a/c problems

[cat 297c]

I have a Cat 297c use it for mulching, been having problems with the a/c filters clogging up with debris. Cat put the filters for the a/c right above the tracks where dust is thrown up an sucked into the filters. I was on a job two days ago an ten minutes into it my a/c stopped cooling, i knew wat it was clogged filter. Got out got my blower an cleaned the filter out, i did this three more times in the first hour, final i got tired of getting in an out and just stuck it up. I've heard of folks snorkling there filters to the top of the cab anyone out there done this?

 

[Heavyduty]

Yeah, you got to do something. It's a bad design for a mulcher. Your the third person that I've heard of having those issues. Maybe someone who has actually done this will chime in. Good luck.

 

[patrick_g]

No job is hard for the guy who doesn't have to do it...

Just a baseless comment, haven't been there and haven't done it. You should be able to make a sheet metal (heavier if it will take hits) duct to remote the filter holder. I'd think you would want the narrowest cross section of the added duct to be at least as big (in area) as the filter and as there will likely be a few turns (restrictions) probably more area would be a lot better.

Had to do essentially the same thing on Baja Buggies but for air to the engine. It was way better to remote the air cleaner/filter to a higher less dust intense location.

My tractor A/C evaporator requires frequent filter cleaning as it can clog quickly in some conditions. One of these days I just gotta add some kind of easy to access pre filter so I don't have to shut down, get out, and burn my fingers getting in to the filter screens.

Oh yeah, there are a couple options for the OP. remote the filter assy or add a "snorkel" to get the air from a less dusty place and route it to the existing filter location. Unless there was a good reason to leave the filter where it is I think I would move it.

Pat

 

[srs]

My tractor A/C evaporator requires frequent filter cleaning as it can clog quickly in some conditions. Pat

Pat, are you talking about the filter located behind your head in the cabbed Kubota?

 

[patrick_g]

Pat, are you talking about the filter located behind your head in the cabbed Kubota?

No, when I said, "My tractor A/C evaporator requires frequent filter cleaning as it can clog quickly in some conditions.", I mispoke when I said screen in front of the evaporator as Iwas referring to the screen in front of the A/C CONDENSOR, located in the front of the engine compartment with the radiator etc.

Although it may seem the cab gets really hot, I have never come close to burning my fingers on the in-cab filter assy (accessed from outside the cab at top rear of cab.)

Sometimes there is lots of debris (straw, weeds, weed seeds, and so forth) that quickly clog the screens in front of the radiator, evaporator, and oil cooler. This restricts air flow to the evaporator and destroys cooling efficiency quickly. It also runs the engine temp up which you can observe on the temp gauge. Typically when running the A/C I notice a loss of A/C performance before the engine temp gets out of the OK range.

One trick I learned for getting the cab cooler quicker is to flick the control lever on the cab air filter to the fresh position till the A/C is making a good cold stream of air and most of the super heated air from the tractor being parked in the sun has been expelled and then switch to recirc to get better dehumidification and cooling.

It is important to clean the cab air filter too but it doesn't clog nearly as fast as the screens in front of the condenser and radiator. The air stream, in part, goes through the evaporator and then through the radiator so if the condenser's screen gets clogged part of the radiator is not getting air.

Sorry for the confusion. I transposed evaporator and condenser in my poor old head. The cabin air filter is the only filter close to the evaporator but it doesn't clog all that fast and never burned my fingers.

Pat

 

[Bird]

Had to do essentially the same thing on Baja Buggies but for air to the engine

That's the way my brother's Kawasaki Mule came originally. The air intake for the engine was the back side of the top of the roll bar and the roll bar itself was the duct to take the air to the engine.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

I have a Cat 297c use it for mulching, been having problems with the a/c filters clogging up with debris. Cat put the filters for the a/c right above the tracks where dust is thrown up an sucked into the filters. I was on a job two days ago an ten minutes into it my a/c stopped cooling, i knew wat it was clogged filter. Got out got my blower an cleaned the filter out, i did this three more times in the first hour, final i got tired of getting in an out and just stuck it up. I've heard of folks snorkling there filters to the top of the cab anyone out there done this?

do you have the CAT debris kits? I tried the snorkel on a 272c. It didn't do very much. This was last summer and I had one of the early designs. Supposedly, CAT was working on a better design for the outside, clean air filters. Debris kit will help, though, keep larger material from entering but they are really in a bad spot (engineered that way). They should be up, behind the cab with a protective cowling to keep the material ejected from fans out of it.

 

[srs]

No, when I said, "My tractor A/C evaporator requires frequent filter cleaning as it can clog quickly in some conditions.", I mispoke when I said screen in front of the evaporator as Iwas referring to the screen in front of the A/C CONDENSOR, located in the front of the engine compartment with the radiator etc. Pat

Thanks Pat, I always clean the screens near the radiator but haven't looked at the filter located behind my head in the cabbed B3030.

 

[patrick_g]

This was last summer and I had one of the early designs. Supposedly, CAT was working on a better design for the outside, clean air filters. Debris kit will help, though, keep larger material from entering but they are really in a bad spot (engineered that way). They should be up, behind the cab with a protective cowling to keep the material ejected from fans out of it.

This is what happens when a machine is designed AND THEN A/C is added on like a bandaid. A fully integrated design would accommodate all the systems.

Pat

 

[cat 297c]

do you have the CAT debris kits? I tried the snorkel on a 272c. It didn't do very much. This was last summer and I had one of the early designs. Supposedly, CAT was working on a better design for the outside, clean air filters. Debris kit will help, though, keep larger material from entering but they are really in a bad spot (engineered that way). They should be up, behind the cab with a protective cowling to keep the material ejected from fans out of it.

yes i have the debris kit, paid 4,500$ for it a its a joke!!!