Kubota L6060 Engine failure

[Username Taken]

Why I put Stanadyne fuel additive in every tank. ULSD needs all the 'help' it can get, IMO.

The CP3 in the Cummins is about as reliable as it gets.

But if you have one of the newer CP4-equipped ('19 and '20 I think) Cummins..... Yeah, do it. Especially if you live up North. Cold weather isn't real easy on any to do with diesels. I do't know about the Denso-equipped Isuzu in chevy.

It's also a good idea to use a good anti-gel additive if you're in the Frozen Tundra. A real good idea.

Back when gm was trying to come up with something to compete with the Japanese with, they invented the Vega.

Believe it or not, it was a good engine with one minor flaw. The block liner would detiorate right at 75k miles and the engine would grenade shortly after.

But when cheby was testing the engine..... Here's where they went wrong --

They used perfect fuel. Perfectly clean, zero-dirt, zero-nasty, zero-pollutant fuel.

And when people put them into service in the real world and used real-world gasoline....... The pollutants in the gas ate up the cylinder liner. Not sure what it was they used...... Calcium Carbonate or sumpthin. Not like today's Fords that use plasma-wire-lined cylinder walls.

Then there was the fiasco created by (who else?) the EPA when they discovered that ZDDP (zinc) destroyed Catalytic Converters.

So they made Oil refiners cut way back, or eliminate it. ZDDP was an important lubricant in oil for flat-tappet camshafts. If you've got an older 454 or another flat-tappet camshaft equipped engine, be aware.

And what's funny is -- Anybody here old enough to remember the rash of NASCAR engine explosions for a couple years? Right around 1990? It was a real thing. The Oil Refiners didn't bother to tell people. Not even Racing Teams that they sponsored. They couldn't figure it out.

Told my buddy about it years ago. He pooh-poohed the whole idea. He rebuilt two HP 454's for his boat and they didn't make it off the trailer before both camshafts disintegrated. He eventually solved the problem by putting weak springs in the heads and won't admit he was mistaken to this day. He's a mechanic. A good one. But like most mechanics (certainly not all) he's a bit of a Luddite

Just passin it along. Do with it as you will

 

[5030]

Don't apply to me. All my diesels are pre 4. They all smoke, just the way I like it.

Never be a post 4 diesel engine on this farm

 

[arto98607]

Don't apply to me. All my diesels are pre 4. They all smoke, just the way I like it.

Never be a post 4 diesel engine on this farm

Only good Diesels smoke (some)!

 

[5030]

Only good Diesels smoke (some)!

Depends on how hard you work them actually. In reality the new ones smoke too, it's just the smoke gets trapped in that magic cannister and needs 'regenerated' or whatever it's called, whereas mine just comes out the stack and blows away.

If Rudy Diesel ever saw how his engine was castrated, he'd roll over in his grave.

 

[buck12]

Depends on how hard you work them actually. In reality the new ones smoke too, it's just the smoke gets trapped in that magic cannister and needs 'regenerated' or whatever it's called, whereas mine just comes out the stack and blows away.

If Rudy Diesel ever saw how his engine was castrated, he'd roll over in his grave.

I do sometimes miss the smell of diesel on a cool morning. I like my new tractor but it does not smell the same.

 

[goeduck]

I do sometimes miss the smell of diesel on a cool morning. I like my new tractor but it does not smell the same.

That and cigarette smoke in the air (outside). Even though I have never smoked, I like the faint smell.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I just want to see how this all works out in the end. Sad story for sure.

 

[crazyal]

Sorry to read about your troubles. This sounds like an unusual problem (since I don't recall reading any other threads about something like this). I would do the fuel test for a couple reasons. First it will show good will to Kubota, like you are willing to do your part. Secondly, even more so that if it comes back as bad fuel someone would need to explain how that caused the ECU to fail. Hopefully Kubota helps you out with the bill but out of warranty is just that.

 

[Username Taken]

Depends on how hard you work them actually. In reality the new ones smoke too, it's just the smoke gets trapped in that magic cannister and needs 'regenerated' or whatever it's called, whereas mine just comes out the stack and blows away.

If Rudy Diesel ever saw how his engine was castrated, he'd roll over in his grave.

I have absolutely nothing against clean air, clean water, clean fun, etc.

What I object to strenuously is an unelected, unresponsive, unacountable goobermint bureaucracy coming along and FORCING unproven, untested technology on us that WE have to pay for.

That DPF? Who do you think is paying for that? The Fairy Princess? You are. I am. The Company passes the cost on to the end user. Every time.

And when that ridiculous, absurd, half-azzed-engineered pile of garbage breaks down? Guess who pays for that?

You do. I do. Under warranty? Guess who's paying for that warranty? You don't think they're free, do you? The warranty is priced in. And when the warranty is up?

Four thousand dollars to remove GARBAGE from my Diesel Truck that I didn't want put on it in the first place. Because it kept breaking. Because the engineering is way behind. It's even worse on some makes of tractors. You can't touch them at all.

Because the EPA is a rogue organization that needs to be shut down, Then we can start over. Maybe with one that doesn't recruit from Eco-Terrorist organizations. Oh yes, they do.

Sorry about the rant

 

[5030]

I do sometimes miss the smell of diesel on a cool morning. I like my new tractor but it does not smell the same.

Hillbilly incense...

