New to me RTVX-1100c No power on inclines

I just bought this with 550 hours on it. Great physical condition and seemed to run fine. I drove it down into a pit and tried to climb out and it would die trying to run. I also tried to do what I saw here which was to give it not too much throttle and no difference.

On road it's fine but my max speed is like 21mph at best so I am thinking something is wrong with the power delivery.

Also unrelated I can't get into Low gear. I did it once but it came back out. When I checked the cable underneath it is adjusted as far as it can go in the direction to
get it to get to low. The other gears shift fine for the most part but they do seem a little off to me, thinking maybe the cable is bad or ir can be adjusted the lever?

To eliminate some basics I added about 50% new fuel, put in a new fuel filter and drained the transmission fluid and changed both suction and other filer and oil change as well.

Only difference seems to be that it is super jerky when letting off the gas now, maybe more so than before the oil change. But my biggest issue is the inability to operate with any load on the machine.

I tried to get the steering wheel of and couldn't budget it even with Kroil.

Sorry for the long first post but as you can imagine I am pretty bummed out.
 

bczoom

Senior Member
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new-to-you RTV.


Yea, for inclines, you don't mash the go-pedal. About 1/2 way seems about right.

Also, you're going to need to get into L range. No way I can climb my hills in M range.

I don't have the 1100 but did you check the drive linkage behind the dash? (Access from under the hood).

When you changed the hydraulic fluid and filters, did you use OEM Kubota and their UDT or did you use a different brand? These things are very picky on using OEM fluid and filters. Aftermarket items will hurt performance.

Another thing to check is the spark arrestor. If it's carboned up, low exhaust flow and bad performance.


As for "jerky", do a search on the forum for "coast valve". Myself, I like the jerky and can mitigate it's extreme by feathering the go-pedal which just takes some time getting used to it. If you do the coast valve (don't recall if it's a valve replacement or just an adjustment on the 1100), it won't have the tranny holding the machine back when descending down hills. I have steep hills and can just let off the go pedal and it'll hold itself in place without touching the brake pedal.
 

aurthuritis

Well-known member
Site Supporter
do an extensive search on this forum for adjusting the HST and familiarize yourself with it and i will check back a little later.
 
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new-to-you RTV.


Yea, for inclines, you don't mash the go-pedal. About 1/2 way seems about right.

Also, you're going to need to get into L range. No way I can climb my hills in M range.

I don't have the 1100 but did you check the drive linkage behind the dash? (Access from under the hood).

When you changed the hydraulic fluid and filters, did you use OEM Kubota and their UDT or did you use a different brand? These things are very picky on using OEM fluid and filters. Aftermarket items will hurt performance.

Another thing to check is the spark arrestor. If it's carboned up, low exhaust flow and bad performance.


As for "jerky", do a search on the forum for "coast valve". Myself, I like the jerky and can mitigate it's extreme by feathering the go-pedal which just takes some time getting used to it. If you do the coast valve (don't recall if it's a valve replacement or just an adjustment on the 1100), it won't have the tranny holding the machine back when descending down hills. I have steep hills and can just let off the go pedal and it'll hold itself in place without touching the brake pedal.


Thank you for the fast reply! Maybe you are right about the L being needed for this, that would make sense.

Yes I am a big factory guy for fluids and filters. they gave me the UDT2 and the filters are all genuine kubota too.

I am thinking I need to get to the cable under the dash. I already had the dash 1/2 off and fixed the air sector cable that had fallen off and I couldn't change the vents. Not an emergency but you need it for defrost in winter but I can't get the steering wheel to come off. So I did that with it 1/2 off.

But for the cable and the shifer I need to get the wheel off.

Any ideas for a very stuck wheel?

Thanks again
 

bczoom

Senior Member
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Any ideas for a very stuck wheel?
Never pulled the wheel on my RTV but on other vehicles, I'd use a wheel puller to start. If that didn't work by itself, with pressure on the wheel puller, hit the puller on the part that is pushing on the shaft. If you don't have a wheel puller, they're available most anywhere and a decent auto parts store may loan you one for free.
 
I can't believe how bad this thing is on. There isn't really anything to grab onto for the puller. Just tried for 30 minutes every time it starts one of the arms slips off. Tried wedging them in there and this wheel just sucks. No idea why this is so bad. I am using a wheel puller but I would need a plate or something under it to screw into.
 

aurthuritis

Well-known member
Site Supporter
why are you removing the steering wheel? for the low gear start by unhooking the shift mechanism under the bed and see if you can shift into low reverse and high by hand without using the shifter. this will tell us if there is an internal problem with the gears.
 
why are you removing the steering wheel? for the low gear start by unhooking the shift mechanism under the bed and see if you can shift into low reverse and high by hand without using the shifter. this will tell us if there is an internal problem with the gears.

I tried a few more times to get the wheel off, this thing is really bad. But I also looked at what you said. I jacked up the rear end of the RTVX and undid the shifter cable and manually went through the gears.

You are correct, when I go to L I hear a slight ticking sound like something wants to engage but only the wheel I am spinning moves and there is no engagement. I feel the indent but the resistance is the same as in neutral.

So it looks like my L gear is not working and the cable is fine.

I am happy to have found this but really nervous about what this means? I remember seeing something about a fork issue but not sure this would be the cause. Mine is a 2015. Any ideas what else I can check?
 
Hopefully some others may have ideas. I am at a loss. The machine runs great otherwise. Just the low is not there, when you rotate the wheels you can hear something like a random something clicking, maybe trying to catch but it never engages. I would love to avoid going to the dealer. I have the shop manual trying to see if there is anything I can look at.
 

aurthuritis

Well-known member
Site Supporter
i would lift the shifter off from the top of the transmission and check the forks. you can also at this time use a screwdriver to engage each gear to see if the damage is internal. it isn't uncommon to have to roll the throttle just a little to get these in gear. there isn't any sort of synchronization. sometimes owners will try to force them into gear and bend a fork. especially in the older models.
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
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Also if on an incline rolling it just a little and putting on the brake has helped mine slide into gear. Persnickety but no big deal thanks to help from the folks here.
 
