Please check my troubleshooting on overheating issue.

[MarcusCarr]

I have a Kioti DK35SE that has about 80 hours on it, but I am placing this question here because overheating is likely a general issue with all tractors.

The temp gauge climbed into the red while I was dragging a boxblade over our private road. The tractor was at about 2000 RPM and wasn't working that hard.

When it overheated, I pulled it back over to the garage and turned it off for the night.

The next day I checked...

oil level - good
coolant in the overflow - good
radiator screen - clear and clean

I started the tractor...
it sounds normal
the radiator fan is spinning
I brought the RPM up to about 2000
The temp needle slowly raised up to the red.
When it reached red, I felt the upper radiator hose and it was cool to the touch.
I turned off the tractor.

If I was working on a truck, I would say the thermostat needs to be replaced.

Questions:
Did I miss anything in the troubleshooting?
Is the thermostat on the DK35SE between the engine and upper radiator hose?
The tractor is under warranty, but I have to way to transport it to the dealer. Does this sound conclusive enough to just pick up a thermostat and replace it my self?

Thanks,
Marcus

 

[greggh]

Check the bottom hose and see if it is cool as well. It could possibly be a stuck thermostat, but it could also be a faulty gauge. Good luck.

 

[Tig]

Greg brings up the point of, does the engine actually get hot?
Your water pump could also be to blame, but the thermostat is much cheaper. I had an impeller fall off the water pump shaft once. You could remove the thermostat as a test and then start the engine and look in the rad for signs of flow.
The old thermostat can be inspected to see if it is closed at room temp and open in boiling water. The opening temp may be stamped on the thermostat. You could also try to determine if it opens at the correct temp. The thermostats that I have seen defective were partially open at room temp.
All of the above is assumes that unlike my B7100 you have a water pump and thermostat.
I think you are starting at a logical point.

 

[RonMar]

Sounds like a thermostat to me. If it was a faulty gauge system, the tractor is still eventually going to get hot and the thermostat open. Most tractors will, because of their vertical orientation, naturally circulate water by thermosiphon even without a pump. If the upper radiator hose goes up at all from the thermostat housing, If the thermostat is opening, even without the pump turning, the upper hose should get warm/hot. Did you/can you feel the lower thermostat housing? If the thermostat is stuck closed, as the gauge gets up into the red, that lower housing should get to be too hot to hold your hand on. This is also usually where the temp sensor for that gauge is located.

A cheepie IR thermometer is real handy for checking these things out.

 

[Willis Fecon Bushhogging]

I have a Kioti DK35SE that has about 80 hours on it, but I am placing this question here because overheating is likely a general issue with all tractors.

The temp gauge climbed into the red while I was dragging a boxblade over our private road. The tractor was at about 2000 RPM and wasn't working that hard.

When it overheated, I pulled it back over to the garage and turned it off for the night.

The next day I checked...

oil level - good
coolant in the overflow - good
radiator screen - clear and clean

I started the tractor...
it sounds normal
the radiator fan is spinning
I brought the RPM up to about 2000
The temp needle slowly raised up to the red.
When it reached red, I felt the upper radiator hose and it was cool to the touch.
I turned off the tractor.

If I was working on a truck, I would say the thermostat needs to be replaced.

Questions:
Did I miss anything in the troubleshooting?
Is the thermostat on the DK35SE between the engine and upper radiator hose?
The tractor is under warranty, but I have to way to transport it to the dealer. Does this sound conclusive enough to just pick up a thermostat and replace it my self?

Thanks,
Marcus

I also think its the thermostat, but before I remove it, Iwould want to know if it voids the warranty. Buy or borrow a lazer temp gun and check the temps at different places. You normally can locate the fault, with the temp gun.
Good Luck and keep us posted

 

[CATMAN]

I would change the t-stat. You might get the parts for free, if you remove the old t-stat, drive to the dealer with the old t-stat, tell the service manager/foreman this same story and with the old t-stat the dealer can turn it in for warranty and you get the new t-stat and gasket for free. Drive home and install the new t-stat. CAT dealerships will do this IF we get the old, failed parts back to send back to the factory if/when the factory warranty personnel ask for those certain parts to be shipped to them. To feel more comfortable that this is the culprit, it is pretty easy to boil the old t-stat to prove it doesn't open properly.

NOTE: With these type of story, a dealership might send out a technician in a service truck(under warranty) to repair it, IF they feel they can cure it in one trip.​

2nd Note: On semi truck engines; CAT warranty only pays for ONE service call/trip(must have all parts with the mechanic) OR one TOW bill to nearest approved dealership under standard warranty. This 2nd note is just to show you how some standard warranties might work in your situation.

 

[Rara Avis]

Diagnosing Engine Overheating

1. Defective Head Gasket
2. Incorrect Timing
3. Low Engine Oil
4. Low Coolant Level
5. Dirty Radiator or grill screen
6. Loose Fan Belt
7. Faulty Thermostat
8. Faulty Radiator Pressure Cap
9. Faulty Waterpump
10. Corroded coolant passages
11. Improper Operation

 

[Rara Avis]

When checking your thermostat...
A 180 degree F thermostat should start to open around 177 to 184 degrees F
and should be fully open at 202 degrees F.

(These are JD numbers, yours may vary... )

 

[MarcusCarr]

Found the problem...The thermostat had popped open and the guide pin got logged at an angle.

 

[Tig]

Interesting. Thanks for the update. So did you replace it?