KX71-3S stiff controls

/ KX71-3S stiff controls #1  

CraigStu

New member
Joined
Jul 4, 2024
Messages
17
Tractor
Kubota KX71-3 excavator
The lever for the dozer blade has been really stiff on my used excavator and I decided to try to fix it. I was concerned when I saw it is connected to a control cable thinking the usual corrosion had stiffened the cable. I can see both ends but not the middle 80%. See #190 in this diagram.
They call it assembly,link. I call it a bellcrank. Anyway I disconnected the cable from it's bellcrank and the lever moved freely. The bellcrank pivots on a 16mm vertical shaft. After getting it apart I found the problem. No one ever hosed out the area below the floor plates so there was 1-3 inches of old half rotted leaves and dirt in the whole area. Since it was damp stuff the bottom of each shaft had gotten a rust buildup which made the bellcrank stiff to rotate. I removed, cleaned, greased, and reinstalled the bellcranks for the blade and the track control levers. This was 6hrs of work since none of the bellcranks come up off the shafts easily due to hoses, control rods, etc in the way. Now they all work as they should. So my recommendation is maybe once per year pull up the floor plates and hose all the crap out of the area. The bellcranks have plastic bushings in them so they work great when the shaft is the proper size. Even w/ the bushings, after a thorough hose out, I'd soak the bellcranks w/ your favorite oil.
 

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