Overheating from dirt in Radiator

JagAlfaOwner · Oct 11, 2010

This summer has been bad for being dry. I have a New Holland TZ25D and when it is hot the dirt and grass dust gets into the Radiator. The needle on the gauge is normally down at the bottom just in the Green. After a while it gets about 1/2 gauge. Then I look down and it is almost pegged at the top of the gauge!

I use my shop vac and clean the front of the grill. Then I open the hood and there is all this dirt clogging up the radiator. As soon as I clean the dust off the temerature gauge drops to just in the green at the bottom. Has anyone else found a way to make a screen just a few inches from the radiator to catch the dirt? That would allow air flow and not over heat. I have to vacuum the compartment out 4 or more times while mowing my 2 acres.

How hot is the top of the gauge? I try not to let the engine stop while I clean and it always drops to normal. Am I doing any damage or some extra maintenance I should do?
Al

JC-jetro · Oct 11, 2010

JagAlfaOwner said:
This summer has been bad for being dry. I have a New Holland TZ25D and when it is hot the dirt and grass dust gets into the Radiator. The needle on the gauge is normally down at the bottom just in the Green. After a while it gets about 1/2 gauge. Then I look down and it is almost pegged at the top of the gauge!

I use my shop vac and clean the front of the grill. Then I open the hood and there is all this dirt clogging up the radiator. As soon as I clean the dust off the temerature gauge drops to just in the green at the bottom. Has anyone else found a way to make a screen just a few inches from the radiator to catch the dirt? That would allow air flow and not over heat. I have to vacuum the compartment out 4 or more times while mowing my 2 acres.

How hot is the top of the gauge? I try not to let the engine stop while I clean and it always drops to normal. Am I doing any damage or some extra maintenance I should do?
Al

Shop vac does a decent job of sucking the dirt but does no have great volume of air movement. What I have luck with to use my electric leaf blower. it got much more air quantity and decent pressure and I can get to all the area of radiator. I push air from both side. I have used a spray nozzle and garden hose to clean the fins but I have to use a lot of water to not turn the dirt in to plaster like stuff that stick to the fin pretty well. commercially they have coil cleaner to clean and loosen dirt that adhere to specially cooling coil.

Your best bet on finding the temp is using a Infra red Thermometer that does a great job. Recently I had a thread about temp on diesel engine that might be of interest to you.

JC,

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/new-holland-owning-operating/179639-how-much-temp-too-much.html

Thomas · Oct 12, 2010

Air compressor 4" from rad. about 80 psi does good job..blow from inside out what you can first w/ tractor shut off so dirt etc. does get suck into air cleaner.

Egon · Oct 12, 2010

Window screen will pick up a lot of the stuff.:thumbsup:

IslandTractor · Oct 12, 2010

I'm surprised to hear that you don't have a prescreen in front of the radiator on your NH. I've only owned Kioti tractors but they all have them as standard equipment. Just a matter of undoing a thumbscrew, pulling it out, knocking it off and putting it back in.

I would imagine it would take a fair degree of metal working skills to make a screen that fit properly but just about any screen in front of the radiator that you could remove in the field would be better than nothing.

blueriver · Oct 12, 2010

I use a furnace filter in the front ... 2 bungee cords to hold it in place. When the temp gauge goes up I find a shade tree let the ole girl idle awhile. Shut her down and then shake out the filter and put it back in. Works great for me.

JFS2295 · Oct 12, 2010

My 1710 has a screen.

JagAlfaOwner · Oct 12, 2010

Yes, it has a screen in front of the Radiator. That fills and blocks the air into the Radiator. So rather than vacuum it just pull it up and shake? Hmm. never rally thought of it that way. The grass on the front grill will fall off or least it has not caused an issue so far.

Al

IslandTractor · Oct 12, 2010

JagAlfaOwner said:
Yes, it has a screen in front of the Radiator. That fills and blocks the air into the Radiator. So rather than vacuum it just pull it up and shake? Hmm. never rally thought of it that way. The grass on the front grill will fall off or least it has not caused an issue so far.

Al

That is what the prescreen is for. You shouldn't need to be in the shop with compressed air or vacuum. Field service is all that is needed. You don't even need to get it clean just knock most of the crap off the screen and put it back. Takes 15 seconds.

buck12 · Oct 12, 2010

As others have said the window type screen catches the crud floating in the air when bush hogging. I clip several small fields once a year with the weeds being taller than the tractor. When cutting such areas I have to clean the screen every hour or so. I watch the temp gauge and when it begins to move from its usual position of center I simply pull the screen. In less than a minute I am back cutting. After cutting this type of over growth I use a blow gun on the air compressor to blow out the radiator from the back side.