new Mule owner

[Bigballrz]

I purchased a 2007 3010 tran 4x4 diesel and am completely new to the Mule but not diesel engines. I own a 02 Ford Excursion (7.3), 2005 VW Jetta 1.9 TDI and a 1995 Ford Ex cab 4x4 with 7.3 Powerstroke. I do all the maintenance on my vehicles and keep them in great shape. I know nothing about the Mule and didn't get a manual with it. It's got 239 hours on it. I want to do the basics to start with, oil, fuel and air filter, anything else I should look at right away? Where do you guys get your filters and such? What kind of oil to use, brake fluid etc.. Is the governeor adjustable at all? Sorry for all the questions but like I said I'm new to all this right now. This site looks to have a lot of info and I appreciate any advice or suggestions.

[RCW]

Order the Owners Manual and the Service Manual. This site's sponsor offers a discount to forum members. The information contained in those manuals is critical to keeping them in good condition.

The torque converter system requires periodic inspection and maintenance. It also should be lubed with Comet Clutch Lube on all the pivots and bushings, but not the belt or surfaces on which the belt rides. The center to center distance and offset of the drive and driven pulleys are critical, but once properly set will generally remain that way for years until the motor mounts start to wear out. The delivering dealer should have checked and set the torque converter adjustments prior to its original delivery, but some do not, so it is a good idea to follow up if in doubt.

Valve adjustment is always in order after a year of use, and the specifications can be found on Kawasaki.com under the Owner Info tab after you close the flash window that pushes their latest "deals."

The governor is internal to the injection pump, and the pump is a Japanese copy of the old Bosch VE design, so any good diesel injection shop could adjust the governor. Be careful about turning it up for more rpm or fueling, as the engine is a Diahatsu diesel designed for a narrow power band and industrial applications, and tweaking the pump can lead to excessive EGT in a hurry. Higher rpm's also shorten engine life.

I get my filters from NAPA. Engine oil is a diesel rated, and the specification sheet on Kawasaki.com lists the specification required. I use John Deere's extended life Plus 50, which I also use in my Cat, IH, Detroit, Cummins and John Deere diesels.

Brake fluid is DOT 3, but I switched my Mules over to the new DOT 5.1 extended life fluids. The thing about brake fluid is that the DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluids are hydrophillic and absorb moisture, so they have to be replaced about once a year if you use the unit in snow, mud or high humidity conditions. DOT 5.1 non-synthetic extended life fluids contain anti-corrosion and anti-rust additives and do not absorb water and start corroding the brake system supposedly for up to ten years. Synthetic brake fluids have all turned to jelly on me after a couple of years, so I now avoid those as nothing gives you a greater grip on the seat as rolling down a steep mountain trail and not having brakes!

The transaxle and front axle are plenty stout, but treat it right. Make sure your shift linkage is correctly set, then once you know your torque converter is properly adjusted set the idle so it does not grind into gear, and never shift on the fly. Do not really load it up and attempt to run on hard ground or pavement with the differential lock locked or the four wheel drive engaged either.

When you pull them really hard on steep or rocky terrain they will click and snap, and this is normal. The front axle is a limited slip type with clutches located on each side of the differential carrier, and they will slip to avoid front axle damage as each side compensates. If the front axle clicking becomes a nuisance, use a limited slip axle friction modifier in the front axle lube. There is also a spring loaded beveled dog clutch in the mechanism that engages the front axle during four wheel drive. If you really load up the Mule and pull hard in conditions where the axles do not have adequate slippage that dog clutch is designed to release torque on the front axle, so it will make snapping noises as it does so.

The brake hubs are splined to the axles. I now grease those splines to stop rust and then use toilet seal wax to keep them sealed so the hub does not rust to the axle or chew out the splines. There are also splines in the rear axle assemblies that should be serviced with high quality grease from time to time if you use the Mule in wet or dirty conditions.

Keep an eye on the front axle CV joints to be sure the boots do not get torn. Over time the CV joints lose their grease and have to be disassembled and regreased. Many people replace them when they start clicking, but almost always a top quality grease solves the problem for years to come. I use Hydrotex's Parasyn 70 all the way around on all my equipment, it is not cheap but I have never had anything wear out once I started using the stuff.

