START USING FULL SYNTHETIC ENGINE OIL AFTER 400 HOURS..2004 B7800??

[jodebg]

Replaced the air filter today with OEM, as suggested.

Heading out tomorrow to pick up an OEM oil filter and
Rotella T6 full synthetic 5w-40, also as suggested.

Thanks to all who took the time to help out.

I understand there are 2 drain plugs on this model. Anything else
I should know before changing the oil? Drain while the engine is warm, tractor
on flat surface, etc.??

The manual calls for 14 and 22 psi tire pressure. Do you fill to the
manual specs?

Next project is to come up with a PTO cover. Any ideas?

 

[sixdogs]

Replaced the air filter today with OEM, as suggested.

Heading out tomorrow to pick up an OEM oil filter and
Rotella T6 full synthetic 5w-40, also as suggested.

Thanks to all who took the time to help out.

I understand there are 2 drain plugs on this model. Anything else
I should know before changing the oil? Drain while the engine is warm, tractor
on flat surface, etc.??

The manual calls for 14 and 22 psi tire pressure. Do you fill to the
manual specs?

Next project is to come up with a PTO cover. Any ideas?

Drain while warm and don't lose the gaskets. They might be copper but I forget. Don't overtighten the pan nut/nuts..

That tire pressure sound OK for starters. I think that's what I do.

Check the front axle gear oil. If it's the thin and watery UDT it likely has never been changed so make a list.

For the PTO cover the right answer is OEM. The dealer might have one laying around. It's just a piece of plastic tubing with one end closed. Spray oil on the PTO shaft before you slide the cover on.

Post some photos so we can oogle one of the best tractors Kubota has ever made.

 

[Coyote machine]

Make sure old oil filter gasket is on the old filter, smear some fresh oil on the new filter's gasket/o-ring and hand tighten, NO wrench. Drain bolts should be tightened snug but do NOT overtighten with a wrench.
Check to see if rear tires are filled with any fluid to load them as ballast. This will be evident if you test air pressure liquid will squirt out. If not, consider getting them filled with Rimguard or similar product in future.
Check battery and it's posts/cables for corrosion, rust, etc. If there evidence of corossion wash down battery with baking soda and water mix and rinse carefully with plain water taking care to not allow any acid on yourself, especially eyes - wear glasses/goggles. Check individual cells with a flashlight to see if electrolyte is up to split ring in each with safety glasses/goggles on. Do NOT allow acid on your skin or clothes or metal tractor parts, painted or not. Check radiator/coolant overflow bottle for necessary level of fluid and temp rating of same.
As mentioned check front axle fluid level and condition. Any doubts change it out. Kubota people on here can tell you what type fluid to use- (some front ends take either gear oil or UDT fluid), BUT you need to get a recommendation as to which for your machine.

 

[sixdogs]

CoyoteMachine brings up some excellent points. Let me expand on the battery.
If you have the original battery, all is good. If you have a replacement battery that is not sealed, replace it. The battery is in front of the radiator and up front with all that metal around it will cause a real problem if fumes or acid leaks from a non-closed cell battery. Kubota has a great OEM battery that lasts a long time if kept charged over the winter and does not leak.

When I replaced my quality OEM B7800 battery or JD 790 leaky battery, I made sure to use Optima sealed cell batteries. No leaks and no mess. My JD 790 was a rusty mess that I caught just barely in the nick of time. If a battery is up front you need something that will absolutely not leak. And that means a sealed battery.


Oh, the front axle takes either UDT or gear oil Most guys here go with the gear oil since it is believed to adhere to the gears better and cause less wear. I use gear oil in the Kubotas I have and no issues and no leaks. I don't recall many that prefer UDT.

 

[jodebg]

Happened to notice that he then proceeded to use caps in his writing after lecturing on the subject!
Sorry if I offended anyone..new to this.

really good information-thanks.

How do I get the front grill and side panels off? Tried yesterday, but did not want to damage anything.

How do I keep the battery charged? Should I use a battery maintainer? Have been using
a Speed Charge Battery Maintainer (sorry for the caps) on my garden tractor battery with
good luck?

If I go with gear oil in the axle, which brand do I use?

 

[jodebg]

How do I check the coolant temp level, and what coolant do I buy to top off or use to refill?

I was told by the orig. owner that the battery was original. It looks to have threaded caps..is this a closed cell and good quality?

Any suggestions on how to change the gear oil? Does it have to be warm, how to drain and refill???

 

[sixdogs]

You need an owner's manual. There are advertisers here that might even have them online or for a reasonable price.

 

[jodebg]

Appreciate your help very much. This has been an excellent thread-very helpful for someone trying to avoid costly errors, so please hang in there with me.

Also, need to know the proper way to check the hydraulic fluid level. Fluid need to be warm, what position to place FEL in,
and if I do not know what brand and type of fluid is in the machine, what would I use to top off?

What is YMMV?

 

[TomSeller]

Appreciate your help very much. This has been an excellent thread-very helpful for someone trying to avoid costly errors, so please hang in there with me.

Also, need to know the proper way to check the hydraulic fluid level. Fluid need to be warm, what position to place FEL in,
and if I do not know what brand and type of fluid is in the machine, what would I use to top off?

What is YMMV?

The FEL position shouldn't matter since whatever fluid is in one side of the cylinders will be displaced by the fluid in the other side. I would check your owners manual, but i check mine when it is cold and allow for expansion. ie I fill it to half way between the marks. I would use a high quality fluid and not worry a lot about matching what's in the tractor. But there are various thought processes on this.

 

[Coyote machine]

Appreciate your help very much. This has been an excellent thread-very helpful for someone trying to avoid costly errors, so please hang in there with me.

Also, need to know the proper way to check the hydraulic fluid level. Fluid need to be warm, what position to place FEL in,
and if I do not know what brand and type of fluid is in the machine, what would I use to top off?

What is YMMV?

Your mileage may vary, standard internet abbreviation. At the risk of taking more flack, if you're speaking to a specific person or persons in a thread, I suggest either quoting what they said by hitting the reply w/quote button or just using their username for clarity.

If you're thanking me- great, I appreciate that. If someone else, that's fine too, since there are contributors here like sixdogs that offer a lot of good tips, and just about everyone knows more about Kubotas than I do. I'll stick with this thread for now, but if things continue to sidetrack I'll be gone....

In general a machine is better off with topped off fluids than low fluids, even if they aren't an exact match.