel additive to lubricate the upper end and dissolve soot and deposits. So this is just another reason I want/need a manual. I have no immediate plans to run the DK hard so I'm taking this time to fix a few small details and do maintenance on it.

ritcheyvs · Jul 25, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

Akso, if you don't know, there are excellent free online parts sites for Kioti. Better than the paper book because they get updated. The following site is sponsored by Michigan Iron Equipment; one of the good guys and an occasional list participant:
OEM Parts

KiotiDave · Jul 26, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

Hey all,
I have several workshop and parts manuals available. I will let people have them at greatly reduced prices + postage. Just have to figure out an easy procedure for payment.
Also have the flat rate manuals(what should be charged for particular repair) mostly used for warranty claims.
If you have a need for a workshop or Parts manual you can contact me and maybe we can set something up if I have it.
KiotiDave

StickFlicker · Aug 27, 2013

Re: Just picked up a DK50c. Now I want/NEED a service manual. Anyone? Pretty please>

I'm still waiting to get a manual. I keep looking on Ebay for the CD but nothing yet.

I was mowing last week with the DK50 and I noticed a dash light. I could not decipher the symbol, (a two part rectangle with one box sitting over the other both with a smaller triangle inside centered. And the top box had two (ears) best as I can describe it. I reasoned that maybe the pto gearbox was getting overheated. Although I really could not get that from the light but I stopped the tractor since I was done mowing and went around back and felt the housing. It was hot so I let it cool down for 20 minutes. Started back up and the light was gone so I rode it back to the house.

Also noticed that sometimes when I turn the front wheels sharply they seem to lock up and are difficult to turn back straight. I've had to jockey the tractor back and forth a couple times just to get it to turn back. Funny but my 1987 Ford 2110 used to do the same thing.