New Kubota L3250 Owner - Please Help Diagnose Engine Noise

[keyskid]

New Kubota L3250 Owner - Engine Noise

Hi Everyone-

This is my first tractor. Loving my "new" L3250 so far. It has an engine noise that I was hoping some of you could help me diagnose.

Kubota L325 V-192-DA-A Engine Noise - YouTube

The noise is coming from the rearmost cylinder. I adjusted the valves and found that the valves on this cylinder were very loose. I thought that tightening the clearance (to 0.008" per the manual) would solve the problem but it didn't. If I put a screwdriver on the fuel line to this cylinder there is a distinct clicking feeling. It is enough to make a light screwdriver bounce when rested on the injector. Does this point to a problem in the injector pump?

Thanks for your help!

 

[rbargeron]

Welcome to TBN, and congrats on finding a L3250, a perfect size machine for many jobs. Did the noise just start or was the seller aware of it? How loose were the valves? Any others need adjustment? Bouncing screwdriver isn't good - no experience with an injector causing that. It may be indicating internal broken valve parts. I'd take off the head and look at valves & seats. I can't tell much from the sound on the video, except it doesn't sound good.

 

[keyskid]

Welcome to TBN, and congrats on finding a L3250, a perfect size machine for many jobs. Did the noise just start or was the seller aware of it?

Thanks for the welcome and for chiming in! There was a little bit of noise when I looked at it but I attributed it to valve lash. Obviously a mistake on my part.

How loose were the valves? Any others need adjustment?

I got about two full turns on of each of them. The others were much closer and some did not need any adjustment. Makes me think they had all been adjusted previously and maybe the cylinder in question was "adjusted" such that the noise was cut down.

Bouncing screwdriver isn't good - no experience with an injector causing that. It may be indicating internal broken valve parts. I'd take off the head and look at valves & seats. I can't tell much from the sound on the video, except it doesn't sound good.

I'll take another look under the valve cover and try to post another video. I'm wondering if it might a rod knock that would make that sort of shock through the fuel line.

 

[hawkeye08]

My hearing is not what it used to be, but when my brother stopped by a few years ago and wanted to see my Kubota, I was showing him, started it up and his comment was, you can sure tell a Kubota by the noise of the their diesel. He had bought an older John Deere that has more of deep "working" noise to it than the Kubota noise.

Hope you find what is causing your noise and it is not too expensive to fix..