Must Know Tips for Winterizing Your Kubota Engine

1.) Fuel Tank - Make sure your fuel tank is full or completely empty. If you're going to leave fuel in the tank, add a fuel conditioner with an anti-gel additive to remove moisture and maintain fuel flow. We recommend Diesel 911 sold at NAPA stores or Stanadyne Fuel Conditioner sold by fuel house or specialty diesel suppliers.

2.) Battery System and Alternator - Check your battery system and alternator. Over the summer months, batteries tend to lose fluid which results in the battery not charging properly and the cables corroding as the temperature drops. Check the battery fluid, make sure the cables are tight, remove any corrosion from the cables, and make sure the alternator is charging correctly.

3.) Radiator Fluid - Must use a 50/50 ratio of Antifreeze and H2O for Kubota engines.

4.) Crankcase Engine Oil - 10w30 is a standard oil (any brand name will do) and is recommended for most Kubota engines. However, you should refer to your operator's manual for variations.

Engine Oil Tips - Must Read!!

Use the engine oil specified by the "Manufacturer's Manual." Using the wrong oil could result in damaging the engine and the engine life. This will affect your warranty. DO NOT use a synthetic oil during the break-in period of 0-200 hours in most applications.The seals and gaskets must seat well before using a synthetic oil.

Engine Maintenance Tip of the Month

It's important to make sure that your compact diesel engine has a clean radiator with the correct mix of H2O and antifreeze. I had a guy come in the shop the other day with his engine. The radiator was plugged up with all kinds of debris causing his engine to overheat.

By not properly cleaning your radiator or adding the correct mix of water and antifreeze, you risk overheating, damaging the engine or cracking the head. With this in mind, here are a couple of preventative measures:

1) Clean your radiator fins on an as-need basis. Some guys clean their radiator fins once a week while others once every 5 years. Of course, this will depend on the environment and the application.

2.) Make sure that you use a 50/50 water antifreeze mix. Believe it or not, I've seen guys use straight water or antifreeze which resulted in their engines overheating. Check your operator's manual to see how often you need to change the radiator fluid.

Hope this helps.

Scott

Don't Over Service the Air Filter in Your Kubota Engine

A few weeks ago, I had an engine in my shop for repair with only 300 hours. To say the least, the engine, well, was pretty much junk. What happened was the owner was pulling out the air filter and cleaning the same filter every day.

Air cleaner maintenance is important especially in a dirty environment, but OVER maintenance is damaging to both gas and diesel engines. Cleaning or over replacing the air filter will both damage the engine, shorten the engine life, plus cause the engine to start bad and burn oil.

Here's some practical advice for servicing your air filter.

1.) Check the operator's manual or contact the manufacturer to find out how often to change the air filter.

2.) DO NOT remove the air filter and clean it. If you remove the air filter, replace it with a new filter.

3.) If you choose to use an after-market filter instead of a Kubota OEM filter, make sure that it seals correctly.

If you have additional questions about engines or parts, post your comment or email me directly.