KubotaTechnician
Member
Two Guns emailed me and asked a question. I figured it was worth answering here, since its a good question:</P>
"What is the most important thing, in your professional opinion, is the
most important thing about the care of the RTV's ..... ?????"</P>
Most important by FAR is keep them clean. Now, I don't mean, stay away from mud, and no dusty roads. What I mean is, if you hog up the RTV be kind enough to wash it off, or pressure wash it off to be more accurate. Mud gets everywhere in these things. I've seen it jam linkage, and I know it sits on batteries in the 900's.It clogs airways to the radiator, and it'll sit on top of the trans case, covering the vent/filler and the dipstick. The dipstick isn't raised, so mud can flow into the trans if it gets too deep on top of the trans case. It'll kill seals, such as axle seals and those around linkage going into the case. It also will coat the shift mechanism, which will wear those seals as well. </P>
Particular places you want to clean after a venture into the muck:</P>
Battery, especially on the 900. If you get mud on the battery in the 1100, you have even more cleaning to do.</P>
Engine manifolds,so heat dissapates properly, and engine belts and pulleys, so debris doesn't cut a belt or short out anything.</P>
Trans case, to avoid any sort of failure that would lead to contamination of the hydraulic fluid. Also, check the linkage and be sure pivot points are reasonably clean.</P>
In the rear axle, the outer bearing housing is open to the vehicle side. This collects mud and will cause wear to the protective boot.</P>
Under the front end, clean the tierods and be sure the steer cylinder isn't caked in mud.</P>
Radiators, whether 900 and under the seat, or 1100 and on the drivers side outboard, check for mud and debris. </P>
Check the "pan" under the powertrain, and be sure its reasonably clear of mud.</P>
Things I've seen: </P>
Cornstalks in the radiator area on a 900, which is under the seat. </P>
Mud caked so deep on the trans that the linkage jammed and the trans wasn't visible. </P>
An RTV900 used to move manure and sawdust. The amount of manure and sawdust on the engine manifold constituted a fire hazard beyond imagination. Also, the radiator was plugged. Not blocked, plugged. It took 30 minutes to clear it. </P>
After keeping it clean, follow the maintenance schedule, especially during the warranty period. </P>
Two tips: </P>
The RTV 900 should have a box for the battery. In my opinion, its far too exposed. </P>
Any RTV that finds mud regularly, or water at all, should get a high mounted air intake. There are three styles: one for ROPS or open cab, one for the 1100 Cab, and one for the 900 with an add on cab. Most of the difference is the mount point bracket.</P>
Hope this helps.</P>
"What is the most important thing, in your professional opinion, is the
most important thing about the care of the RTV's ..... ?????"</P>
Most important by FAR is keep them clean. Now, I don't mean, stay away from mud, and no dusty roads. What I mean is, if you hog up the RTV be kind enough to wash it off, or pressure wash it off to be more accurate. Mud gets everywhere in these things. I've seen it jam linkage, and I know it sits on batteries in the 900's.It clogs airways to the radiator, and it'll sit on top of the trans case, covering the vent/filler and the dipstick. The dipstick isn't raised, so mud can flow into the trans if it gets too deep on top of the trans case. It'll kill seals, such as axle seals and those around linkage going into the case. It also will coat the shift mechanism, which will wear those seals as well. </P>
Particular places you want to clean after a venture into the muck:</P>
Battery, especially on the 900. If you get mud on the battery in the 1100, you have even more cleaning to do.</P>
Engine manifolds,so heat dissapates properly, and engine belts and pulleys, so debris doesn't cut a belt or short out anything.</P>
Trans case, to avoid any sort of failure that would lead to contamination of the hydraulic fluid. Also, check the linkage and be sure pivot points are reasonably clean.</P>
In the rear axle, the outer bearing housing is open to the vehicle side. This collects mud and will cause wear to the protective boot.</P>
Under the front end, clean the tierods and be sure the steer cylinder isn't caked in mud.</P>
Radiators, whether 900 and under the seat, or 1100 and on the drivers side outboard, check for mud and debris. </P>
Check the "pan" under the powertrain, and be sure its reasonably clear of mud.</P>
Things I've seen: </P>
Cornstalks in the radiator area on a 900, which is under the seat. </P>
Mud caked so deep on the trans that the linkage jammed and the trans wasn't visible. </P>
An RTV900 used to move manure and sawdust. The amount of manure and sawdust on the engine manifold constituted a fire hazard beyond imagination. Also, the radiator was plugged. Not blocked, plugged. It took 30 minutes to clear it. </P>
After keeping it clean, follow the maintenance schedule, especially during the warranty period. </P>
Two tips: </P>
The RTV 900 should have a box for the battery. In my opinion, its far too exposed. </P>
Any RTV that finds mud regularly, or water at all, should get a high mounted air intake. There are three styles: one for ROPS or open cab, one for the 1100 Cab, and one for the 900 with an add on cab. Most of the difference is the mount point bracket.</P>
Hope this helps.</P>
