1958 Ford 841 temp rises pulling bush hog

[floppy]

Any one have advise on why or what would cause engine to go to red on gauge after mowing for 10 min? Have cleaned pre screen, checked fluid levels. Runs fine when pulling anything else (seeder, box blade etc) Pulling a woods 840 cutter.
Fairly new to this tractor stuff, anything will help.
Thanks.

[CCWKen]

That's a lot of cutter for an 841! You may be overloading the engine. Raise the cutter and take a few passes with a light cut. See if the temp stays down. If it does, too much mower and not enough tractor.

[Farmwithjunk]

Have you done any other chores with this tractor where it's under a heavy load? Does it heat up then, or just when bush hogging?

Is the timing set right?

Do you have a thermostat in the tractor?

Good RADIATOR CAP? (proper psi rating)

Is the gauge/sending unit working correctly? (May be giving false indication)

Water pump in good shape? (May not be leaking, but not circulating coolant as it should)

[floppy]

I have pulled planter and a disc and have not had any problems.

I just got new radiator cap. (not installed yet)

Thermostat was going to be next, is it located on the top hose?

Not sure about the timing? is there an easy way to check?

Is there a way to check sending unit?

Thanks.

[floppy]

Also does anyone know if the 841 is a 50 hp? I was told it was when I purchased it.
Thanks.

[Ford850]

Originally Posted by floppy

Also does anyone know if the 841 is a 50 hp? I was told it was when I purchased it.
Thanks.

I believe it is 48hp. As for the overheating, clean the radiator fins completely. I had to spray mine with water, let it soak for an hour, and then spray it out, fin by fin, with a garden hose nozzle. First from the front, then the back. Mine had decades of dust built up in the bottom 1/3 of the radiator fins, especially along the outer edges. Mine used to only overheat when running the bush hog too, but now it usually stays in the normal range. The other suggestions are all good too, but you'll need a clean radiator either way so I'd start with that.

[jinman]

One more thing. . . Does the radiator have a fan shroud? Should it have one? Also, your radiator may be clogged internally so that water is not flowing in some of the tubes. Another thing is that you could have a small pressure leak in a head gasket when the engine is under load. The hot gas going into the water jacket will heat the coolant in a hurry.

[john_bud]

To answer jinman's Q, Yes the ford SHOULD have a radiator shroud. You can buy remanufactured ones online. Walts tractor is one place. Google is your buddy.

If the radiator was replaced it could have a car core. The fins are closer with smaller gaps that clog up quick.

I'd use a flush product (or even a gallon of vinegar) to clean out the system.


It can also be a bad head gasket or a pin hole in a cylinder if it is a parent bore block. Ford stopped factory sleeves in the 801 series at one point. Forget the SN exactly. Could even be a cracked head. But, it's more likely to be a dirty radiator or a worn out water pump. The pumps are actually pretty cheap. A knuckle buster to change, but not too bad. About 1 hour or 2 depending on your skills and how many cus words you stop to say.

[Jerry/MT]

Originally Posted by floppy

Any one have advise on why or what would cause engine to go to red on gauge after mowing for 10 min? Have cleaned pre screen, checked fluid levels. Runs fine when pulling anything else (seeder, box blade etc) Pulling a woods 840 cutter.
Fairly new to this tractor stuff, anything will help.
Thanks.

If this is a diesel tractor, have you checked the air filter(s) for clogging. Restricting the airflow in diesel will cause the fuel/air ratio to increase and cause the peak gas temperature in the cylinder to rise.
If it's a gas tractor, make sure the timing is correct and that the carb is not running lean or that you don't have any air leaks downstream of the carb metering section( worn throttle shaft and seals, intake manifold to connect flange to carb leak, cracked intake manifold, leaking cylinder head to intake manifold gasket.).

The other factors are cleaning the air side of the radiator, loose fan belt, collapsed hose on the water pump suction side, bad pressure cap on radiator, plugged core in radiator, stuck thermostat, etc.

Is your cutter set properly, level side to side and the front about 1" lower than the back?

[djradz]

Check for good flow in radiator. With cap off and before engine heats up too much (and coolant overflows) you should be able to see flow.

Check that radiator in fact gets good and hot at the same point temperature indicator says the engine is the same. Check that both in and out hoses are hot as well.

Flush radiator outside but don't use a pressure washer, you'll either blow apart or badly damage the fins if you get too close.

Flush radiator and coolant system inside.

If thermostat has not been recently replaced, it might be a quick and cheap thing to try before spending much time or money on anything else.

If poor flow seems to be indicated, figure out a way to check that water pump is not damaged. Impellers sometime self-destruct or erode over long time.