M9000 Case leak

[5030]

I don't believe there are too many posters here that have big tractors like I do, but here's hoping someone has some expierence or can shed a little light on my leak.

My M9 (which is still under warranty, but I need it right now) has a leak. Transmission fluid is leaking from somewhere under the cab on the top of the transmission case. It looks like (hard to see under there) it's leaking in the area of the flow control shaft which extends into the cab to control the downward rate of the Three Point Hitch. It's running down the side of the case, across the fuel crossover and dripping from the bottom of whichever fuel tank is lowest. I believe it was leaking last summer too as I kept smelling hot SUDT. Hot SUDT has a peculiar sweet smell but I never saw the leak because one, the tractor was in the field and two, SUDT is clear. At my 100 hour change I switched to 15 gallons of Chevron full synthetic which is oddly, orange. Now I can see the orange trail, especially on the snow. It's not a big leak, but it's a leak on a new machine. With 15 gallons in the sump, I'm not worried about running it dry. Matter of fact, since changing it last fall, even with the leak, it hasn't dropped very much on the dipstick (which, by the way the level is easy to read now because the fluid is orange). I alerted my dealer this winter and they will come out and get it when I can spare it but, if it something I can rectify myself (like a loose bolt or hose clamp), I'll make it a DIY project. I cruised through the dealers shop manual and found nothing and there are no service bulletins pertaining or adressing case leaks. My M105 is basically the same case, but slightly different and of course, it don't leak. With the fluid costing 130 bucks a pail, I don't like the idea of keeping the dust down on the road. Any ideas outh there?

 

[5030]

Well, I'm not surprised I didn't elicit any response. When I had my 5030 or my L40, any problems would have gotten many responses. But then this is a little tractor site, not a big, AG tractor site. That's probably why I mostly lurk. I'm not a surbabanite with a diesel toy, I'm a farmer. For years I though I could get by with a compact tractor doing farm work, that is, until I graduated to the M class and now, nothing with less than 95 horses will do.

I did find the problem today. I took off the front access plate (right under the front of the seat and accessed the top of the transmission case. The breather hose was split where it was attached to the transmission case. Anew breather hose ie ordered (warranty). I took the old, split one, shortened it and re-attached it. Problem solved

 

[rbargeron]

Glad you found the leak, and that it was a hose leak, not a case leak. That phrase in your original post sounded ominous - a 90 hp class tractor with a leaking gear case would be potentially serious. But it would also be very unusual for a Kubota product. Doubt many people here or anywhere have much experience with that. Its good you wrenched your way into it and found the leak was something minor. These days a farmer needs to be an economist, weather forecaster, technician, biologist, mechanic, businessman, engineer, inventor, and generally self-sufficient in everything just to get by. There's a good book on this - Three Farms, by Mark Kramer. Take care, Dick B.

P.S. got any more pics of the bike & side car? Strange looking steel hauler

 

[slowzuki]

Just found your post Daryl, lots of all sorts on the list here. The breather doesn't surprise me, everytime the case heats up it probably spits a bit of fluid out of there.

I'm in the process of tracking down a rotary rake now to replace our side delivery. How you make out with your new rotary last season?

 

[40Kchicks]

Hey Daryl

Thanks for posting this problem. I just added some UDT this week to my M9. I know what you mean about that stuff being clear. It makes it real hard to read when the light isn’t perfect. We are shipping chickens this week so the tractor will get used heavily for the next couple of weeks while we do our clean out. One of my employees is running the tractor today because I’m at work. I’ll have to check the tractor out tonight because there is no water in the radiator overflow. I added water to the radiator cap and filled it but the overflow tank is dry. I’m not sure if there is some air lock or the hose is plugged. I’ll keep working on it.

Eric

PS I'm glad your leak was an easy fix.

