Who doesn't like a broken tractor story, and you thought this might be another 50 Shades of tractor color story, probably closer to Gone with the Wind.
Few months ago notice trans fluid leaking from the back, couple weeks ago decided to check out, dropped the pto winch, washed off the back, parked on bank, didn't take long to find the leak, cracked transmission case where the top link is mounted to. The cause that everyone here and Kubota will say is too much pto winch pulling with front tires off the ground.
Most will say that the Kubota L3400 is to small for a Fransgard V3004 winch, but all the L series tractor top links are bolted and pinned the same way. But dont worry, everyone that has a pto winch on their L series Kubota and keeps their front tires on the ground, this will never happen to you, in fact I'm almost certain that I'm the only person in the world that has broken a L series Kubota trans case.
Even tho I've welded for 30 years for a living on steel, this fix was not has good as I hoped, not really an expert in cast welding, but if I have half an idea that I can do something......Probably right way to fix/weld a transmission case is take it all apart, place on bench with strip heaters, maintain a 200+ temp, welding in cast steel out of position/place can be a crap shoot, but my mistakes might help someone else out.
It's times like this that I thank the good Lord for giving me a couple sons. So here we go, move tractor in the shop and start dismantling, after about 4 hrs. got down to where the crack is, V'd out the crack, on top there is an extra hole to keep the tractor weight down, so I started there, fill hole in, sealed with mig, then filled with stick, started down 2" weld up, down 2 more weld up down 2 more weld up......., 3 times.......then put 1/2" x 3" square stock across top, weld all around. I used 10018, 1/8 wanted 3/32 but the weld store didn't have any, maybe Nickle rod would've worked better, not sure.
When done, put a blanket on the trans, now it's the next day and notice a 2' crack starting off from the weld on drivers side, so went to the weld store to get some nickel rod, the guy say he has this TensileWeld rod that weld anything to anything, says it;s better then nickel, so I tried that, has a stainless color to it when welded, jury still out on that rod. After that crack I was discouraged so I just got some two part epoxy, covered the weld, and now we wait, full pull test will be this winter, dont think it's going to hold, might have to replace with new trans case next spring, $850.00. My sons got some pretty good pics, enjoy
Few months ago notice trans fluid leaking from the back, couple weeks ago decided to check out, dropped the pto winch, washed off the back, parked on bank, didn't take long to find the leak, cracked transmission case where the top link is mounted to. The cause that everyone here and Kubota will say is too much pto winch pulling with front tires off the ground.
Most will say that the Kubota L3400 is to small for a Fransgard V3004 winch, but all the L series tractor top links are bolted and pinned the same way. But dont worry, everyone that has a pto winch on their L series Kubota and keeps their front tires on the ground, this will never happen to you, in fact I'm almost certain that I'm the only person in the world that has broken a L series Kubota trans case.
Even tho I've welded for 30 years for a living on steel, this fix was not has good as I hoped, not really an expert in cast welding, but if I have half an idea that I can do something......Probably right way to fix/weld a transmission case is take it all apart, place on bench with strip heaters, maintain a 200+ temp, welding in cast steel out of position/place can be a crap shoot, but my mistakes might help someone else out.
It's times like this that I thank the good Lord for giving me a couple sons. So here we go, move tractor in the shop and start dismantling, after about 4 hrs. got down to where the crack is, V'd out the crack, on top there is an extra hole to keep the tractor weight down, so I started there, fill hole in, sealed with mig, then filled with stick, started down 2" weld up, down 2 more weld up down 2 more weld up......., 3 times.......then put 1/2" x 3" square stock across top, weld all around. I used 10018, 1/8 wanted 3/32 but the weld store didn't have any, maybe Nickle rod would've worked better, not sure.
When done, put a blanket on the trans, now it's the next day and notice a 2' crack starting off from the weld on drivers side, so went to the weld store to get some nickel rod, the guy say he has this TensileWeld rod that weld anything to anything, says it;s better then nickel, so I tried that, has a stainless color to it when welded, jury still out on that rod. After that crack I was discouraged so I just got some two part epoxy, covered the weld, and now we wait, full pull test will be this winter, dont think it's going to hold, might have to replace with new trans case next spring, $850.00. My sons got some pretty good pics, enjoy
