Problems w/'06 RTV900 off eGag.. coolant first

S

shinnery

Active member
I decided to start another thread on this dog. I had posted on the other coolant leak thread but now I have looked at it closer. I don't believe I have a water pump leak after all. I got out there looking at it in 32 deg. weather and noticed I have a neat looking formed hose sticking up right behind the water pump area and going nowhere. The hose is about 3/8" I.D. and has two 90 deg bends formed into it. It was just pointing back towards the glow plugs and injectors. I could not find a pipe anywhere that should connect to it. I finally got the right parts of the right parts list downloaded from Messicks. And looking at the engine section, I discovered there is what Kubota calls a Comp. Flange, Water (1E051-72702) that bolts to the front of the head and the thermostat is installed in the top of it. Just below where the thermostat fits is supposed to be a pipe sticking out the side and this neat formed hose fits on the pipe. What MOPAR calls a by-pass hose. Well I have a hole in the side of this Comp. Flange, Water and no pipe. No way this thing could hold coolant. The parts list says there is two versions of this assembly based on S/N. but everything I seem to find on google says the newer one replaces the older one.
I will see what the local dealer has to say about the availability of the parts. I guess this only about 1/3 the cost of a water pump so that is good.
I also noticed I have no air cleaner, just a large rubber hose that ends behind the fuel tank.
Supposed to been a ready to go machine, listed on eBay by Bidadoo Auctions. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. Of course they are out of Seattle, WA and the RTV900 was in Phoenix, AZ.
I have about $5500 in it so far, including getting it to Texas.
Bryce
Also per google the cheapest place to get the parts is Yacht Supply Depot?
 
Welcome aboard Bryce...........

The cost you have in that machine will surely buy you a lot of parts to make up the difference to where you would be with one of these NEW ONES........lol....and for me, your's is just as good.......They don't wear out.

I can't address the issue of the water hose/leak; but as for parts, lots of folks go through Messick's and brag about them being competitive in price. For me, Messicks gives really good advice about parts and how they fit/use, so I would be talking with them, in addition to your local guy.............
Don't know where in Texas you are nor what use you plan to put the machine to; but you really do need an air filter. Down there by the rear wheel, all the dust in the world is created for your engine to eat. Myself and LOTS of others have moved there filters up just behind the top of the cab.........Go up to "SEARCH" there at the top, plug in "high rise air filter". You will find MANY threads about this issue and folks that have made there own and those that purchase one from Kubota............If you need an air filter body itself, I have an original hanging on a nail down in the barn that you are welcome to........I got a filter from the factory that is high rise and it came with an extra one..............

Well, that's pretty much it for today.........God bless.......Dennis
 
Bryce

If you have a dealer within a reasonable drive, try them out. I've ordered from Messicks and they are knowledgeable and ship fast. As far as prices go they are about what my local dealer charges when you consider shipping. I like the one-on-one discussion with someone that knows what I need. Hope you find a local dealer as good as mine. If not, I recommend Messicks too.

My closest dealer is 20 miles away but in December I ventured up there to talk with them and see what they had for parts. The counter staff had all the parts info on computer and knew what they were talking about so I ordered my parts from them.

I paid $6800 last year for my 04 900 with 800 hrs from a dealer 50 miles away so you still have room to add the appropriate parts.

That's a dang fine offer from Dennis and one of the reasons that this forum is great.

I think from your experience that you might want to change all the filters and fluids before you put a lot of time on the machine. Bidadoo is probably just one of the auction help sites that take the owners info and put an ad together for a fee. Once you get it running correctly, you'll be surprised how versatile the guy is.

Bob
 
I would for sure contact Bidadoo Auctions and let them know the shape the machine was in when you received it. And then ask them what they are going to do about it.
 
It desperately needs an air filter. Do what you have to do to fix that immediately. Diesel engines do not do well with dirt at all.

With my '04 I frequently run into situations where parts have been upgraded. The new parts are the way to go.

Fitch
 
Good Luck ... I hope they do the right thing by you. Sometimes e bay has a buyer protection plan listed with certain ads..
If not , we will give you plenty of moral e support . collie.
 
Don't know enough about these RTV's myself to offer any advice, but I do wish you the best on your endeavor. I'm new also and can tell you if you'll read though the older threads you well learn a lot of useful information.
Harry
 
The temperature got up into the low 50s this afternoon so I got out and looked at it some more. To replace that part on the front of the head looks like I have to pull the front cover off the engine or remove the head just to get one bolt out of the front of the head as it is behind the water pump. I am going to try to get a hose fitting or barb that I can thread into what I call the thermostat housing and Kubota calls a Comp. Flange, Water.
On my RTV900 the water temperature probe screws into the left side of the housing and it is not shown in the parts list I downloaded from Messicks. Does anybody know if that is the change in the housing that is S/N dependent?
I am 17 miles north of IH-20 where it goes thru Abilene, Texas. The New Holland dealer in Abilene is also the Kubota dealer so I am about 20 miles from a dealer. I will check with them Monday.
The best price I saw with parts in stock on the internet was Yacht Supply Depot if I have to replace the housing and get it elsewhere. They had Messicks beat by about $6 on this housing or whatever it is. Maybe this is used as a aux. engine on a sailboat?
Bryce
 
Shinnery, when you get a chance, see what the engine oil looks like ... and make sure that it isn't water in it..Just wondering why they would have taken that off for unless they did some "work" ....
 
