radiator hose heater project rant

[escavader]

Alan,

Did you install a cab heaters yet? If not, You may want to hold off on returning the heaters, you may find a good spot in-line with the cab heater.
It may be a blessing after all.... keeping you & the tractor nice & hot.

Richard

HI RICHARD,
Yes i have a new cab heater,thats plumbed into my bypass lines,good thinking though.
ALAN

 

[escavader]

[Im taking all 3 back,and im just gonna run the space heater under the tractor for 15 minutes.
/QUOTE]

Throw a tarp over the tractor and then use the heater and it will work with no problems. In a sense it may be better as everything gets warmed.

HI EGON,
YUP ,It sure does make alot more sense.Iprobably will do that anyway when its really cold.
ALAN

 

[johnk]

Time and time again I have read here how lower hose heaters are easier to install than soft plug heaters. I have never understood that, and never will.

I'll be the judge of that . I'm going to install the block heater on my Kubota if I get the time this week..

 

[escavader]

JOHN K,
If you get to yours before me,tell me how you got the freeze plug out.The old threads said they npoked a hole in it and used pliers,and one said tapped it in on right side then pulled it out.Gonna use any lock tite?
ALAN

 

[johnk]

The instructions said to use locktite on the adapter bushing that goes in the block and teflon tape on the threads of the htg element. I'm going to whack it on the side with a punch. I knocked a lot of them out of engine blocks and some are tougher than others but they'll come out. Didn't check how much room I have to get at the plugs though. Hopefully it should be easy. DARN! I shouldn't have said that. You know how things go..........

 

[BigD23]

Good luck with the freeze plug...Let us know how that goes...I'm thinking about doing the same install for my 23.

Don

 

[LBrown59]

plan a trip to MAINE when the next blizzard comes through and ill let you run mine.

ALAN

That might be nice
I've never been to any of the new england states.
The farthest I've been is PA MD and Ny.

 

[john_bud]

I bet you'll look back on this and laugh! (or not)

The freeze plug should be able to be pried out by getting it to cock in the hole. Pound in on one side and pull out from the other. I will sometimes drill and insert a large screw on one side and pry on that while tapping on the other side with a chisel and hammer. Yeah, takes 3 hands...

jb

 

[escavader]

I bet you'll look back on this and laugh! (or not)

The freeze plug should be able to be pried out by getting it to cock in the hole. Pound in on one side and pull out from the other. I will sometimes drill and insert a large screw on one side and pry on that while tapping on the other side with a chisel and hammer. Yeah, takes 3 hands...

jb

YEP JOHN,BUD,Iwas thinking the same thing.
Now for the rant.NO RADIATOR HOSE FOR THE BX -23 IS AVAILABLE IN THE GREAT STATE OF MAINE,THAT I KNOW OF.Icalled all the dealers within 100 miles ,nope had to order it.Thursday if im lucky they said ,it all depends on UPS.Im going on MESSICKS and order a spare tonight ,so if the first one failsto arrive ,that one will get here.AN 8 dollar part and its not stockedA radiator hose isnt stocked ,but a adjustment knob for the rops is????/Both block heaters are in stock they are saving me one.The dealer said the one that has a 45 on the end is more popular.Im assuming so the wiring goes down to clear the side panel.Looks like i get to walk behind the old snowblower for a whileRant over
ALAN

 

[rbargeron]

.....The freeze plug should be able to be pried out by getting it to cock in the hole. Pound in on one side and pull out from the other. I will sometimes drill and insert a large screw on one side and pry on that while tapping on the other side with a chisel and hammer. Yeah, takes 3 hands.......

This weekend I put a freeze-plug heater in my cab L5450, same as the one I put in my other L5450 almost 5 years ago now. (step-by-step here) This time getting the old freeze plug out took the most time. The water passage is not very thick so there's not much room to "rotate" the plug out. If I were doing it again, I'd drill a hole toward one side for a large (like 1/4" dia) tapping screw. Grind the screw point blunt before turning it in and jacking the plug out.