Is my MF 231 running too hot??

Winmac · Apr 7, 2014

Travis_R said:
Also I forgot to ask, was I supposed to "burp" the coolant system or something?

No need to burp the system when the Tstat has an air bleed hole or jiggle valve

Travis_R · Apr 7, 2014

Winmac said:
No need to burp the system when the Tstat has an air bleed hole or jiggle valve

Learned something new again..

Travis_R · Apr 7, 2014

Sawtooth, Tom,

Did u get a chance to read my last lengthy post?

TomSeller · Apr 8, 2014

Travis_R said:
Sawtooth, Tom,

Did u get a chance to read my last lengthy post?

Travis,

I really think you are in over your head. I suggest you have a mechanic look at it.

Travis_R · Apr 8, 2014

TomSeller said:
Travis, I really think you are in over your head. I suggest you have a mechanic look at it.

I'm gonna look into it a little more. If I can't fix it then I'll get a mechanic. I'm almost leaning towards the radiator may be blocked, but a ways from being sure.

Travis_R · Apr 8, 2014

Almost positive I got the problem(s) narrowed down. FINALLY.

As for the alternator or the radiator, they are fine! When the radiator cap fell off, it hit the cooling fins on the alternator and bent them in just enough to make them rub against the housing.
Took a screwdriver and bent the fins out some. Problem solved.

But look at the pic below. This is with the tractor high idling at 1900 RPMs, no engine load, no radiator blockage...

Look at how high the needle is on the gauge, almost in the white (which is a sun faded red color) and the temperature at the Tstat housing is 178F-180.5F

The radiator will boil over now if I remove the new cap. Never did that with the old cap like I knew it should. So now it's holding pressure.

So what I've concluded is either the Temp Sending Unit is bad, AND/OR the Temp Gauge is bad.
Good news is I placed an order for both of them yesterday evening.

I'm wondering if I should change both (if they're both bad), or only the one that's defective.

Since it's easy to do, I'm gonna change out the sending unit first, to see what the old gauge reads... If it don't read high, we'll know the sending unit was the problem.
If it still reads high, I'll install the new gauge and see what it reads.

It's either gonna be one of the other, or both. There's always that chance of being wrong, but I feel very confident this is it.

CalG · Apr 8, 2014

How did you get water to boil at 180 degrees F?

'Tis a miracle I tell ya'! OR else that new radiator cap pulls a vacuum instead of holding pressure.

Travis_R · Apr 8, 2014

CalG said:
How did you get water to boil at 180 degrees F?

'Tis a miracle I tell ya'! OR else that new radiator cap pulls a vacuum instead of holding pressure.

You have a good point. Never thought about that. But I'm not sure the water was actually boiling. When I removed the cap water came out the top.

I do remember 1 time I opened the drain valve on the bottom of the radiator, water barely came out and completely stopped. Then I open the radiator cap and water poured out the drain valve until I closed it off.

Not sure if this is normal or not but this is what it did.

Travis_R · Apr 8, 2014

CalG said:
How did you get water to boil at 180 degrees F? 'Tis a miracle I tell ya'! OR else that new radiator cap pulls a vacuum instead of holding pressure.

Like I stated, you do have a good point but none of the radiator hoses are collapsed either.

Travis_R · Apr 8, 2014

Wether it matters or not, I also wanted to mention that I noticed when the water was cold and the radiator cap off, the water was wanting to rise up in the neck of the radiator. when the engine was high idling. It would have came out if I left the cap off long enough.
...only did this since the new 180F thermostat was installed.