What is this going to cost to fix?

[MarcusCarr]

I have a Kioti DK35SE and managed to crack the differential around one of the six bolt holes that hold the tow bar on. The hydraulic fluid was coming out at a pretty good rate.

This is the cast iron piece that the PTO is sticking out of.

My thoughts are that the dealer will need to replace the cast iron piece...any idea what a service like that would cost? I have a feeling this is going to hurt.

Alternatively, could the crack be soldered or welded?

Thanks for any input.

 

[laurencen]

Cast iron can be welded, I used stainless rods but it will still require removal and undercutting, best if pre heated

If the new part is available it would be my first choice

Good luck

 

[MarcusCarr]

The part is available...$1000 for the part, $2400 for labor. Nearly the entire tractor needs to be disassembled to get the part off.

 

[Highbeam]

I just threw up in my mouth a little. Sorry for this kick in your nether region. I fear I have a similar, though not as bad, kick coming due to oil which leaves my machine from its belly.

 

[Gittyup]

How'd that happen?

 

[westcliffe01]

The leak could possibly be sealed with a sealant. It may be neccersary to avoid re-applying the load that caused it to crack in the first place (some kind of impact ?). If the component is structurally good, a sealant may be OK. Is there a piece of casting missing, or just a crack ?

The problem is that to seal it and keep the cost down, you may need to do a lot of the disassembly yourself. If you aren't capable of doing that, then you may need to pay for the dealer to repair it, since the majority of the cost is labor after all. Once you have it apart, there may be a lot of options, depending on how much stress is put on that area. You could silver solder (least heat), braze (more heat), weld (even more heat). Depending on the thickness of the casting and the skill of the welder, welding may make it almost as good as new. If it was my $3400, I know what I would do: Strip, clean myself and then weld it up.

 

[northcreek2624]

Marcus,You might want to try and locate a parts tractor.I know these are relativly new machines but,floods,barn fires,transporting accidents and the like happen all the time.
Try Draper tractor,they will put feelers out and have found some rare parts for me and they're nice to deal with.
I wouldn't do a patch job if it were me.Welding cast iron is never as good as original and remember "original" broke.There is a repair called "metal lock" which is a mechanical fix but,I have no experience with it...Mike.

 

[MarcusCarr]

I got the final figures and a plan in place. Labor $2600, Parts $900.

I decided to attempt a JBweld first...if that fails, I will try this stuff...

Castaloy: Cast Iron Repair Rod Order Form: $13.75 per Rod

I am not going to try to weld it with either my Oxy or Arc setup because I can't remove the piece from the tractor.

The problem occured because the quick attach part of my backhoe was bolted to that part of the tractor and three of the four bolts had come loose over time. All the stress and weight of the backhoe was on a single bolt and it effectively tore the bolt clean out of the hole.

I attached a picture of what the damage looked like. When the bolt pulled out it cause multiple radiant cracks. The red is the area I ground flat with a grinder and the area that I started the JBweld work up. I had to get far enough away from the cracks to get on clean metal.

I also drilled out the hole to a smooth one. After the built up, I will wrap a bolt in JBweld and slide it into the hole.

Honestly, it probably won't work, but the wife wants me to at least try before we pay that much for a repair.

I don't plan on putting the backhoe back on the tractor so the site will not be under that kind of stress again.

 

[BJN644]

What brand of backhoe was it?

 

[MarcusCarr]

It's a TYM brand, 7' backhoe.

The backhoe wasn't the real problem though, it was that 3 of 4 bolts came loose.

Check your bolts everyone!