border I looked at the dipsticks right after I discovered the radiator was only moist inside. The engine looks like black crude oil and about a quarter inch overfull. I bought a Fram filter at AutoZone the same night I got a gallon of antifreeze at Advance (they didnot carry the filter). I have some Rotella T 15W-40 or so it is going to try for a while. I cannot see any thing that looks like work on top of the engine, just that little pipe is missing out of that bypass hose and left a ragged hole in the thermostat housing. I think a brass 3/8" hose barb with 1/8" pipe threads and a tap might be possible. The clamp is slid back down the hose.
I did not get anything done today, feel like I am coming down with something, my brother is coughing his head off around here for over a week, and I will be 74 next week or so. The high temperature was at midnite.
Lots of fun.
Bryce
 
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Shinnery,

Do your RTV a favor and return the Fram filter to the store and purchase a Kubota, Wix, or AC-Delco oil filter. The Fram is like putting an empty can on as a filter for they will go in bypass early. And always use Kubota transmission filters. A highly respected member has some bad experience using non-Kubota tranny filters.
 
shimmery, I am not saying it is proper, but I had excellent results from using 15w40 John Deere oil in my 2005 RTV900. I sold it with no blow by at 4250 hrs for over $5000 in 2011. My Dad always thought a lot of Rotella.
I do always use the Kubota filters and know someone that had one of the Frams collapse and ruined his racing engine. I have used a Wix oil filter on the engine when I was in a pinch.
Good luck with the "flu".. Put this repairing on the back burner and take care of yourself.. Stay in out of this damp and cold air.. It would be a good time to research the sticky threads at the top of the forum for additions to the RTV like consoles ,high rise intakes and other homemade stuff and modifications ..
Let me know if I can help ya on this stuff with what little I know about engines. God Bless ya. collie
 
I took this picture off of my 2011 RTV 900.
 

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Pictures of the same location on my 2004. It looks the same as the one on Collie's machine, just older.

The hose looks worse than it is - what you see is paint deterioration. Apparently the engine was assembled, then painted with that hose in place.

Fitch
 

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I made it to town yesterday and went by the main hardware store in town. I bought a 2" brass nipple, a 1/8" pipe tap and a package of J-B Weld. That nipple slides into that hose just fine and the tap went into the hole in the housing about 5/16" before it hit anything but it made it easy for getting it lined up to cut threads. After playing with the tap I can see about 1/8" of new threads at the back of the hole.
Was playing around to see how much room there is inside the housing and I couldn't find anything in the way. So I removed the cover where the thermostat is supposed to be. Nada! No thermostat in the housing and those bolts and nuts acted like they had been together a long time.
I believe for best fit I will need to cut 5/8-3/4" off the nipple. I am going to put J-B Weld all over the threads before I make the final assembly and maybe on the end of the nipple where it sticks out into the thermostat area. I need to get a new 'stat to make sure everything clears. If the dealer has it I will replace that formed hose and new clamps. Only have one of those spring clamps any ways, it was at the middle of the formed hose.
Bryce
 
I got it all back together with a piece of 1/8" brass pipe about 1 3/8" long threaded into the thermostat housing, a brand new thermostat and gasket($31.00+) and 3 new clamps. Dealer did not have a replacement formed hose. Filled with coolant and could see I still have a little leak. Started and ran it about 5-7 minutes. No reading on temperature gauge but back of head felt warm so I shut it down to cool for awhile.
Got my other project done and came back, the coolant was down over 1/2" so I started to fill the radiator back up. It is leaking somewhat more. I finally could see it is coming from the shaft area of the water pump. I guess the retards that had been running it, ruined the seal on the pump running it low on coolant. Grrrr. Probably get that pump off eBay, nearly $50 less than local dealer.
I did get sorta a response from the seller, need to check the 100% guarantee procedures on the auction.
Bryce
 
I'd contact the e folks too. Once I ordered an item and it never came.. Sellers said blah blah blah.. dragging their feet. I contacted the e people and they handled it from there. Got my money back quick. But there is a time limit so I'd make a complaint record with "e" ,if it were me.
 
Want to add also - I read the buyer protection on the e site listed under the name you mentioned and it seems that you may be covered up to 20 grand on a purchase. . There are definite time constraints though.. Good Luck and do all communication through the e site and not through private email. collie
 
I finally got all the parts together, I think, and got back to replacing the water pump. I decided to go in from the top to change it. Had to remove the seat and that big old piece of plastic to get in there. I will be able to fix the fuel gauge wiring anyhow, as it is right out in the open where the wires are cut. My fine local dealer hit me for a $8.00 shipping charge for that $9.54 water hose #3 that goes right below the pump.
I now wonder how long somebody had been having problems with the cooling system. No thermostat, etc. The water pump must have had an all metal impeller on it, all there is now is just a little bit of rust around the shaft. The impeller was totally gone on the old pump!. Gotta get a camera working as this thing is cute. The new pump has a modern space age material (plastic) impeller. Don't know when Kubota changed from metal impeller to plastic but if you start having overheating problems with a 2006 you sure need to think about changing the pump. I saved over $40.00 by getting the one off eBay vs. local. It is a new Kubota Pump.
There must have been 10 pounds of dirt all around the fuel tank and front ends of the leaf springs, another good reason to pull that big plastic cover off.
I found I have a (spark arrester??) in the back end of the tail pipe, doubt it has ever been cleaned in 1800 hours. Gotta get that small screw out of the bottom of the pipe.
The latest cold front blew in before I could get the water system all back together.
The LED bulbs fit the headlite housings good. LED equivalent of an 893 bulb.
I need to get all the fluids changed in this project that is for sure. Dennis's air filter will fit as soon as the new filters come in.
I have read about a better water separator fuel filter, is it much higher than the simple inline filter and a part number/availabity?
Bryce
 
I had the Kubota water separator/fuel filter on my '04 and took it off. If the fuel tank was below half full and the RTV was headed down the ramp out of the back horse barn, it would stall from lack of fuel even with new filter elements.

If I was going to put on another water separator, I'd add a small electric fuel pump as well.

Fitch
 
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