TO30 radiator

[Ben(LA)]

I need to replace the radiator in my 52 TO30, and when I removed the old one only about 5 gallons of coolant drained out-- the radiator had a substantial crack, so I am assuming the rest had boiled off(?). What is the best way to flush the cooling system out? The tractor has always run a little hot, but when I saw the temp reach 210 deg, I shut her off. The problem may be also be a bad water pump-- what is the best way to determine if the pump is bad? I did not see water leaking out of it, but I would like to check everything while it is apart. Also thinking about testing/ repacing the t-stat. Any tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, and thanks also for past help-- you guys always hit the nail on the head.

 

[Jeff-oh]

T-stat testing is the easiest. Give wife $100.00 to go shopping. While she is out of house get her cooking therometer, and a pot of water. Place the T-stat in the pot and watch the temp as the water heats up. The T-stat should starts to open around 165F degrees and be fully open by 180F.

Jeff

 

[JerryMT]

The cooling system holds 10 quarts and the radiator should be filled to just above the top of the core with 50/50 antifreeze and water. The rest of the volume is expansion space.
The pressure cap is a 7psi unit and that makes the boiling point like ~ 230-240oF. SO assuming you gauge was accurate, you had some margin before the fluid boils IF your pressure cap was holding pressure.

Here's what I would check for hot running:
Check the thermostat for proper operation as Jeff-OH recommeded. Check the water pump belt for tightness. Make sure the lower radiator hose does not collapse when you rev the engine. It should have a spring in there to prevent that but with these old machines, you never know.

Make sure that you have the correct pressure cap and that it is working.

Make sure the timing is correct. Too retarded and you can cause an overheat. Too advanced and you can cause detonation and an overheat condition but it's usually audible.

Make sure that the mixture is correct. Too lean can cause exhaust temperature that are too high and can burn valves as well as overheat the cylinders.Leakey intake manifold gasket, worn throttle shaft, and leaking connect flange between carb and intake manifold can all cause an overly lean situation.

Hope this helps.