Help with Bobcat Running Hot Question

[sfloggie]

I need advice on a Bobcat that is running hot. It is a rental and no one in the Bobcat dealership until Tuesday.

I have been working on a big project (for me). We have 112 acres with about 1000' along a river. The land is 9800 +/- from hardtop to the North to the river to the south. We have a road on the land that goes south about 2400 feet and then turns due East.

This project has several parts:
1. Cut along the boundary line, but it is thick with trees, bushes and vines on the West side with the same plus swamp on the East. It is thick with trees and bushes at the river.

2. Cut a trail to the river as we have never been to the river from our land and my wife has never seen the river except on Google.

I rent a Bobcat with Forestry Cutter when I have the funds. The Bobcat worked great he first two rentals as it was new. But the last two times including this weekend it is running hot fast and I am getting little done.

I do everything that it calls for you to do (keep the top of the radiator clean, air filter clean, antifreeze). I wondered if it is the A/C that is getting it hot fast as the two A/C filters are extremely dirty as if someone washed them off and then used the Bobcat in dust.

Here are a few photos with the cut areas and what some looked like before.

Any help would be appreciated as I am only off this weekend and Monday with the rental. I will try to run it tomorrow without A/C, but it will be rough at 104 degree and closed cab; so I will start at daylight.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Mousefield]

I am thinking that if you have checked the radiator, making sure it is clean and full, air cleaner is clean etc then it just may be the thermostat or fan belt. In hot weather like 104 it may be better to take out the thermostat for the summer as even in the open position it will restrict the flow of coolant. (I know it is a rental but ask them about that) It also could be that with that type of heat and working it hard it will just run hot. Make sure the fan is working properly as well, you want to make sure the fan belt in not slipping. Good luck in finishing your job.

 

[sfloggie]

Thank you,

I will check the belt tomorrow. The Bobcat dealer are good at working with me on these problems instead of charging when it is down.

I will pass your information to them..and thanks ago. It appears it is best for me to wait until the leaves have fallen!

Jim

 

[leonz]

About your rental;

A lot will depend on you elevation as the
air will be thinner and have less efficiency
to cool the radiators.

The flail head on the skid steer will
create a lot of dust unfortunately.


It is entirely possible that you have fine chaff and
wood fiber within the oil coolers and the radiator
and may need to either blow it out or rinse it out
with a low pressure garden hose if posssible as
this the least damaging method to avoid bending
the cooling fins.

If this unit has the oil cooler in the rear above the
radiator it is probably packed full of dust.

Is there any chance you could uses generator and
an electric air compressor to keep the radiators clean?

 

[leonz]

Adding to my comment earlier,

The skid steer radaitors and oil coolers are stil built with cored radiators and that is most of the problem as the pack quickly with dust and the cooling fans do not reverse in air flow direction to keep them cleaner while working.

These machines as well as the small kubotas would benefit from the Mesabi radiators with individually replaceable cores as they stay cleaner and cooler because of their air flow design and they are actually easier to keep clean with a garden hose or a safety blow gun with a long air pipe.