 

[ericm979]

I hate diesel smoke. I don't understand how anyone could like breathing that stuff, even if it wasn't a known carcinogen. I'm totally ok with whatever it took (not $4k) to get the DOC+DPF on my Branson. The exhaust is so much cleaner than the 90's Kubota I had before. I can let it idle in the barn for the few minutes it takes to swap an implement and not feel like I'm gagging. If I had a choice between a tier 3 and a tier 4 tractor I'd take the 4. Excepting a few models like the Kubota B3300 the tier 4 tractors have been reliable.

Emissions regulations can sometimes be wrong headed, and the technologies manufacturers choose to meet them can sometimes be less reliable than they should be, until the manufacturers get the bugs worked out. But if you look at cars for example, with a much longer history of regulation going back to the late '60s, engines now are much cleaner, are more reliable, and make a lot more power than in the "good old days". It might take tractors a while to get all three of those, but they will.

 

[5030]

Living where you live, your disdain for diesel exhaust is understandable. I don't share your view, nor would I ever live where you do.

What I don't care for is making the end user the first article tester and that is exactly what is transpiring in the tractor market (over 25 horsepower).

Perfect the systems prior to selling them to the general public, not the other way around.

 

[MHarryE]

I hate diesel smoke. I don't understand how anyone could like breathing that stuff, even if it wasn't a known carcinogen. I'm totally ok with whatever it took (not $4k) to get the DOC+DPF on my Branson. The exhaust is so much cleaner than the 90's Kubota I had before. I can let it idle in the barn for the few minutes it takes to swap an implement and not feel like I'm gagging. If I had a choice between a tier 3 and a tier 4 tractor I'd take the 4. Excepting a few models like the Kubota B3300 the tier 4 tractors have been reliable.

Emissions regulations can sometimes be wrong headed, and the technologies manufacturers choose to meet them can sometimes be less reliable than they should be, until the manufacturers get the bugs worked out. But if you look at cars for example, with a much longer history of regulation going back to the late '60s, engines now are much cleaner, are more reliable, and make a lot more power than in the "good old days". It might take tractors a while to get all three of those, but they will.

I’m with you. I live in the wilderness of MN, but we have our iron mines. Kind of sad sitting in hospital waiting rooms listening to miners, mostly one time truck drivers, talk about their lung diseases and lost co-workers. For me, it was my dad. Spring work started with our TD-6 crawler that burned especially dirty. He’d come in at the end of the day covered with diesel soot. Remember him coming home from a doctor appointment and saying the doctor told him he wouldn’t believe dad never smoked because his condition was that of a heavy smoker. He got away from that, changed career and lived to a very old age. Even the crappy diesels of 10+ years ago are better than the pre-60 diesels. And if you aren’t a heavy user, not likely it will hurt you like it has the miners in the open pit mines here breathing exhaust of all the shovels and trucks 8+ hours daily.

 

[Username Taken]

I’m with you. I live in the wilderness of MN, but we have our iron mines. Kind of sad sitting in hospital waiting rooms listening to miners, mostly one time truck drivers, talk about their lung diseases and lost co-workers. For me, it was my dad. Spring work started with our TD-6 crawler that burned especially dirty. He’d come in at the end of the day covered with diesel soot. Remember him coming home from a doctor appointment and saying the doctor told him he wouldn’t believe dad never smoked because his condition was that of a heavy smoker. He got away from that, changed career and lived to a very old age. Even the crappy diesels of 10+ years ago are better than the pre-60 diesels. And if you aren’t a heavy user, not likely it will hurt you like it has the miners in the open pit mines here breathing exhaust of all the shovels and trucks 8+ hours daily.

I lived in Cleveland for several years. I was there when the River caught fire. I worked at Republic Steel for some time. We processed more iron ore/pig iron/steel of all kinds than Pittsburgh ever dreamed of. The City lit up at night like a HellScape....

And let me tell you -- Diesel exhaust had nothing to do with anything. Nothing. Especially from trucks.

 

[5030]

I was born and raised there and I also worked there but at LTV before Accelor Mittal bought them. Good post btw.

 

[Seven Gables]

Any new developments on the 6060 engine? Sorry for your troubles with it but I'm real curious what issue was that caused it.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
Me too.

Mike

 

[JethroB]

If the outcome was favorable to the OP and Kubota stepped up we may never know. I hope that’s the case.

 

[MoKelly]

If the outcome was favorable to the OP and Kubota stepped up we may never know. I hope that’s the case.

I wonder if Kubota would want a favorable decision in this case to be publicized? On the good - it shows they are a standup company. On the bad - requests out of the woodwork.

I don’t have an answer.

MoKelly

 

[MHarryE]

One ahh s##t cancels 100 atta boys, adage learned first thing on job. Director of engineering would send good letters around and you would check off your name (before email). Then the really upset customer would mail the president and believe me, those flowed downhill with notes like “find out what happened and get back to me immediately”. We reached a point where, for example, the person responsible for filling transmission with oil signed off on an empty transmission. Customer was reading combine home from dealer when the transmission seized. Wasn’t some rep visiting the customer. Person from the line was given an airline ticket and told to go out there and apologize. Dealer will accompany you so don’t worry about being alone but admit your error. Talk about good feedback from customer, dealer, and line assembler. That was we had implemented the Japanese quality method - you can’t inspect in quality - you must have your people buy in. Quality sot up, warranty crashed down, and AGCO rose from the ashes of Deutz-Allis.