John Deere 1050 Overheating

[Trobb55]

Hello!

I have a 1982 JD 1050 with what seems to be a intermittent overheating issue. Seems the only time the issue occurs is when I'm running my brushhog behind it and in the summer. I've had the radiator cooked twice, replaced the thermostat and water pump, and have put a temperature gauge on the tractor instead of the sensor/light that originally came on it. Seems right after the rad is cooked the issue disappears, and by the next mowing season it is back. I've been told the rad is in good shape, and was almost like new when cooked, and cannot find a solid answer for what a good operating temp or range of temp would be. I've been told anywhere from 150 degrees to 180 degrees is fine, but would prefer a more solid answer.

Would anybody know what the proper operating temperature is, or a good operating temperature range for the 1050 would/should be? Would anyone know if an aluminum radiator would make a difference from the stock rad, which someone has suggested? Would a rad flush product be advisable? Could it be something else internally in the engine? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The front of this tractor is also fantastic at collecting every hay/grass seed, weed spore, thistle fuzzy, and flower pedal from every flowering plant in the field on the grill of the hood, and in between the screen and front of the radiator, any advice on how to keep it cleaned off/out would be great. Will pressurized air cause damage to the rad?

Thanks for looking!

 

[Steve@Advance]

It likely has a 180* thermostat, so it should always come up to 180* regardless of the load. If it has a good pressure cap, it can safely go up to 210-215 under heavy load in hot weather.

What is it doing? Boiling over, mystery coolant loss? How hot does it get by the gauge? If it is losing coolant and no leak can be found, that is a sign of a blown head gasket or cracked head. There is a combustion leak test that can be done to check for combustion gasses in the cooling system. It is a kit you can buy/borrow that samples the air in the radiator. If it changes color, there is a combustion leak.

I would try to keep the original radiator as long as possible unless there is a known common problem with them. Aftermarket radiators are not known for high quality or proper fit.

No, I do not believe in using flush! It can cause weak freeze plugs to start leaking, hard to get it all flushed out and neutralized. If you want to flush it, open the drain cocks, temporarily remove the thermostat, let the garden hose run and overflow the radiator while it runs at mid throttle. When it runs clear, it is clean.

Compressed air is generally safe for a radiator, but use care and judgment. If it tries to fold the fins over, stop and back off. Never actually touch the radiator with the nozzle. A long steel tube with a short 90^ bend can be used from the back side of the radiator to blow out grass. Watch it carefully, it can clog quickly under the right conditions!

 

[Traditional Farmer]

I have a Yanmar 330 almost exactly the same tractor as the 950 and 1050 JD.The front of the radiator needs to be kept very clean of trash,just a little trash on a hot day will make it heat up.Get some screen wire and put it in front of the grill to catch the trash it'll help a lot.