Low Cab Heat in Jodale Perry - Help???

[2305JD]

The JD radiator fans move a lot of air. Enough to cool the block when the engine isn't running under a moderate to heavy load. This amount of air flow is meant to keep them cool during the summer months when brush cutting or other heavy loads. Ultimately you may need to block part of the radiator during the winter to keep the coolant temp up so you get good heat.

Would there be any benefit in flushing the cooling system and replacing fesh antifreeze/water mixture?

 

[jimgerken]

Labrat has it correct, you may have to block half or more of the radiator to get more heat out of your new "radiator" (heater core). I have done something a lot like your project before. The conclusion I came to was that, since I had about doubled the total volume of the water in the system and effectively about doubled the radiator area (with uninsulated hose and more "radiator" in the form of heater core), the system was then sized for a lot more cooling than originally designed. The heat source (engine) could not keep up. In addition, the original system was sized to cool your engine on a hot day when you are working the tractor hard, with engine loads and additional hydraulic loads, all cooled up-front there. Now you are blowing snow (not terribly hard work in a continuous fashion, intermittantly high loads on engine), and doing it on a very cold environment, winter, and you've about doubled your cooling system capacity, its going to run colder. If you have a way to monitor the engine coolant temp (gauge on dash hopefully), cover half the radiator and go blowing snow. Cover more if you have to, but keep temp under 220 by all means. I used to have to cover all but about 10 square inches of radiator on a small liquid cooled airplane once I added the in-cabin heater core and associated plumbing.

 

[JD4ME2]

Just my 2 cents, but I agree with the last couple of posts, once you put her under a load she will warm up. Just driving down the road probably helped to cool it even more. If you switched the hoses on both ends, your back where you started.
I think your worried for nothing. You have a very nice cab, wish I had one.
Good luck

 

[2305JD]

Just my 2 cents, but I agree with the last couple of posts, once you put her under a load she will warm up. Just driving down the road probably helped to cool it even more. If you switched the hoses on both ends, your back where you started.
I think your worried for nothing. You have a very nice cab, wish I had one.
Good luck

I appreciate all the advice guys. I guess I will button it up and give a true test run in snow condition.

My earlier post might have been confusing. I did switch the hoses on both ends but they had them installed wrong on the heater and I had already switched them on the tractor before. Basically, I've flipped them back and forth more than once.

It's sounds confusing but the bottom line is now that the supply hose come from the thermostat housing where the upper rad hose is tied and the return dumps back into the coolant pump where the lower rad hose is tied in. On the heater core supply goes in the bottom and return comes out the top.

Could an improper mixture of antifreeze / water be a problem. I've drained and refilled this thing so many times now that I dont know what mixture I have anymore.

This is why I'm thinking of flushing it and filling it once again with the proper mixture. Any comments??

 

[jenkinsph]

Buy an antifreeze tester and see what your existing solution is capable of. Just a few bucks at an auto parts store. If you don't have enough protection then drain out some of the coolant (dispose of properly of course) and add full strength anti freeze.

 

[kennyd]

Buy an antifreeze tester and see what your existing solution is capable of. Just a few bucks at an auto parts store. If you don't have enough protection then drain out some of the coolant (dispose of properly of course) and add full strength anti freeze.

Good advice, And don't forget the DCA/SCA also...

There is a additive that is put into the coolant of diesel engines to protect against cavitation.

 

[2305JD]

JD2305,
If you got the cab temperature to 88 F with the roof off of the cab you should be good to go. I would button it up and call it good, if you need it warmer than 65 F on the coldest days you may need to block off the radiator. For now though I wouldn't bother with anything else until I used it working for a few hours.

Don't know if you have one already but install a coolant heater that you can leave plugged in to cut down on the time it takes to warm up your cab.

Ok, put the roof back on tonight and after 10 minutes of running at full throttle I had 129 F coming out of the vent on low speed fan and approx. 90 F in the cab. I was pressed for time so I didnt have a chance to take it for a ride. It was just at a parked position.

Since I was worried about the mixture ratio from draining and refilling so many times, I did drain the coolant fluid tonight and put in a fresh jug of Premixed at 50/50 ratio antifreeze and water. I was going to flush the system as well but after talking to the mechanic at the local dealer he talked me out of it. He said it would be a waist since there is only 60 hours on my machine and by draining and replacing fluid I would accomplish the proper mixture.

I think I'm almost there...

Thanks,

Mario

Again I only ran it 10 minutes after filling it with new coolant so there could still be a bit of air to be purged but I'm light years ahead of where it was when I first installed the cab.

 

[jenkinsph]

JD2305,
Glad you feel better about all of this, when I installed my Laurin cab on the 110 I had to purge the air too. I am in the HVAC business so was more familiar with all of this. If the air temperature coming out of the ducts is 129F then the water temperature being circulated is much higher. You will never achieve the same air temps as the water temps.

I think you need to get control of yourself though. I would never take my new tractor and run it at full speed for 10 minutes to test the heater. Let it go! Time to use the blower and relax about the cab heat.

On another note check your AC, today I had to run across town in my 4520 (about 20 minutes at 2400 rpm) and had to turn on the AC to cool down the cab. That is in a ski town at 7,600 ft elev.

 

[2305JD]

JD2305,
Glad you feel better about all of this, when I installed my Laurin cab on the 110 I had to purge the air too. I am in the HVAC business so was more familiar with all of this. If the air temperature coming out of the ducts is 129F then the water temperature being circulated is much higher. You will never achieve the same air temps as the water temps.

I think you need to get control of yourself though. I would never take my new tractor and run it at full speed for 10 minutes to test the heater. Let it go! Time to use the blower and relax about the cab heat.

On another note check your AC, today I had to run across town in my 4520 (about 20 minutes at 2400 rpm) and had to turn on the AC to cool down the cab. That is in a ski town at 7,600 ft elev.

Thanks for the input. My tractor is "new to me" and has 61 hours on it so a bit broken in.

Also, once again I was following instructions in the Jodale Perry manual. They said to run at PTO RPM for 5 to 10 minutes with Rad cap off to purge air.

Is that the right way to purge air out? I would like to know the proper method...

I am happy that I was persistant in staying on this problem. I went from 104 F out the vents to 129 F. I'm sure I wont regret the extra 25 F in a blizzard.

No A/C in this cab so nothing to check...

I'm going to wash, wax and throw the loader back on tomorrow morning and do the snow dance at this point.

To summarize my experience with Jodale Perry cab install, they make an excellent cab but their instruction manual is one of the worst I've ever seen!!!

Thanks Again,

Mario

 

[msturbo]

I have a 2520 that I will adding a heater soon. I have question about the supply line hookup.

What side of the thermostat housing did you tap into? It looks like you tapped into the drivers side near the alternator.

I bought the Curtis adapter and their manual shows it hooked up on the opposite side. I don't know if it makes any difference but the drivers side might be the suction side of the water pump. Just a thought for you to consider. Can you post a picture of your hookup at the thermostat?

MSTURBO