Radiator Caps

[wwoodrow]

Not an earth shaking observation but interesting to me. I've been dealing with an overheating problem which led me to do some investigation. Several years ago I replaced the original radiator cap on my tractor with the after market that" NAPA sells to fit most old tractors " It did fit but was not OEM. It appears to me that when turned fully down to seal the top seal that it may depress the spring to the point that the bottom seal has no spring travel left to move upward and thereby release pressure through the overflow . Has anyone else ever dealt with this ?

 

[MM-TX]

What tractor do you have? Early Farmall is not a pressurized system.

 

[wwoodrow]

What tractor do you have? Early Farmall is not a pressurized system.

424 IH Pretty sure it is pressurized system.

 

[MM-TX]

One that fits correctly might help the problem.

Farmall 424 Radiator Cap - 180224M91

International Harvester / Farmall 424 Radiator Cap for sale, 180224M91. 7 pound, fits short filler neck. For tractor models 100, 130, 140, 1410, 1412, 1440, 1460, (1640 serial number 44C0034705 and below), (1660 serial number JJC0038346 and below), (1680 serial number JJC0045689 and below)...

www.yesterdaystractors.com

 

[wwoodrow]

Thanks

 

[wore out]

Not an earth shaking observation but interesting to me. I've been dealing with an overheating problem which led me to do some investigation. Several years ago I replaced the original radiator cap on my tractor with the after market that" NAPA sells to fit most old tractors " It did fit but was not OEM. It appears to me that when turned fully down to seal the top seal that it may depress the spring to the point that the bottom seal has no spring travel left to move upward and thereby release pressure through the overflow . Has anyone else ever dealt with this ?

If the cap TRULY is not able to relieve pressure AND you've had an overheating problem a (weak) hose would have blown or a seam in the radiator would have popped by now.

 

[Janicholson]

If the cap TRULY is not able to relieve pressure AND you've had an overheating problem a (weak) hose would have blown or a seam in the radiator would have popped by now.

His last sentence indicates no pressure from (I think) the atmospheric valve being opened from over "shortening of the primary spring/design. Jim

 

[504]

Why do you think that you have an over heating problem?

 

[wore out]

His last sentence indicates no pressure from (I think) the atmospheric valve being opened from over "shortening of the primary spring/design. Jim

Time to re-read what the O.P. wrote.

 

[wwoodrow]

If the cap TRULY is not able to relieve pressure AND you've had an overheating problem a (weak) hose would have blown or a seam in the radiator would have popped by now.

So I appreciate all the input. Someone asked why I thought I had an over heating problem. Because the weeds I am bush hogging have a white cotton like seed head which is clogging my radiator. I blew a head gasket two weeks ago and replaced it and then blew another after a couple of hours of running. Interestingly, I had no water in my oil [ water steamed out past exhaust ] and no air bubbles in the coolant that was left in system. I decided to crank it with the head gasket that I had blown still installed on the tractor. The tractor ran well with no visible seeps or anything coming out the stack. Today I decided to bush hog again but I took my battery powered blower with me and stopped about every 20 minutes and blew the radiator out. I had also gone to my hay barn and miraculously found the ORIGINAL radiator cap which I had replaced many years ago for some unremembered reason. I installed the old radiator cap. I bush hogged all day and it was hotter than any of the two days that I blew the head gaskets. [ 70's here in Mississippi ] I mowed all day with no problems, no water in crank case oil, no loss of coolant [ I measured the distance from top of filler neck to water level in radiator to compare] I also left a little room for coolant expansion in the radiator by only filling within a couple of inches to the top. I know what my conclusion is but all I can go by is that by insuring the cooling system was operating efficiently that I did not have a leak today even though I was running a gasket that had previously blown. I have ordered an OEM head gasket but I intend to continue closely observing the tractor "as is " before I go through the process of installing another one. Thanks for all the input, draw your own conclusions.

 

[504]

When I mow in the tall weeds I put a piece of doubled over window screen over the grill. It make cleaning the seeds easy.

 

[wwoodrow]

When I mow in the tall weeds I put a piece of doubled over window screen over the grill. It make cleaning the seeds easy.

Yup, gonna try that next time. I have just never had this problem before, maybe it was the right time of year for all those seeds to turn lose easily.