I am sure you already know with your other diesels, the diesel fuel of today both lacks lubrication for the injection pump and goes bad over time. The Mule uses so little that it is a good idea to use a product like PRI-D to preserve and condition the diesel during the off season if it is not getting fresh fuel every few weeks. I use PRI-D or Hydrotex's diesel oil additive in all my diesel to lube the injection pumps too, but if the fuel is not in storage for several months at a time then all you need is a cheap diesel fuel conditioner like Power Service, etc.

Lastly, the Mule is not a speedwagon for the dirt squirrels, but is more like a tractor and designed to work hard and get you there and back. I have a Teryx, but when I hunt and want something dependable I always use a Mule. I have some early diesel models that have over ten thousand hours on the engines and are still going strong, but routine maintenance and care in how they are used is key to this long life. I have seen new ones trashed in just a few months by people that thrash them around like an ATV.

[Bigballrz]

Wow that's a lot of information, I've read several of your post and it sure seems like you've got the Mule down. I am going to order the service manuals. How about running a small blend of Biodiesel in these things? Can't really find anything that says you can or can't. You said you get your filters from NAPA, do you get all of them there (air, fuel and oil)? I'd like to get the parts numbers from you. As far as oil goes I run Rotella T in some of my vehicles and Amsoil heavy duty marine diesel oil in the the others, I suppose either would be fine. but I'll check on that. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[RCW]

For the oil filters I took the K&N part number, KN-303, and Emgo part number, 10-24410, and used their cross reference. I also used the K&N air filter number, KA-6201, and they crossed to that too.

For the fuel filter I tossed the OEM junker and am running Racor fuel filter assemblies. It takes a bit of fitting, but they are many times larger and also pull any water out of the fuel.

I took old Kawasaki filters to a local auto parts store in Chile, and they crossed them to their stock of filters without any problem at all. Seems the engine oil is the same as the Toyota 4 cylinder used in the later Camry, but I do not remember for sure what the air filter crossed to but I believe it was a Korean built Kioti tractor filter.

I believe my owner's manual has a caution on any fuel over 10% biodiesel. I have used 100% biodiesel from a commercial supplier, but it dissolved the hoses, so I had to install all new fuel hoses with biodiesel compatible hoses. It is a pretty common problem with 100% biodiesel where they use alcohol to pull the water.

I make my own biodiesel using bentonite clay as the media for pulling the water, and have no problem with it at all. In Chile I use a commercial sugar based biodiesel with absolutely no problems what-so-ever. They do not dry the fuel with alcohol either, but use a local clay similar to bentonite.

If you make your own biodiesel try the bentonite clay approach, then mix the wet bentonite with your surplus glycerin from the bio process, and it will congeal like road tar once it hits the sunshine so makes an excellent farm road oil that looks and acts like the heavy oil used in asphalt. I had a guy tell me that the rain would dissolve it, but that is not what I found as it rains in Western Oregon about 9 months of the year and the stuff stands up to the rain there. Better yet, there is nothing poison in the bentonite mix, so I am not hurting the environment like road oil does.

[bassdr]

Saw your mention of a Racor fuel filter. I'm familiar with them on outboards. I just started working on a 2510 that had sat for long time. Stuff in the fuel tank looked like the orange tinted shellac my grandpa used to use! Fuel filter pretty ugly too. I think I've got the tank cleaned out but still concerned. I'd be interested in the racor filter, but do they make one not as big and bulky as the outboard assemblies? Not trying to hi-jack the thread, just thought it was related that others could make use of.

thanks!

[RCW]

The only Racor filters of which I am aware are the commercial sized units for tractors and marine use. That is what makes them so superior, they run for years before they ever have any maintenance requirements on a smaller engine, and the filters are far less expensive than the dinky toy ones used by Kawasaki.

[LonestarMule]

I assume there is no concern for back pressure on the fuel pump due to the smaller micron of the racor assembly? Also, can you use a racor on gasoline or diesel? I am only familar with them in a diesel generator application, never considered them for gas...

[bassdr]

Good question on the fuel pump pressure. Yes, they do make one specifically for gasoline engines. We use one on our outboard and wouldn't run without it with all the moisture, bad gas, etc in a marine environment!