Garden Tractor Repowered With Kubota 4-Cyl. Diesel

2014 - Volume #38, Issue #2, Page #37

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“My Deere dealer told me a 4-cyl. Kubota diesel wouldn’t fit in my Deere tractor, but I proved him wrong,” says Tim Bulthouse, Grand Haven, Mich., who repowered his 1981 Deere 400 garden tractor with a Kubota 4-cyl., 1.2-liter, 24 1/2 hp industrial diesel engine.
    “The Kubota engine is a lot more reliable than the original Kohler engine and also has more torque,” says Bulthouse. “I use the tractor with a 60-in. deck to mow grass on my 2-acre property. I did have to make a lot of modifications to make the new engine work, but it looks original.
    “Most people notice right away that I added a big 2 1/4-in. stainless steel exhaust pipe, and that a couple of air duct screens are missing. The exhaust pipe isn’t quite as loud as you’d think, but it sounds nice. I had to cut 2 in. from the top of the frame so the engine would fit. I also had to cut into the front end of the tractor so the engine’s front end would fit, and lengthen the tractor’s side panels by 5 in.”
    The tractor was originally equipped with a 20 hp Kohler gas engine, which had worn out and been replaced with an 18 hp Kohler. However, it had trouble handling the tractor’s 60-in. mower deck.
    The Kubota diesel came out of an old parking lot sweeper and was used to operate the sweeper’s vacuum and brushes. “It didn’t have a flywheel when I got it and it took me a year to find one,” says Bulthouse. “The crankshaft had a spun rod bearing so I had someone straighten the crankshaft and weld it back together.”
    He had to build a new driveshaft and machine adapters to hook it up to the engine. He also fabricated new motor mounts. The tractor didn’t have a radiator so he had to find one. “I discovered that with some modifications, the radiator from a Deere 430 diesel tractor would fit,” says Bulthouse. “The radiator’s water outlets went in and out the same way, but there was no surge tank so I had to build one.”
    He also had to make a new battery box, remanufacture one of the tractor’s steering arms so that it wouldn’t interfere with the driveshaft, and modify the tractor’s steering system. “I cut the drag link and moved it over 1/2 in., then welded it back together,” notes Bulthouse.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tim Bulthouse, 12662 120th St., Grand Haven, Mich. 49417 (ph 616 844-7393; wild3406@yahoo.com).

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Garden Tractor Repowered With Kubota 4-Cyl Diesel ENGINES “My Deere dealer told me a 4-cyl Kubota diesel wouldn’t fit in my Deere tractor but I proved him wrong ” says Tim Bulthouse Grand Haven Mich who repowered his 1981 Deere 400 garden tractor with a Kubota 4-cyl 1 2-liter 24 1/2 hp industrial diesel engine “The Kubota engine is a lot more reliable than the original Kohler engine and also has more torque ” says Bulthouse “I use the tractor with a 60-in deck to mow grass on my 2-acre property I did have to make a lot of modifications to make the new engine work but it looks original “Most people notice right away that I added a big 2 1/4-in stainless steel exhaust pipe and that a couple of air duct screens are missing The exhaust pipe isn’t quite as loud as you’d think but it sounds nice I had to cut 2 in from the top of the frame so the engine would fit I also had to cut into the front end of the tractor so the engine’s front end would fit and lengthen the tractor’s side panels by 5 in ” The tractor was originally equipped with a 20 hp Kohler gas engine which had worn out and been replaced with an 18 hp Kohler However it had trouble handling the tractor’s 60-in mower deck The Kubota diesel came out of an old parking lot sweeper and was used to operate the sweeper’s vacuum and brushes “It didn’t have a flywheel when I got it and it took me a year to find one ” says Bulthouse “The crankshaft had a spun rod bearing so I had someone straighten the crankshaft and weld it back together ” He had to build a new driveshaft and machine adapters to hook it up to the engine He also fabricated new motor mounts The tractor didn’t have a radiator so he had to find one “I discovered that with some modifications the radiator from a Deere 430 diesel tractor would fit ” says Bulthouse “The radiator’s water outlets went in and out the same way but there was no surge tank so I had to build one ” He also had to make a new battery box remanufacture one of the tractor’s steering arms so that it wouldn’t interfere with the driveshaft and modify the tractor’s steering system “I cut the drag link and moved it over 1/2 in then welded it back together ” notes Bulthouse Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tim Bulthouse 12662 120th St Grand Haven Mich 49417 ph 616 844-7393; wild3406@yahoo com

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