Cooling system questions

[old]

If there is only water in the system, I would use Strong vinegar as a flushing agent, then running it under load if possible for at least an hour. If the resulting drained vinegar looks rusty, then you did the right thing. if it comes out clear thenit didn;t do much. If clear, I would save it for the next tractor that heats. Best of luck. Please disregard posts that fail to help. Jim

It currently has vinegar in the system. I plan on leaving the vinegar in it till tomorrow and I did run it till good and warm. Tomorrow I'll drain the system and then pull the block drain and hook up the garden hose to it and let it flush for a while. I need to go to town so may let it flush while I am in town so it gets a real good water flush before filling the system but up and I may do as diesel teck says and just fill it with water and run it baling hay and see how it does

 

[Pappy]

If you put a 180 degree thermostat in it, the coolant temperature should reach 180 degrees. It only reached 175 degrees. That means it was not fully warmed up yet. I don't see a problem

 

[showcrop]

My question, are the radiator tubes looking calcified when you look in the top of the radiator? If it looks "calcified" the flow can become restricted causing the engine to overheat under load.

Perhaps you are referring to what is called "solder bloom"?

 

[DRussell]

My 1955 S88 Oliver was over heating last summer and I flushed the cooling system a number of time and it still seemed to over heat. I put in a new 180 thermostat and the fan belt is good and tight. Fins of the radiator are cleans and you can see light threw it. I run it today for about 30-45 minutes and it only got up to around 175 and the coolant was flowing well in the radiator so I shut it down and now has me wondering if I should flush the system yet again or if I should put it to work and hope it doesn't overheat. Or maybe it has ot do with the fact it is only in the mid 70s today so it is not getting hot due to temps today.

Any ideas as to what to try??

Thanks

Run it. It will either overheat or it won't. Do you know for certain that the water pump is pumping?

 

[old]

Run it. It will either overheat or it won't. Do you know for certain that the water pump is pumping?

Yes when it has warmed up you can see the coolant moving so the water pump works. Right now I have the garden hose hooked to it flushing it out. Had a wire going to the coil break this morning so I have to fix that also

 

[DRussell]

Yes when it has warmed up you can see the coolant moving so the water pump works. Right now I have the garden hose hooked to it flushing it out. Had a wire going to the coil break this morning so I have to fix that also

Run it.

 

[rrlund]

If you think a little bit of flushing of the block will get all the sludge out every time, you're dead wrong. We pulled the wet sleeves out of an engine last fall and there was so much rust and crud in there that it was full all the way to the top. After the sleeves popped loose, we still had to drive them all the way with a wood block to get them out through all the stuff that was in there. There's no way on God's green Earth that anybody could have gotten all of it out, front to back any other way than pulling the sleeves. I hope it's not that full, but good luck.

 

[Vito]

Is it a consideration to run it without the thermostat?

Vito

 

[old]

Is it a consideration to run it without the thermostat?

Vito

Tried it last summer and that didn't help one bit

 

[rrlund]

Tried it last summer and that didn't help one bit

I think that's a bypass water pump, so without a thermostat, the coolant doesn't even circulate through the block.

 

[LarrySTN]

Perhaps you are referring to what is called "solder bloom"?

Yes, I know what is but few people know the term and it looks calcified. The local radiator shop (back when it was run by people that cared) said that is largely the result of high lead solder and poor cooling system maintenance.

 

[showcrop]

Yes, I know what is but few people know the term and it looks calcified. The local radiator shop (back when it was run by people that cared) said that is largely the result of high lead solder and poor cooling system maintenance.

I though that maybe more people would know "solder bloom" than "calcified", which refers to a condition in human body tissue.

 

[Dingo3]

I think that's a bypass water pump, so without a thermostat, the coolant doesn't even circulate through the block.

I thought the bypass is for when the tractor is cold and the thermostat is closed. This allows water to flow through the block until it warms up. With no thermostat the bypass is not needed. I do however always use the correct thermostat.

 

[Dieseltech]

I thought the bypass is for when the tractor is cold and the thermostat is closed. This allows water to flow through the block until it warms up. With no thermostat the bypass is not needed. I do however always use the correct thermostat.

SOME bypass thermostats are needed because when it opens with heat it will also CLOSE OFF the quick recirculating port that allows engine to warm up faster. That port needs to be closed off when engine is fully up to temperature so the coolant will go through the radiator for cooling.

 

[Dingo3]

SOME bypass thermostats are needed because when it opens with heat it will also CLOSE OFF the quick recirculating port that allows engine to warm up faster. That port needs to be closed off when engine is fully up to temperature so the coolant will go through the radiator for cooling.

I did not know that. Is it a diesel thing?

 

[Dieseltech]

I did not know that. Is it a diesel thing?

Nope, some gas engines have that type too.

 

[used red MN]

I thought the bypass is for when the tractor is cold and the thermostat is closed. This allows water to flow through the block until it warms up. With no thermostat the bypass is not needed. I do however always use the correct thermostat.

This is what a thermostat that also controls the bypass circuit looks like with the additional larger disc valve mounted some distance away from the thermostat bulb.
Example stat

 

[Dingo3]

This is what a thermostat that also controls the bypass circuit looks like with the additional larger disc valve mounted some distance away from the thermostat bulb.
Example stat

Yes, 90s and up stuff. Most of the cars I own are 60s and older. I’ve never had to change one in my newer trucks. Come to think of it, I’ve only had one water pump go out on the newer stuff and that was an 07 Chevy.

 

[farmersamm]

You can flush till the cows come home............most old radiators need to be rodded at some point. At this point, you really have no idea how many tubes might be plugged.

 

[rustred]

I always thought being old and having common sense went hand in hand. But there’s always a black sheep too. Or you can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink. Keep beating this dead horse.