Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery...

[CADplans]

I have had the tractor 20 years (it is a total of 40 years old), and yesterday, for the second time ever,, the tractor overheated,,,

I have checked/maintained all the usual things,, I think,,,
Clean engine oil and filter
Clean hydraulic oil and filter earlier this summer,
No phantom hydraulic load from a valve being left engaged (I have done that before,, it makes noise),
Radiator clean, and full,
The flail mower turns as free as usual,

The grass is thick, but, not overly tall, I cut it 5-6 weeks ago,
I was not cutting lower than usual,

I had to cut in 3rd gear, rather than 4th gear, to keep it from overheating.

The temp gauge only moves about an additional 10% of the possible movement (it does not go "full over")

The overheating shows itself as the engine coughs and sputters,, making less power,,
I quickly disengage the mower, and let the tractor idle for 5-10 minutes,
yesterday, it was 93+ degrees when it happened,, so I just put the tractor away when it happened,,
It mowed fine this morning, when I finished up what I had left yesterday. I did stay in 3rd gear.

So could the high air temp have caused the overheating?
I never noticed the mid 90's or less temp causing a tractor to overheat before,,,

Is my 40 year old tractor "just old" and this type overheating going to be the new norm?
Could the new low sulfur fuel be causing the overheating, as compared to what the machine was designed for?

Any help would be appreciated,,, :thumbsup:

 

[searcyfarms]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

higher air temp/humidity will cause more heat issues - humidity/wet causes tougher grass - maybe the radiator needs blowing out from last mowing - gearing down will reduce heat in your diesel for sure as it keeps the loading down on the engine, if its a hill you can usually gear up going downhill, gear down going uphill to help with heating - flail mowers pull harder than typical rotary mowers - depending on weather you may have had more undergrowth this mowing - lots of variables - when is the last time you chemically flushed the cooling system? changed thermostat? replaced cooling fluid?

 

[CADplans]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

when is the last time you chemically flushed the cooling system? changed thermostat? replaced cooling fluid?

I have typically water flushed the cooling system every five years,, and I switched to Rotella ELC coolant last summer,,,

Hmmm ,, the coolant is different than the old "green" stuff,,,

I have never looked at the thermostat,, the engine warms up perfectly, so I never looked at that,,,

The undergrowth of the grass may be the answer,, we are on our second year of extra wet weather,,,

 

[Rmart30]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

if the thermostat hasnt been changed id do it first and do a flush on the cooling system and refill with new coolant. Also make sure the lower radiator hose isnt sucking closed under throttle. Some have a metal spring inside them to prevent it that and sometimes fall apart. Or, the hose gets old and soft and wont hold its open shape when it gets hot.
Ck and make sure fan belt is good and tight,

 

[searcyfarms]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

just changing fluid may have stirred things up, did you flush it chemically at that time, i would have changed the thermostat at that time but thats just me if you dont know when the last time it was changed, shouldnt be any difference in the cooling ability from ELC to standard, we have had an exceptionally wet year here as well and it has really been odd dealing with the different ways it has affected grass/crops etc.....

definitely wash out the radiator, definitely check belt and hose like Rmart says - Im over cautious, i wash out my radiator of my 5088 and A/C condensor every time i mow CRP for 8 hours - you get a lot of stuff sucked in with taller grasses, weeds and aroudn here we have a lot of cotton from trees and cat tails that will clog things up quickly, i dont like to worry about stuff when i am working, CRP is a booger to mow around here I like to get it before the ragweed opens up as well

 

[CADplans]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

The belt is in good shape, and tight,,
the lower hose is in good shape also, not spongy at all,,,

I may have to break down and buy a new thermostat,,,

 

[searcyfarms]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

dont rule out the mower either, it may have a bearing going or something in the driveline turning harder, hit some dirt/rock and dull blades on mower? i realize its a flail but they do get dull over time

 

[CADplans]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

dont rule out the mower either, it may have a bearing going or something in the driveline turning harder, hit some dirt/rock and dull blades on mower? i realize its a flail but they do get dull over time

The flail is 10+ (maybe 15) years old,, it could have issues,,

I had a 6.5 foot bush hog from my previous tractor,, the 584 thrashed that mower so hard, I had to get something bigger,,
the 390 mower was the bigger replacement,, So now I am guessing the 390 mower may be over 15 years old.

It has the original flails, but, I only cut 25-50 acres per year,,, the flails "look" almost like new,,,

 

[searcyfarms]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

WOW, 10 foot flail on a 52 PTO hp tractor is asking a LOT especially since 4L according to tractor data is right at 5mph im surprised it hasnt overheated before now

we run 2 to 3 mph tops iwth 100+ hp tractors in CRP on 15 foot batwings mowing at 10 to 12 inches and the 105 white overheats at 3mph and we have to gear down to 2.2 on it to get it to cool down

I think that lil 584 is running its heart out for you

 

[CalG]

Re: Tractor OVERHEATING Mystery,,,

Are we all thinking that operation at full rated horse power under "normal" weather conditions were NOT part of the cooling system layout, in it's original design considerations?

May be. I know there is an aftermarket for "heavy duty, four row radiators". But HP is HP, and it comes with a heat burden. I'm thinking a radiator clean, inside and out, just might be the ticket. DO NOT USE A PRESSURE WASH! the fins get bent and impede air flow.