Z145 cooling problems

[Lava Rancher]

The sheet metal was definitely designed to come off as one piece. One of the things I learned today. Plan for tomorrow is: plug petcock, run with a flush in it. Drain and removed. Looks like an eraser might plug it. If it blows out I'll turn it off.

 

[Lava Rancher]

Eraser did work. I ran it for 15 minutes, moved it into the pole barn and drained it. Radiator is an easy removal. I do have the thermostat housing to shroud prop which should aid rapid reassembly. The neck off the housing is very corroded and the surface facing the gasket is far from true. I'm amazed it sealed as there was a thin rubbery gasked instead of the thick cardboard replacement. It's a small peace to refurbish while I wait for the radiator. The pump seems fine and I'll leave it for now. NOw that I know how to remove the sheetmetal and radiator I don't fear taking them off to replace it. Thermostat popped out with some persuasion, I think it had been acting as the gasket between the housing and neck.

 

[The kid]

Eraser did work. I ran it for 15 minutes, moved it into the pole barn and drained it. Radiator is an easy removal. I do have the thermostat housing to shroud prop which should aid rapid reassembly. The neck off the housing is very corroded and the surface facing the gasket is far from true. I'm amazed it sealed as there was a thin rubbery gasked instead of the thick cardboard replacement. It's a small peace to refurbish while I wait for the radiator. The pump seems fine and I'll leave it for now. NOw that I know how to remove the sheetmetal and radiator I don't fear taking them off to replace it. Thermostat popped out with some persuasion, I think it had been acting as the gasket between the housing and neck.

AGCO shows that petcock as a replacable part. Now whether it's a production part is another story. Only the dealer will know that. The radiator shop would be a good investment. They can clean it, pressure test it, and fix the drain spicket. If the material is compressed bad enough, you can take an old leather belt and make some pads that go between the frame and the rad when you bolt it back on. Just make sure your fan don't hit before you lock everything down.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

This has become a very timely thread for me, as I started to pull down the cowling to replace the water pump/pulley on my 135 yesterday....I actually did remove the top covering by myself...just as its shown in the manual...won't go back on that way though...I could have used a couple more hands at the back end...didn't have a big bucket with me so I didn't drain anything yet, but I sprayed some WD40 on the petcock, let is set for a few minutes and then tried to open it...it opened quite well thank you... I don't think anyone has ever done anything to the radiator/waterpump/hoses, so this will be "enlightning"...I did put a box end on 2 of the three nuts holding the pump on and started to turn them off..the 3rd one holds the bracket for the generator...you can only use an open end wrench on it..it too started to turn out as welll..thankfully I don't think I'll be twisting off any studs...more later. BobG in VA

 

[The kid]

This has become a very timely thread for me, as I started to pull down the cowling to replace the water pump/pulley on my 135 yesterday....I actually did remove the top covering by myself...just as its shown in the manual...won't go back on that way though...I could have used a couple more hands at the back end...didn't have a big bucket with me so I didn't drain anything yet, but I sprayed some WD40 on the petcock, let is set for a few minutes and then tried to open it...it opened quite well thank you... I don't think anyone has ever done anything to the radiator/waterpump/hoses, so this will be "enlightning"...I did put a box end on 2 of the three nuts holding the pump on and started to turn them off..the 3rd one holds the bracket for the generator...you can only use an open end wrench on it..it too started to turn out as welll..thankfully I don't think I'll be twisting off any studs...more later. BobG in VA

Bob, I'd round up some help and put the cowl back on in one piece. Way too much for one person to handle, since we don't have eyes at our ankles. Some of those bolts that bolt only from the inside is a real bear. If you get a couple of people/neighbors willing to give you a few minutes. One on each side and one to guide the bottom slots in would save you hours of work.

Since working on my 135 I've used my torch more than I have in years freeing up rusty nuts and bolts. Glad to hear everything is comming loose without having to improvise.

 

[Lava Rancher]

If it isn't one thing, it's another. Put it all back together without a thermostat to first fill it up and then put in the thermostat. Had a brain wave: better add some water first to make sure the petcock will really close. Sure enough, water poured right out. It'll go back together again. I have learned that you can replace the hoses and thermostat without removing the fuel tank. It just take patience and the ability to make up new swear words.

 

[Lava Rancher]

I put it back together without a thermostat to see if I could get the temp gauge to work. Negative on that front. New radiator cap, rodded out radiator, new hoses. Water is flowing well. I went out and mowed in my pasture which has very thick growth with is smothering regrowth. I irrigated with flood irrigation last Friday so it is fine to drive on but still soft. It was running well and I was feeling quite confident when one of the rears started to spin. Hopefully I'll learn to stop and investigate when that happens. I didn't and stomped on the diff lock. Next thing I know the front wheels are three feet in the air. I shut her down and investigated. The flange between the transmission and clutch housing had caught a stump and uprooted it while pushing it onto its side and wedging it under the left side of the transmission housing. I walked back to the house for a tow strap and come-along. As I walked back I came to my senses and call a friend with a medium duty tow. We lifted the front another foot and then we winched the stump out. No obvious damage although there is a bit of a drip of oil which I'm hoping was from being parked so long at such an odd angle and not from an actual broken flange or casting. I am glad I was mowing with a top link installed as that probably stopped me from flipping on level ground. While giving it a once over I saw that the rubber fuel line was about to fail so its parked while I return that to metal. Someday I'll learn that power and traction aren't always the answer.

 

[gearmaker]

This is an old thread but since I had cooling problems I thought I would respond. Mine had a new radiator and water pump, thermostat but kinked hoses. I thought that was the problem. No it was the timing and a cracked cap. My timing set properly but the advance was frozen. That turned out to be my problem. Bad timing led to bad carb mixture on my part. So as mentioned earlier in the thread. TIMING first!
thanks, David