Kubota L185 coolant leak (plug pin?)

WhatNow

New User
I have a buddy that s nearing completion rebuilding an L185 Kubota engine. He got everything back together and has coolant pouring out of a hole in the front. This is his first rebuild and I m trying to help him, but have no experience with Kubota engines.
After looking at "rough expanded parts schematics", I told him that I believe the hole takes a pin plug.
Anyone out there have any suggestions? I m attaching a picture.
The hole is circled in red.

mvphoto42146.jpg
 
My Kubotas have small pins like that. I've lost three over the years and each one was over an internal oil line. Any Kubota dealer should have them or easily get them. Once, in an emergency, I used an aluminum rivet which I tapped in. I've had some start to creep out, so I tapped them back in an set them with a center punch to expand enough to stay in.
 
(quoted from post at 10:37:45 09/07/19) My Kubotas have small pins like that. I've lost three over the years and each one was over an internal oil line. Any Kubota dealer should have them or easily get them. Once, in an emergency, I used an aluminum rivet which I tapped in. I've had some start to creep out, so I tapped them back in an set them with a center punch to expand enough to stay in.


Thanks David. That s what I thought. His diagram shows several all over the engine and it was run hot and blew a head gasket. It likely blew this out as well. I ve got nothing but JD, International and Fords, so I m not familiar with these, so I haven t been much help.
 
On second thought, that might be an alignment hole for the cover, if it has pins on it, or maybe the gasket will cover it when installed. I checked the parts blow up in my L185 manual and its not clear. The blow up shows the hole on the cover plate but not on the gear case. There is a mark on the gasket at that location but it doesn't look like a hole through the gasket. If your gasket it solid at that point, that probably stops any leak.
 


He had it back together and found the leak. I didn t see his gasket, but he said it was definitely pouring water out of that hole. The schematics in his book are pretty pitiful.
 
(quoted from post at 10:50:06 09/07/19) On second thought, that might be an alignment hole for the cover, if it has pins on it, or maybe the gasket will cover it when installed. I checked the parts blow up in my L185 manual and its not clear. The blow up shows the hole on the cover plate but not on the gear case. There is a mark on the gasket at that location but it doesn't look like a hole through the gasket. If your gasket it solid at that point, that probably stops any leak.


David my buddy has been TDY and just started back on that Kubota. The hole in question on the water jacket cover is "oval". A rivet won t work and he hasn t found an ovaL pin plug. Any other ideas.
 
If the hole in the block lines up with the hole in the cover and there is no reason to have water flowing thru that hole to somewhere else, drill the hole in block and tap it for a plug.
 
He talked to someone who used to work on Kubotas that said he thought it was a ?whistler hole?. In theory it whistles if it overheats. But it drips water
constantly while running after his rebuild. Doesn?t leak when switched off. He has no clue and I?ve never worked on one of those.
 

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