Coolant change: refill reservoir?

[MarkLeininger]

Changed the coolant on my B2710. Manual doesn't say anything about adding fluid to the reservoir, just says to fill the radiator. I've run the tractor about 15 minutes but there's no fluid in the reservoir; the radiator is full. Should I add coolant to the reservoir up to the full line when the tractor is hot?

 

[ToadHill]

Yes, if your tractor is like mine the reservoir was drained when you drained the radiator.

 

[MarkLeininger]

Yes, if your tractor is like mine the reservoir was drained when you drained the radiator.

I drained the reservoir by blowing low pressure compressed air into the reservoir overflow tube, which pushed all the old coolant back into the radiator, which caused it to all get drained during the coolant change.

I filled the radiator right up to the top, ran it for a few minutes, then topped it off again. I would expect that running the engine until it was hot would have caused the reservoir to fill on it's own from expansion in the cooling system. I guess I'll add coolant to the low level on the reservoir when the tractor is cold and see what happens.
thanks

 

[number two]

The ideal condition would be to have the radiator completely full and the reservoir 1/2 full with the engine dead cold.This gives the cooling system room to expand when hot into the reservoir,then pull the coolant back into the radiator as it cools.Keeps down cavitation with no air in the system.May take several heat/cool cycles to achieve.Sounds like you're on the right track.

 

[CurlyDave]

While you are at it, take the reservoir off and clean the inside of it. Mine always accumulate some kind of black crud on the inside.

 

[MarkLeininger]

While you are at it, take the reservoir off and clean the inside of it. Mine always accumulate some kind of black crud on the inside.

Interesting, I felt like I wasted my time because I collected the antifreeze in a clear container and couldn't find one particle of anything in it. Looked as green as the day it went in there. I flushed it once with distilled water and that came out looking like drinking water. I was hoping all kinds of yuck and oogies would come out so I'd feel like I got my money's worth. That antifreeze was in there 4 years. I looked through the bottom of the reservoir from the outside and didn't see anything on the bottome. I'll take a closer look when I fill it.

 

[Bird]

I filled the radiator right up to the top, ran it for a few minutes, then topped it off again. I would expect that running the engine until it was hot would have caused the reservoir to fill on it's own from expansion in the cooling system. I guess I'll add coolant to the low level on the reservoir when the tractor is cold and see what happens.

Sometimes when you drain a cooling system and refill it, there is some air that isn't all expelled until the vehicle is run enough to get it warm enough to open a thermostat and let the coolant circulate, but yes if the coolant rcovery jug has a "low" level mark, you should fill it to that mark initially. If it doesn't have such a mark, then just do what number two above said.

 

[crashz]

Interesting, I felt like I wasted my time because I collected the antifreeze in a clear container and couldn't find one particle of anything in it. Looked as green as the day it went in there. I flushed it once with distilled water and that came out looking like drinking water. I was hoping all kinds of yuck and oogies would come out so I'd feel like I got my money's worth. That antifreeze was in there 4 years. I looked through the bottom of the reservoir from the outside and didn't see anything on the bottome. I'll take a closer look when I fill it.

Actually, thats a good thing. I drained and refilled my cooling system last year, which looked perfect from the top, and some of the nastiest gunk came out. Thats a good sign that the metals are not corroding in your engine!