Keep your radiator clean

[r8f1k]

Ok, so I sorted out the overheating issue with my Mahindra 4510. I still want to install a temperature gauge with digits so I know what the temp actually is. BUT, here is what I did to solve the issue. First, the
battery is located right in front of the radiator. That probably blocks 15-20% of the radiator, so I relocated it outside of the engine bay under the cab in a tucked away spot, close to the starter. I flushed the
engine and radiator with clean water, ran until it got hot and drained again. I also replaced a REALLY horrible fuel filter set up. The PO had it plumbed with a 2" inline clear filter like you would see on a decent
sized riding mower. It was LOADED with crap. Took that off, put on a Prince filter base and a Napa fuel filter. I figured that if it was running lean, heat would play a role there too. I pulled the condenser off of
the radiator and removed the radiator itself. Put it out on the driveway and hit it with industrial degreaser. Let it sit for 5 mins, then power washed it with a black power washer tip. That style tip is mostly
water with some pressure in a nice fan shape. Got it good and soaked and then switched to a green tip which is much higher pressure with less water. There was a cigarette like tobacco stuff coming out of
the radiator for a solid 20 mins. I would turn it over, wash that side. Soap, sit and power wash until there was no more tobacco looking stuff coming out. Hit it with an air compressor and look at it with the
sun behind it. Still not clean. Repeat. Took 1 hour of power washing to get it like new. Turns out, it is a brass radiator, no worries about having the fins bend when you wash with a green or black tip. I would
not use a red tip or a spiral tip, just in case. Put the radiator back in, installed a new 12" electric fan directly to the radiator, spaced the the condenser off of the radiator with a 4 pieces of 3/4 pipe, wired the
fan. Installed a set of new belts, tightened them real good, put Prestolite diesel coolant in it and distilled water. Tractor fires up no problem, mows in 3rd gear with a 90" finishing mower, doesn't cross the
halfway point on the temp gauge now. I would bet it is 30-40 degrees cooler than before. 90% of my issue was probably the radiator being plugged up for so long. WASH YOUR RADIATORS PEOPLE!!!!! Once
a year, hit it with a hose and an air compressor and this wouldn't have happened. If you are going to mow where there is a lot of chaff, vacuum the engine bay and the radiator once a week. Not hard.

 

[David G]

I really do not think the battery was a contributor to the heating.

 

[37 chief]

A plugged radiator will defiantly cause a heating problem. I blow my radiator out about every day. Stan

 

[caterpillar guy]

The battery my not affect the cooling much, but the fumes gassing off would sure rot one out fast.

 

[phil25]

On my mowing tractor, I took an old aluminum window screen and cut the frame down to rad core size, and made a slip in bottom bracket with thumb turn clips at the top.
It catches a lot of weed seed/straw chafe and whatever else blowing around, only takes a minute to remove, shake it clean, install and go again.
But a good rad cleaning every year still takes place.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

90%? Try 99.999%. All the other work you did and changes you made were just busy work. Nothing wrong with anything you did, but it is much better to change only one thing at a time so you know which change fixes the problem, or makes the most difference towards fixing the problem.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

My Yanmar YM330 I mow hay with has a fine mesh removable screen in front of the radiator that catches about everything from going into the radiator,just pull the screen out clean it off and ready to go again.Very simple but very effective all tractors should have a similar set up.

 

[showcrop]

I very rarely clean a radiator. I just remove the prescreen and clean that. It takes just 2-3 minutes. Batteries in front of radiators are the norm. Speeds would have to reach probably 50 MPH for it to block airflow to the radiator. Gas is given off only when a battery is being charged. It is noncorrosive hydrogen gas.

 

[Blackhole49]

I'm with Stan, my three main mowers all have pre-screens. They get removed and cleaned and the radiator gets blown out after each use. Chaff and dirt in the radiator is common even with the pre-screen. Oily goo no. Where is the oil coming from?

 

[WNYBill]

Just another problem with "compact" tractors and economy tractors. Smaller radiator means more profit! I custom made a long tip for my air compressor just to clean the radiator and I do it about weekly.

Bill

 

[Case Nutty 1660]

I clean them several times a year always have for the last 50 plus years,, to me that is basic Maintenance, combines and swathers always get blew out Every morning, my Case Compacts,, (much more than a store brand lawn tractors) are also blown out after Every use,, I am surprised so few seem to bother with it,, well not really I ran a repair shop for decades,, maintenance is not high priority to many like it to me I guess,, just running a machine in a dusty field with plug off the fins,, for you to have to wash it repeatably like you did like you say tells me you have not done it for many many years if ever,, glad you found the issue though,, I have never seen a dsl "heat" from a plugged fuel filter, unlike a gas that gets hotter a dsl has to have fuel to get hot they get low on power with a plugged one but do not heat,, now restrict the air flow to the intake side they will heat,, I hope you changed or at least blew out the air filter while you were doing the cleaning,, maybe you keep that clean already