More to the story....

I tried experimenting a bit thinking about how the cable at the transmission was at the limit of it's travel. I decide to adjust it slightly the the way and it seems that my low gear is now there. It seems like if I go further past low (which is where the lower cable was adjusted to) that it slips into a second neutral or just free wheeling space at the end of the travel?

Not sure if this makes sense, it isn't quiet perfect but I think the previous owner also messed with the other end of the cable under the dash that I need to look at also thinking it might be at a limit too.

But my bigger is still power, even with it in low gear I couldnt climb anything, I went up and then it just struggles and no wheels turn at any throttle position.

On the open road I confirmed on flat land the max speed I can get to is 19-20mph so I am thinking that something isn't adjusted right since I am not getting even close to top speed. It does drive beautifully as long as no load or no incline.

Is there any adjustment for the overall power that I could look at?

Sorry for all this. just trying so hard to see if I can do something. I called the dealer and they will look at it but need 4 weeks so anything I could do would be a big plus.

Thanks so much in advance
 

aurthuritis

Well-known member
Site Supporter
it is very common for the HST linkage to be out of adjustment. you need to disconnect the little cable that connects to the throttle lever on the fuel injection pump and also disconnect the hst speed lever at the left rear corner of the transmission. then check to make sure the bell crank under the bed and on top of the transmission is in it's detent. then loosen the jamb nut on the peddle stop under the foot peddle and screw the stop all the way to the floor. then gently push the peddle down and adjust the stop bolt up until the peddle is just shy of full travel and lock the jamb nut. then push the peddle down against the stop and have someone hold it there while you reconnect the hst speed control lever all the way to the rear and then just barely back off so it isn't at a hard stop full travel. reinstall the bolt in the heim joint and check to make sure the peddle will still hit the stop and at the same time the hst lever is just short of full travel. now reconnect the little cable to the fuel pump sspeed control lever and with the peddle all the way against the stop again adjust so the fuel control lever just contacts the high idle stop. be careful to adjust so that you don't stretch the cable. your goal is to have full travel available of the foot peddle and at the same time the full speed and hst lever will max at the same time. this should improve your situation quite a bit. after you do this we can proceed to checking the full no load rpm of the engine.
 
it is very common for the HST linkage to be out of adjustment. you need to disconnect the little cable that connects to the throttle lever on the fuel injection pump and also disconnect the hst speed lever at the left rear corner of the transmission. then check to make sure the bell crank under the bed and on top of the transmission is in it's detent. then loosen the jamb nut on the peddle stop under the foot peddle and screw the stop all the way to the floor. then gently push the peddle down and adjust the stop bolt up until the peddle is just shy of full travel and lock the jamb nut. then push the peddle down against the stop and have someone hold it there while you reconnect the hst speed control lever all the way to the rear and then just barely back off so it isn't at a hard stop full travel. reinstall the bolt in the heim joint and check to make sure the peddle will still hit the stop and at the same time the hst lever is just short of full travel. now reconnect the little cable to the fuel pump sspeed control lever and with the peddle all the way against the stop again adjust so the fuel control lever just contacts the high idle stop. be careful to adjust so that you don't stretch the cable. your goal is to have full travel available of the foot peddle and at the same time the full speed and hst lever will max at the same time. this should improve your situation quite a bit. after you do this we can proceed to checking the full no load rpm of the engine.

Thank you so much for this, I will try to do this tomorrow. Thanks again!
 
Thank you so much for this, I will try to do this tomorrow. Thanks again!

So....sadly things didn't go very well. I tried to follow what you said. I removed the top small cable eyelet and disconnected it that went to the fuel pump.

I then undid the bolt holding the HST control rod. Just to confirm this is there rod on the left side of the machine, looking at it from the rear and the bottom. Above it is that nut with the flat head screw. So I undid that eyelet and bolt.

I then took the lock nut off the gas pedal and screwed it all the way down. The pedal could do go to the floor. I backed the screw up a little, though this didn't really seem right to me.

I had the gas pedal pushed down and held it. I then moved the arm on the HST to the positions furthest away from the machine so pointing away from the back. Then I went forward a little bit. and reconnected the eyelet. I had to turn that rod maybe 6 turns to get it to line up.

I tightened it all back up and started it up just fine. When I tried to shift I couldnt even move the gear selector. Finally I got it in reverse but the machine was already moving a little. Then it went into neutral and wouldn't come out. Something must be wrong.

I undid everything again, and had counted the turns for that rod so I undid it and put it back and the machine is back to how it started and now it does about 18mph.

Sorry I must have misread what you wrote this can't be right.

Thanks
 

aurthuritis

Well-known member
Site Supporter
the hst control lever controls the swash plate. it it was just a little out then the hst was creeping and that is why it was hard to shift. the goal is to get the hast control lever to just be barely above engaging the swash when the bell crank is in it's detente and then have enough peddle left to get the travel to move the hst speed lever to it's furthest most travel and just shy so it isn't against the stop. that way you get full effect of the pump and motor. you didn't hurt anything.
 

aurthuritis

Well-known member
Site Supporter
since your peddle went all the way to the floor i think that the cable from the peddle to the bell crank needs adjusted so that the bell crank sits in it's detente when the peddle is higher. on my x1100c the peddle free travel will limit out before it hits the floor and i needed the stop adjusted to prevent bending the peddle linkage.
 
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