New member, new tractor, need help already

[RoMad]

Hi, I have been lurking on forums recently to help me make a decision on what size tractor to get for mowing 8 acres a few times a year and also to clean out a few pig pens occassionaly.
Well, this week my DW forwarded a craiglsist ad to me at work and told me I should check it out. It was a 6 year old Kioti CK20 FEL, 5' bush hog, 4' finish mower. The people selling it were moving to town.
Well, I looked at the tractor, drove it, ran the bush hog and FEL and everythging checked out good with my limited knowledge. I asked if the 4wd worked and he said yes, I just leave it in 4wd. It shows 188 hrs, but the hr meter is broke. the guy said he estimates another 400 hrs.
I asked him his bottom dollar and it was a very good price so I bought it.

We got it home and unloaded today and began going through it for real (like I should have before I bought it). It is evident he didn't do a lot of maintenance, greasing, changing air filter, but you can tell by looking the tractor doesn't have a lot of use. The guy had 3 acres, plain old bahai grass.
The problem is we can't get it out of 4wd or into low range. It will shift from high range to neutral and the pto works in neutral, but I can't get it into low range. I tried a sort of double clutch, with a little engine rev in the middle but no luck. It is the manual transmission model. Any suggestions?

 

[fdmars]

did you try going in reverse for a bit and then trying to take out of 4x4, sometimes it releaves the pressure in the drive train, least it works on my truck.

 

[mrutkaus]

I have a ck30 not a 20 but with any luck you are just experiencing what a lot of people have, sometimes it is hard to move those levers. Try different things, even moving the FEL up and down helps my CK30 change levers sometimes. Good luck.

Mike

 

[ToadHill]

The levers need to be lubricated every time you do an oil change. Buy some PB Blaster and follow the leavers down to the point that they go into the tranny case and lub all thefriction points, then work the levers for a while to loosen them up.

To get the tractor out of 4 wheel drive you may have to lift the front end off the groung using the bucket and work the mechanism. It's not uncommon for these machines to be hard to get out of 4wd. I have 1200 hours on my DK35 and I still have to work at it.

 

[RoMad]

okay thanks, I will try both. I am also going to change all fluids and filters, and grease everything and even take the seat off and make sure nothing is in the way of the levers. I think that the fact the previous owner never took it out of 4wd and probably never put it in low range much doesn't help either. I will report back what happens.

 

[LoPresti Lawnscape]

Are there any vacuum lines to the transmission or case or are tractors all some sort of direct locking linkage?

I know once I couldn't get my old truck out of 4WD and there was a broken vacuum line.

(Not a tractor expert) Just tossing it out there.

 

[MichiganIron]

The range selector and 4wd linkage share a rocker shaft. It's definitley in the linkage, just needs to be cleaned and lubricated.

Suggest changing all the fluids and filters in the tractor, including the front axle. If it lacked maintenance, it might not have gotton the 50 hr break-in service done.

 

[SPYDERLK]

okay thanks, I will try both. I am also going to change all fluids and filters, and grease everything and even take the seat off and make sure nothing is in the way of the levers. I think that the fact the previous owner never took it out of 4wd and probably never put it in low range much doesn't help either. I will report back what happens.

Im thinking you got a good buy, but just some stuck levers. Take it easy freeing them up so you dont bend. Getting the tractor good and warm/hot from hard work will help along with PB, Kroil, etc. If its actually been in 4wd for hundreds of hrs it really is due for a fluid change.
larry

 

[rimshot]

As I recall, one of the big things about that first inspection/maintenance service for 50 hours is changing the HST and Hydraulic fluid. I don't like the thought that this guy spent his time driving this tractor fulltime in 4WD. Drive it in 4 wd on hardpack continually in you are going to wind up all those gears making it especially tough to get out of a 4wd or a range setting.

Oh yeah, don't be surprised if when you pull the hydraulic drain plug and change fluid you find all kinds of metal shavings on the plug. It is normal.

rimshot

 

[SPYDERLK]

It's not uncommon for these machines to be hard to get out of 4wd. I have 1200 hours on my DK35 and I still have to work at it.

I dont have a Kioti but for the tractors I have it works to throttle up full going straight -- then suddenly back off. Disengage during the transition to engine braking. Works like a charm on all my 4wd tractors.
larry

 

[RoMad]

I took off the seat and pan below it, cleaned all the old grass out, pressure washed the whole tractor (gently) and then sprayed wd 40 on all of the linkage. Now when I push the lever all the way to 4wd and start letting the clutch out it grinds like it is trying to go in but the linkage is not letting. I think that is progress for now, as it tells me it is on the outside.
I just went to town to get all new fluids but the local NAPA store wasn't open. I am going to give it the by the book 400 hour service, which is pretty thourough.
As far as him driving it on hard pack , he lived near Bartow Fl. at the edge of an orange grove and all of his soil is loose sand.

 

[RoMad]

Update:
I sprayed more lube on the linkage, moved the tractor back and forth, raised the front wheels with the bucket.
After backing up about 20 feet and then back forward it went into low range, but I had to hold the lever or it would go back to neutral. While holding the lever I went forward in 1st and then backed up in low range.
I will be out of town working all week and my son is going to change all of the fluids for me while I'm gone. I think with new fluids and more use it will be fine.
thank you all for your help. If it is something more serious I will post what I find.

 

[twigpig]

Like someone else mentioned I'd use PB Blaster instead of WD40. I think PB Blaster is more penetratingy and lubricatingy than the 40th formula of a water displacement product.

 

[Mark_G]

I read a while ao here (at least for the ck30) to turn the steering wheel all the way left then change the 4wd setting, seems to work on mine.

 

[BTI]

Spray the rocker pivot poit the 2 levers attach to.
Then hold the range selector and move the 4wd selector or vice-versa.

The CK20s aren't hard to get in and out of 4wd.
IF everything is wel lubed.
I have pulled them off and coated the shaft with nevr-seeze before.
We had one that the customer transported alot on salt covered roads.
Same problem.....

BTI

 

[RoMad]

Thanks again for all of the help. I am working out of town this week and only have computer access until 4:30 or 5:00 daily. My son is changing all of the fluids today and I have sent him a link to this thread so he can read it too. He called me earlier today and said the fuel bowl needs to be changed along with the filter. I already had one ordered, but it will take a few days to get home. As soon as he gets it back together he will try all of the suggestions here. I am confident we will get it.

 

[RoMad]

Problem solved. The shaft that the low range handle turns also has the front wheel drive linkage on it, just as BTI said. The low range arm is pinned through the shaft so when you move the lever the shaft turns and engages the gear in the transmission.
The arm for the front wheel drive is held on by a snap ring and is supposed to rotate on the shaft. This arm was frozen solid to the shaft and when you moved either the 4wd lever or the low range lever they both moved together.
I ended up cutting the 4wd linkage arm off of the shaft with a cut off wheel, using a flapper wheel to clean up the shaft, welded the 4wd linkage arm back together, greasing it all and puttting it back together.
Now the two linkages work independantly and the 4wd and low range work like a charm. Thanks everyone for your valuable advice.