overheating problem - need input

[profire31]

Well the basics are this girl is a 48 8n, front mount, 6v.

Last twice I used her she got sick and puked. The first time it was a 100+ degrees and thought maybe that was the issue but yesterday it was 65 out. Both times she was working about 45 minutes before the problem started.

It can't be the thermostat cause she doesn't have 1, assume the water pump is good as it's not leaking. Leaves me to think the radiatior has to be stopped up (inside, fins are clean).

I"m hoping to get some of your expert opinions before I try to flush or buy another rad.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[old]

Well #1 a lot of times not having a thermostat is the problem and can cause one to run hot. #2 is the fan belt tight enough that you can grab the fan and turn the engine over?? If not it is to loose and could be your problem. #3 if you do flush it out drain it and then fill with vinegar and run it till good and warm. let it cool and then rig up a way to hook a garden hose to the block drain and back flush it with water for about an hour

 

[profire31]

Old, thanks for the quick reply. A little more info is exactly right right on the thermostat deal but I haven't had this issue the last 2 years. Yes the fan belt is tight. sorry I forgot to mention that. Question I do have is white vinegar I assume? Thanks again

 

[old]

Yep just the common white vinegar works well and cost less then the auto store flush stuff and does a real good job of removing rust and lime deposits. Another thing to check is for build up of rsut etc in the lower radiator hose

 

[Bruce (VA)]

The most common reason for an N to “over heat” is over filling the radiator. Only add enough fluid to cover the core. (check out tip # 24, below as well as tips 25 & 35) It is not actually over heating; it is just spewing out the excess water.

If the radiator is not overfilled, check for low coolant, a loose fan belt, debris in the radiator fins or a stuck thermostat. A bad water pump will usually squeak or leak.

The fan belt should have 1/2" of flex at the mid-point; no more, no less.

Unless you have a pusher fan, blowing out the radiator from the engine side is always a good idea.

But, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet & flush out the block & radiator. To do that, remove the t-stat from the top hose. Then, remove the bottom hose from the radiator & stick your garden hose in the radiator. Turn the water on (reverse flush) & the water will flow into the radiator, then the block & out of the disconnected lower hose. Let it run until the water is clear. Then, check the radiator flow. Stick the hose in the top of the radiator; the water should flow out of the bottom w/o backing up in the filler neck. It should flow at 19.5 gallons a minute. As a final flush, put a gallon of white vinegar & about 2 gallons of water in the radiator, run it to operating temp & then drain it again. Don’t forget to put the t-stat back in correctly!

Use 50/50 anti-freeze & distilled water as your coolant. The anti-freeze contains rust inhibitors, pump lubricant & raises the boiling point of the coolant.

Finally, put the t-stat back in it. You're doing the engine more harm than good w/o it.
50 Tips

 

[Caryc]

Bruce's post kind of brushed over one point lightly. [b:b3bd5290c7]Debri in radiator fins.[/b:b3bd5290c7]

I would pay a little more attention to this one. Tractors are usually doing dusty dirty field work and depending on when it was last cleaned there could be a lot of crud in there.

Take an air nozzle to the back of that radiator and you'll probably be surprised how much crap you can blow out of there. Actually take the nozzle to back and front.