TO 30 overheating

[T. Tucker]

Tractor fairly new to me , havent really used it hard since I got it. Today while mowing, The temp gauge got up to about 220 or so. I stopped the tractor and water was coming out of the overflow(boiling hot). I let it cool some and added more antifreeze..took about a gallon, started to mow again and it overheated again.
I notice the fan blade is pulling the air thru the radiator, it seems if I was to flip the blade, it would push the air thru the radiator, is this right ? any advice to where to start looking as to why it is overheating ?...The radiator looks to be new..TIA

 

[hardscrabble]

NO, turning a fan blade around will not reverse the direction of flow.

 

[maxwell99]

be sure you have the right radiator cap, a to-35 uses a 7 lb cap, check your owners manual for the to-30

water pump impeller could have come off the water pump shaft, check for coolant movement inside of radiator

collapsed water hose, old and soft, would cut off flow of water

used digital lazer temp reader and check true temp of radiator, you could just have a bad gauge

finally, back flush radiator, weed seeds and dirt can stop up the radiator, back flush it from fan blade to front grill.

neighbor ruined the motor in his 135 by not cleaning out the radiator, got motor hot and ruined the rings, now tractor smokes like a old freight train.

let us know what you find wrong.

getting motor hot is second fastest way to ruin a good motor after lack of oil.

 

[Tony in Mass.]

I always fear the worst with these things. New to you? Dollars to doughnuts it has a famous cracked block, compression couple be pushing the water out the rad cap. First option, ditch the cap, or atleast don't turn it tight. If while it is running and just simmers as you sit in one spot, look in the filler hole, carefully- don't get scalded- tea kettle steam is OK, but see if the fluid is moving around in one direction in there, it not it could be the vanes on the water pump impeller are all worn out. If it is the cap, or the pump, you are lucky, it ain't the fan, anything else is very unlucky.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Most overheating occurs from the air side of the radiator being clogged. This is especially true when you are mowing. Dust and chaff can clog the air side passages.Blow out the radiator with compressed air from the backside. You don"t want to overheat the TO-30. It"s a notoriously easy block to crack.

When you put coolant in the radiator remember to fill it to 1/4" to 1/2 " above the core. The rest of the space is for coolant expansion. If you fill it higher, it will come out the over flow. You should have a 7 psi cap on it and if it is good that should get you to ~235°F before it starts to boil.

Make sure that the fan belt is tight so that your water pump is driven without slipping.

Make sure that your initial timing is correct(6°BTDC) and that the advance is working properly. An overly retarded spark will cause high gas temps.

Make sure that your mixture is properly set and is not too lean. That too can cause high gas temperatures. Never go below one turn out on the power jet screw.
Check the lower rad hose. They normally have an anti-collape wire in them. If that"s missing, when you rev the engine the pump suction can cause the lower hose to collapse and cut down the pump output leading to overheating. Rev the engine and watch the hose to see if that is occuring.
Finally, do you have a shroud around the fan? Some tractors have them missing but you really need them to have the fan pump properly. Without it, the outer tips of the blade are stalled and can"t pump so the ammount of cooling air is redued. With the shroud installed the tip region pulls more air per unit span than the inner portions of the blade because the tip speed is higher and the local flow area is greater. That"s why the were an OEM part.
Hope this helps you.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Changing the blade won't achieve anything, fan belt tight?. It may need a shroud to concentrate the air. don't know if these were original.

 

[Bob Mc]

Check the thermostat to be sure it isn't intermittantly sticking closed.

 

[John (UK)]

If you changed over the Fan it would only collect grass at the Engine side instead. Favourite is that the Rad is blocked with grass etc, wash it out from the engine side forward with a medium pressure hose, make sure that you go all over the surface, This should be done quite often maybe 2 or 3 times a day in some conditions if it is not to over heat. Check all over the Engine and Radiator for rust marks, this would mean that there is a pressure leak at that point. This cooling system is pressurised and if the pressure leaks it will boil. You can fit a 7lbs psi radiator cap which will raise the pressure and the boiling point. If the Ignition is not set correctly or the Carburettor is set too weak it will make the engine boil too. If you need the correct settings just email me and I will send [email protected]

 

[Jerry/MT]

That"s the simplest one and I forgot it! Glld you mentioned it.

 

[T. Tucker]

Thanks everyone for the great help.I check today and it had a 13lb cap, so I went and got a new 7lb cap. The radiator was clean from debris but I blew it out anyway. The lower part of the fan shroud was missing so I fitted a new piece of sheet metal in there and pop-riveted it together. Haven't checked timing or carb yet but I did some disking today for maybe an hour and it didn't overheat, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed...Thanks again to all

 

[2tractors]

Could be a bearing going bad, next time turn it over with the nut on front pulley and check it cold then hot.Don't let it fire, disconnect battery first.

 

[Jerry/MT]

The cap pressure rating wouldn"t have been the problem unless the old one was bad and not holding pressure. between the shroud and the cap you probably solved the problem.

 

[John (UK)]

Always best to check the rad for debris, you need to do this often when mowing as it will suck any grass or seeds floating around, you may need to do it 3 or 4 times a day in really bad conditions, it is better to do this than have to fit a new engine. The Fan Shroud missing will be your answer, it will now pull a lot more air though the Radiator, but it will also pull more rubbish in as well. If it is an ignition timing problem or a Carburettor setting it will show up when you start work again
Having a Cap of the correct pressure is better than the one you had originally. Always check for rusty water marks, any that you see means there is a pressure leak and that means it will overheat as the system does need to be pressurised to raise the boiling temperature of the water. It isn't worth the risk of allowing leaks or allowing it to get too hot. Every year we see on here, examples of what happens when they get too hot. I hope that your problems are over now.
If you would like some information on the correct settings for the Ignition and Carb and checking the Cooling system or if you are using a Bush-Hog, just email me and I will send it...John

 

[JayP]

John,
Just finished up on the brake job and seals-working great. Have some other problems.
Rebuilt carb (full of junk and float sticking up.
Now I need correct jet settings. float is now sticking open (I suspect sediment) and will have to remove again to clean.
2. The tractor runs well until I start bush hogging especially uphill when I am putting a good load on it. Always worked okay before this year. Im wondering if it is getting hot. I had to put 1/2 gallon of coolant/water in the radiator which is apparently got a leak somewhere. I pulled the cap and started and it is circulating very well.
Also, oil filter end plate leaks after it gets hot.
Didn"t realize I had so many issues. Just got my bush hog back rebuilt and painted. 4 foot King Kutter.Always pulled it okay til now. Thanks.
Jay