rtv 900 with 138 hours

[Dongerosa]

I have been hauling 55 gals of water from the river up a steep graded. In the beginning it would handle this in mid gear with no problem...however, in the Fall it was having in problem. It would almost stop foward motion. Anyone got ideas on what could be happening?

 

[amigauser]

Was the 50 hour service done? I am not sure what would have changed other than maybe a plogged up hydraulic filter??

 

[Dozernut]

What variables changed? Bigger tires, low hydraulic fluid level, Used generic hydraulic fluid (My RTV seems to like the Super UTD better), linkage need adjusting? Maybe the sharp angle is starving the pump of fluid, on some dozer's working slopes you have to overfill the hydraulic tank.

 

[Old Coot]

If your running in dust check the air cleaner. Had that with mine.

 

[coobie]

I have been hauling 55 gals of water from the river up a steep graded. In the beginning it would handle this in mid gear with no problem...however, in the Fall it was having in problem. It would almost stop foward motion. Anyone got ideas on what could be happening?

Remove the spark arrestor in the muffler or clean it out.Check your owners manual how to do it.I believe it is supposed to cleaned at 50 hours.coobie

 

[pappy19]

I went with the snorkel air filter setup and took off the spark arrester as they were both getting clogged too easy. Not a problem since and my power has definately increased along with my mileage.

 

[Wayne_H]

I wonder what you find out. My RTV 900 has about 70 hours, and frankly the transmission feels week. I was trying to pull a downed tree today, and I would think in first gear I ought to be able to spin the tires if 4WD if I could not pull the tree. I had plenty of traction, the tree did not move, but the wheels didn't spin. It almost acts like the transmission does not build up enough pressure, or maybe the pressure relief valve is set too low? Anyone know how to check that? I would think I should almost be able to stall the motor if I have too much traction, but the motor just gets louder and the wheels do nothing. I've got two HST tractors, and the motor will stall before the transmission slips.

Wayne

 

[TWO GUNS]

Much has been said on this. But the first thing I would do is check the fuel filter. That alone will make a machine run weak. But, as already mentioned, the high rise filter, and the super UDT fluid needs to be in the machine. Replace with OEM Kubota filters, going cheap will not let the machine perform at best.
Remove the spark arrestor unless you are planning on running on goverment ground. I check mine under 20 hours, and the dern thing was so clogged up that I don't see how it even run. So I removed it all together. Cut the thing off and throw it !!!! You machine has to breathe to get the best performance !!!! As far as the pressure relief valve, you can check by putting the machine in gear, and giving a little fuel, and see if how much travel you have before it releases the pressure. I've only heard of one button being adjusted wrong ....

 

[Dongerosa]

Did the 50 hour service...but only oil & filer changes since. Lots of good suggestion...I'll do some checking.

All, thanks much!

 

[Wayne_H]

I understand about diesel engines needing to breath, I've got several. This is not a horse power issue, it is a matter of the horse power it has not going to the wheels. I would think I should almost be able to stall that engine if the wheels won't spin, and that is not the case.

Changing the hyd fluid may help, but they don't call for that before 100 hours. Are you all changing your fluid early to put in the other stuff?

It still acts like it does not build up enough pressure in the trans, I ought to be able to spin the wheels or bog the heck out of the engine if I can't spin the wheels, and I can't.

Wayne

 

[Dargo]

I understand about diesel engines needing to breath, I've got several. This is not a horse power issue, it is a matter of the horse power it has not going to the wheels. I would think I should almost be able to stall that engine if the wheels won't spin, and that is not the case.

Changing the hyd fluid may help, but they don't call for that before 100 hours. Are you all changing your fluid early to put in the other stuff?

It still acts like it does not build up enough pressure in the trans, I ought to be able to spin the wheels or bog the heck out of the engine if I can't spin the wheels, and I can't.

Wayne

I was one of the first RTV900 owners. I bought one within 2 weeks of them being released. Once I took off the 'worksite' tires and put some on with good traction, I would always run out of power before spinning in 4wd if traction conditions were good. There are several hills on my property that my Yamaha Rhino would fly up, spinning all the way, where the RTV900 would just stop and grunt on. I tried all the tricks of backing off the pedal etc., but I just flat ran out of power; period.

What did help tremendously was two things; one was changing the transmission filter and fluid (with Super UDT) at both 25 hours as well as again at 50 hours. The filters were partially clogged each time. The next change wasn't until 100 hours and the filter wasn't nearly as clogged. The second thing was to just, well, run the dickens out of the thing. The harder I ran it and the more hours I got on it, the easier it became to shift and the more power it seemed to have. It would never turn the tires in 4wd in good traction conditions, but it performed much better with 200 hours on it than it did with 25, 50 or even 100 hours. I didn't try it, but I'd assume your best option to have more power would to be installing a hand throttle so you can keep engine revs up all the way before you even touch the "go" pedal. I doubt it will be able to spin good tires in 4wd still, but it will perform better.

I am surprised that the RTV1100 I now have will turn the tires (exact same as I had on my 900; I kept them from the 900 and put them on the 1100) in 4wd and good traction conditions. It feels slower and more sluggish, but seems to have notably more torque. I'm hoping that it too will break in and perform better with a few hours. Good luck!

 

[Wayne_H]

Dargo:

Great information, thanks. I'll try changing the fluid as several folks have suggested, but it also interesting that you notice the same thing, where my mule 3010 would spin all three tires. Granted it was 500 pounds lighter and had less agressive tires, but the RTV just feels like the pressure relief valve is set too low or something. I'll try to track the dealer down and get their opinion. Like I keep saying, I ought to be able to stall the engine if it won't spin the tires, same as my HST tractor.

Wayne

 

[BrianW]

Wayne,
Do you have the hand throttle option? One problem I have with the RTV is the coupling of the hydro and throttle. I am going to bet that your hydro tractors do not couple the throttle to the hydro pedal. You crank up the throttle and ease up on the hydro pedal to get the most power out of a tractor (high RPM - low gear ratio). With the RTV a natural tendency is to give it more pedal. Well this gives it more fuel (good) but also puts it into a higher gear (bad). With the hand throttle you can control the throttle and gear ratio independently.

 

[Wayne_H]

Brian:

I don't have a hand throttle, and what you say makes sense, maybe I'll try it. And no, my tractors both have independant throttle and HST. But, it is also like the HST never gives out, in both I could stall the engine before the trans slips. Not that way on m RTV.

Thanks!

Wayne

 

[Nwood]

i now have the hand throttle to deal with this.
used to get "chocked" when starting out in a rocky patch. When the engine is revving high, and the pedal is pressed just a little there is a lot of torque at the wheels. the further you press the pedal the less torque is available.

Before the hand throttle I would stomp the pedal to get the rpm up then back off the pedal to get the torque to the wheels. Never liked doing that especially in tight quarters, as the "coast feature" would keep you moving long after your foot was off the pedal.

 

[Dongerosa]

how do you add a hand throttle on the RTV 900? is this a kit form Kubota? or home brewed?

 

[Leon Wittner]

You can get the hand throttle from Kubota

 

[R_Walter]

The hand throttle kit is very helpful in situations where you need to control the engine spped separately from forward/reverse. Mine works well, although I don't always use it for flat and level, more for the up and down country.

 

[Dongerosa]

finally completed... all the filters got changed, new trans fluid, cleaned exhaust and removed spark arrester (which was really plugged up). Performance is back BTW...the trans oil was really dirty looking. Learned more peddle does not mean power to the ground...backing off put the hydro into a lower ratio. Thanks for all the advice!