Diesel engine ran out of oil, doesn't turn 360 degrees now

[LwnmwnMan2]

My newest mower, the guys called and said it quit running.

I head to where they are working and find no oil on the dipstick.

I can turn the engine by hand , the fan and drive shaft for the turn, but it turns about 270 degrees either irection before it hits a solid stop.

Is it the crank? Or a rod? Or both? Or neither?

[Whoaru99]

Dunno...my guess maybe a valve is stuck/seized open.

[CAMAN]

Can't be for sure until it is pulled apart but my guess would be a piston seized at the bottom of the stroke and the rod got pushed up into it and now the crank is hitting either the broken rod or bottom of the piston.

[LwnmwnMan2]

The reply from the shop is a broken rod bolt and spun bearing.

They say it's not worth to rebuild, that a new crate engine is in order to the tune of $4350 for the engine, freight, no tax included yet.

I say it can be rebuilt for cheaper than that, so I'm going up Monday or Tuesday to get the mower, supposedly the engine is out of the mower, so I can haul the engine around to get estimates.

Does anyone know of a "small engine" shop that would work on a 3 cylinder diesel engine? Preferably close to the north metro?

[JOHNBIGDOG]

So if you get it rebuilt will the builder give you a "factory" warranty to it?

[delcecchi]

And some times parts are pretty expensive. What is the collateral damage? Crank? Block?

Spun bearing means that it seized to the crank. Was it the rod bearing or the crank bearing? Is that what broke the rod bolt? And when the rod bolt broke, did it do any other damage?

For example, you could need a new crank.

Just speculating. What is the brand of engine? Do you have to buy OEM parts or are there third party?

[LwnmwnMan2]

A rebuild kit is $850. A new rod is $200. That is OEM Kubota parts.

I don't know if there are third party parts.

[klecker]

How and why did it run out of oil?

[delcecchi]

A rebuild kit is $850. A new rod is $200. That is OEM Kubota parts.

I don't know if there are third party parts.

Looks like the rebuild kit has everything except head/valves and crank.

I would agree that you should be able to get yours rebuilt for less than 4 grand, although there might be something I don't know about what is bad. Maybe they just don't want to do it.

[LwnmwnMan2]

How and why did it run out of oil?

That is my problem with the engine as well. At 300 hours, it should still have oil in it, unless the dealer never put oil in it.

I have other Kubotas that have 2000+ hours on them. I run about 400 hours in between oil changes. I know the manual says to change oil every 50 hours, but I would be running oil changes every 8 days at that rate.

At 300 hours it should have used about a quart.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Maybe they just don't want to do it.

This is what I gather as well, other than the dealer rate (as in auto repair) is always higher than a secondary shop too.

I've got a guy that does repair for $55 / hour, and he is somewhat upset with me that I haven't pursued it further, at least get to the factory rep.

And yes, the rebuild kit IS what you described, plus the fact that I'm starting to realize that Kubota parts are apparently gold plated, but painted over with orange paint.

[CAMAN]

$4k for a new motor?!? How much for a whole new machine? I assume the warranty is up? Even if it's a new machine checking oil should always be part of the daily startup checks. The time spent could have prevented this, unless something released the oil and the operator didn't notice it.

[LwnmwnMan2]

A new Kubota ZD331 runs about $14,500 new with a 60" deck.

Yes, checking the oil IS supposed to be a requirement, but apparently you cannot always count on employees to do their job. And ultimately it does fall back on myself as the owner to double check what they should have been checking.

I have a 4 year warranty on the machine, but the dealership is saying since it was run without oil, that voids the warranty.

[Whoaru99]

Running it out of oil is definitely not a warranty failure, but failure of the engine shouldn't void the remainder of the rest of the machine warranty. It may be, however, covered by your insurance in some way. Accidental damage maybe?

[JollyJoker]

I use to have my Kubotas rebuilt (10 years ago) at Central truck service in East Bethel. Back then it cost $950 for the complete job including parts. I also bought rebuilts at Northern power products in Eagen. They are an authorized Kubota warrenty dealer. The rebuilts cost about $2000.00 with a good core.

[LwnmwnMan2]

I use to have my Kubotas rebuilt (10 years ago) at Central truck service in East Bethel. Back then it cost $950 for the complete job including parts. I also bought rebuilts at Northern power products in Eagen. They are an authorized Kubota warrenty dealer. The rebuilts cost about $2000.00 with a good core.

Thanks Jolly.

My guy that's looking at it gets his parts from Northern Power

[LwnmwnMan2]

We've been to three different shops now.

The cheapest option I have is I've found a rebuilt engine in Ohio at $2,900 + $700 core charge.

The cylinders are scored, bearing seized to the crank.

The two shops outside of the dealer are at $2,500 just to rebuild, without boring the cylinders or without additional crank work, IF the crank can be worked. If the crank has cracks then I need a new crank.

Last night I listed the mower online, figuring if I can find someone that wants to do the work themselves, they can get the rebuild done for $2,000 +/- in parts and outside labor.

They'll have about $10,000 into a mower that new is $14,000 with 3 years left on the warranty.

I'll just take the hit on what I still owe on the mower.