 

[5030]

Glad you found the leak, and that it was a hose leak, not a case leak. That phrase in your original post sounded ominous - a 90 hp class tractor with a leaking gear case would be potentially serious. But it would also be very unusual for a Kubota product. Doubt many people here or anywhere have much experience with that. Its good you wrenched your way into it and found the leak was something minor. These days a farmer needs to be an economist, weather forecaster, technician, biologist, mechanic, businessman, engineer, inventor, and generally self-sufficient in everything just to get by. There's a good book on this - Three Farms, by Mark Kramer. Take care, Dick B.

P.S. got any more pics of the bike & side car? Strange looking steel hauler

If you cruise (no pun intended) over to R3Owners.Net - The Triumph Rocket III Enthusiast Portal and go to the members photo albums and type in Sidecar Flip (that's me), you'll find a bunch of pictures. I retired April 2nd. No more steel haulers. Just big Kubota's and Triumph Motorcycles now. You'll even find a picture of me between the bike in my signature picture and my other baby, the Rocket 3 Classic. The bikes are pretty, I'm not.

I guess the dealer is coming out here when they get the new parts in and replace it here. That's lots easier than hauling the tractor 30 miles with diesel at 3 bucks a gallon.

 

[5030]

Just found your post Daryl, lots of all sorts on the list here. The breather doesn't surprise me, everytime the case heats up it probably spits a bit of fluid out of there.

I'm in the process of tracking down a rotary rake now to replace our side delivery. How you make out with your new rotary last season?

The Kuhn rotary is wonderful. The side delivery rake(s) never got used last year and are sitting out in the yard rusting. I found that the rotary will also rake corn stalks into windrows for round bailing.

I suspect with the price of scrap, the side deliveries will be heading to the scrap yard.

 

[5030]

Hey Daryl

Thanks for posting this problem. I just added some UDT this week to my M9. I know what you mean about that stuff being clear. It makes it real hard to read when the light isn’t perfect. We are shipping chickens this week so the tractor will get used heavily for the next couple of weeks while we do our clean out. One of my employees is running the tractor today because I’m at work. I’ll have to check the tractor out tonight because there is no water in the radiator overflow. I added water to the radiator cap and filled it but the overflow tank is dry. I’m not sure if there is some air lock or the hose is plugged. I’ll keep working on it.

Eric

PS I'm glad your leak was an easy fix.

Erik:

There are 2 fixes for the UDT situation and this applies to all Kubota's without sight windows for transmission level checking. 1. Switch to Chevron Full Synthetic Hy Trans which is orange (what gives with that?). I have to thank Raterman for the suggestion. I notice the hydraulic shuttle engagement is smoother as well as the wet brakes seem to work better. Not appreciably, but subtle. One thing for sure, the orange color is light years easier to see on the dipstick. Chevron is about the same cost as SUDT give or take a few pennies. 2. If you want to keep using the SU or S UDT, take the dipstick and drill with like a no. 40 drill, a hole for the upper level and lower level in the dipstick. It's a lot easier to see the oil covering the hole, even if it's clear. I did the same for the engine oil dipstick, but instead of drilling it, because it's spring steel and won't drill easily, I laid the dipstick on a wood block, took a sharpened center punch and a hammer and punched through the dipstick, making a hole for the upper and lower. You need to grind a fairly long taper on the center punch so it penetrates the dipstick and creates a hole.

I drained the SUDT from the front axle case, steering cases and intermediate case and put in 85-140 in instead. I've never been confortable with the UDT in the FWA especially with the high shock loads these big tractors can produce.

Erik, I believe you should top off the radiator with 50-50 and then fill the expansion tank halfway. It's odd that the expansion tank is dry, there is quite a bit of reserve in ti. Maybe you need to check your hose clamps or the weep hole on the front of the water pump. I know of one case where the seal in the pump let go. It can be changed in the field, no biggie.

There are a heck of a lot of people buying little Kubota's and posting here but very few big frame tractors like we have. Big or small, the problems usually are similar. Our bolts and nuts are just bigger along with the payment books.