882 Diesel: Hydro & PTO issues

[TheSaturnV]

I hope I am following good OCC forum etiquette. I thought I would initiate a fresh topic about getting my "new" 882 put into service.

It is now starting fairly reliably. Any issues I have with hard starts now can be put down to the fact that the throttle cable was broken from the beginning, and I am still learning how to properly time the glow plugs. With a new cable and a bit more use, I think it will be a reliable machine.

The main roadblock now is that after a brief tour around the circle drive, she stopped moving. Prior to that, it wouldn't budge until the very last 10% of the control lever throw, then it would lurch ahead. Also, the hydraulic lift was moving very, very slow. Since then, both reverse motion and hydraulics have quit completely. Every now and then I can get it to take off forward, but after 10 feet or so it quits.

I did not have access to a new trans filter until today, but when I removed the old one last night I noticed clumps of gelled fluid around the fluid exit openings. That can't be beneficial to proper hydro operation. I pulled both top valves and they look to be in great condition externally. I sprayed some cleaner and compressed air through and the balls seem to move freely. I understand the inner o-rings could be bad. So, after a new filter and fluid top off, I hope this is a non-issue by this evening.

Your thoughts?

The other pressing issue is that the PTO won't stay running. I pull the switch out and up, and it immediately and quietly engages. However, as soon as I let go of the switch it quits. I have tried unplugging the seat switch and clicking the reverse switch. I haven't tried with the reverse switch unplugged, because I noticed that wen it was unplugged, the circuit breaker was not a happy camper and kept tripping.

Last and most importantly, I am still not trusting the cooling system. I removed the water pump, and it has no shaft play and rotates freely. Corrosion was minimal to none at all. I blew air and forced fresh water through the various hose openings, but no blobs or gook came out. In fact, the only thing that flushed out was a small bit of rusty water. After I run it for a minute or so, the upper radiator hose gets warm, as does the radiator. However, the lower rad hose is stone cold. Seems like it would be just a little warm, right?

Thanks for all your great advice, we'll get this thing back to work.

[TheSaturnV]

Rereading my post after a fresh look at the 882's wiring diagram, I clearly do not understand how the seat and reverse cut-off switches work. Seems to me now that unplugging the seat switch does nothing. I think I should just take a long jumper wire from the pto switch itself, directly to the relay.

[Amigatec]

Originally Posted by TheSaturnV

I hope I am following good OCC forum etiquette. I thought I would initiate a fresh topic about getting my "new" 882 put into service.

It is now starting fairly reliably. Any issues I have with hard starts now can be put down to the fact that the throttle cable was broken from the beginning, and I am still learning how to properly time the glow plugs. With a new cable and a bit more use, I think it will be a reliable machine.

The main roadblock now is that after a brief tour around the circle drive, she stopped moving. Prior to that, it wouldn't budge until the very last 10% of the control lever throw, then it would lurch ahead. Also, the hydraulic lift was moving very, very slow. Since then, both reverse motion and hydraulics have quit completely. Every now and then I can get it to take off forward, but after 10 feet or so it quits.

I did not have access to a new trans filter until today, but when I removed the old one last night I noticed clumps of gelled fluid around the fluid exit openings. That can't be beneficial to proper hydro operation. I pulled both top valves and they look to be in great condition externally. I sprayed some cleaner and compressed air through and the balls seem to move freely. I understand the inner o-rings could be bad. So, after a new filter and fluid top off, I hope this is a non-issue by this evening.

Your thoughts?

The other pressing issue is that the PTO won't stay running. I pull the switch out and up, and it immediately and quietly engages. However, as soon as I let go of the switch it quits. I have tried unplugging the seat switch and clicking the reverse switch. I haven't tried with the reverse switch unplugged, because I noticed that wen it was unplugged, the circuit breaker was not a happy camper and kept tripping.

Last and most importantly, I am still not trusting the cooling system. I removed the water pump, and it has no shaft play and rotates freely. Corrosion was minimal to none at all. I blew air and forced fresh water through the various hose openings, but no blobs or gook came out. In fact, the only thing that flushed out was a small bit of rusty water. After I run it for a minute or so, the upper radiator hose gets warm, as does the radiator. However, the lower rad hose is stone cold. Seems like it would be just a little warm, right?

Thanks for all your great advice, we'll get this thing back to work.

You may need to check the glowpugs seperatly. I have found that the normal resistence per glow plug is around 1 ohm, a range of .7 to about 1.2 should be normal. If these have a metal strap connecting them together the strap will have to be removed to check them. You may have 1 or 2 plugs bad. If the GP shows no reading it is bad.

On the water problem, most Diesels take a bit longer to warm up. At idle they don't use much fuel and are burning more air. As you speed them up you are increasing the fuel only.

[Matt G.]

The lower hose probably isn't warm because the thermostat isn't opening.

You DESPERATELY need to do a Hytran and filter change. Get a new CC filter and 7 quarts of Hytran, drain the rear, take off the rear cover, and clean all the crap out. You probably have a plugged filter, and you may find it plugs a couple more, even if you clean out the innards of the trans. I had one plug a couple of filters.

To fix the PTO problem, clean the connector and terminals on the PTO relay and the PTO switch. My 782D did exactly the same thing, and it was because the relay terminals were corroded.

[TheSaturnV]

Originally Posted by Matt G.

The lower hose probably isn't warm because the thermostat isn't opening.

I took the stat out and slowly boiled it. It started opening before boiling and was fully open by the boiling point. I would think that the upper rad hose being hot, would point to a working thermostat in that the hot water from the block has been released towards the radiator.

-OR-

Doe these Kubota's flow from bottom to top for some odd reason?

You DESPERATELY need to do a Hytran and filter change. Get a new CC filter and 7 quarts of Hytran, drain the rear, take off the rear cover, and clean all the crap out. You probably have a plugged filter, and you may find it plugs a couple more, even if you clean out the innards of the trans. I had one plug a couple of filters.

Will do. I'm picking up a filter this evening, then I will pull the 3-point off. This will allow a good cleanout and I can give the rear cover bolts the attention they need.

To fix the PTO problem, clean the connector and terminals on the PTO relay and the PTO switch. My 782D did exactly the same thing, and it was because the relay terminals were corroded.

That is highly possible. I've been cleaning electrical connections and applying Die-grease, but haven't done the PTO switch yet.

Thanks Matt

[MBounds]

SaturnV:

1) Make sure the reverse cut-off switch (under the dash by the shift handle) is attached and has a good electrical connection.

2) Lift the seat & disconnect the Seat Switch. Now jump connect the two wires. This bypasses the defective seat switch. The PTO now won't cut off when you get out of the seat, so take care!!! Watch that those toes don't get under the deck if the PTO is on!!

Just fixed my 782D which was doing the exact same thing...

[TheSaturnV]

Looking forward to trying these fixes this evening.

The seat is torched, so a faulty switch underneath the dried, cracked foam won't surprise me.

[aagitch]

Maybe your bottom rad hose wasn't warm yet because it wasn't hot enough for the stat to open. If you still have the original plugs in it, i'd replace those they're probably due anyway. Just grab some from napa or kubota if you have to.

[TheSaturnV]

Assuming this Kubota cooling system follows the normal flow of hot coolant out via the upper, then I would think neither the upper hose nor the radiator would heat up much. Both are. I just don't the this little radiator could do such a job that the lower hose would be cool to the touch. I'll be incrementally running it longer and longer, maybe as some have mentioned, the stat just hasn't gotten hot enough to open yet.

[Matt G.]

I don't think the thermostat will open if it's just sitting there idling with no load...mine acts the same way.