New to the Site, and asking for some answers with my new to me F3550

[AirForceJack]

Hello to All,
So glad to be apart of a great site, I have been reading and seeing the research and questions and answers from all over, how all you guys work together to help someone out is what its all about:thumbsup:
Hope fully i can be able to give my input and get some back as well..
So here we go, I just bought a new to me Branson F3550 (also known as the century 2035) with the Mitsubishi s4L2.
Got a really good deal on it i believe.
I have sent some questions out to Branson already but since its been the weekend, no answers yet.
I would love to hear everyones answers and 2 cents on these questions.

1. Where would the Hour meter on these be located?
2. Dont have a Service/Repair manual, does anyone have a download link,number,etc?
3.In the Pictures hopefully that were attached the on with the Gauge cluster is showing Almost high(red) for temp, im going to check the t.stat in boiling water and if that checks out ill check the actual impeller on the water pump. Anything else?
4. Also in the close up of the bucket on the great bend loader, i have chains in the bottom of the bucket, is this a common practice, do i need to get a hold of someone from Bush Hog and see if they have the actual clamps?

Well Thanks Advance, i have about 10 acres in Rosharon, Tx. about 20-30 miles South of Houston, Be using it for Hay Work and brush hogging here and there.
Btw whats everyones take on these?

Thanks again everyone!:flag-airforce::united-states::us-texas:

AF Jack

 

[Texasmark]

Don't hold your breath on an hour meter. If you had it it would be right in front of you in the dash gauges.

Can't help with a serv manual. Try the Branson facility in Plainview, Tx. Don't have the phone no, but go to the Branson site and look up locations. Get that one and give Buster a call.

On the high temp, radiator could be clogged externally or internally. Mowing can put a lot of grass into the cooling coils of the radiator(s). Then drain out some coolant so that you can see the top of the fins. If clogged, time to flush out the cooling system good and refill with 50-50. Seems the guys on the old tractor forums use white household vinegar (acetic acid 5% dilution) full strength. Leave it in for a week or so and drain. If it comes out really cruddy, do it again and then rinse run with clear water to get it all flushed out then refill with 50-50 af mix.

Check the chains for wear. Seems they have been doing their job for quite awhile. If so and they outlasted your OEM brackets then why change.

 

[aircommuter]

Check coolant temperature with a thermometer in the tank to verify the gauge first things first.

 

[mddorange]

:welcome:
To the TBN forum AF Jack. Glad you decided to join with us here. You will definitely get the answers here as there are many experts here.

Thanks for your service. So, how long were you in the Air Force and are you retired now?

 

[AirForceJack]

:welcome:
To the TBN forum AF Jack. Glad you decided to join with us here. You will definitely get the answers here as there are many experts here.

Thanks for your service. So, how long were you in the Air Force and are you retired now?

I appreciate it, it was my Pleasure. Thank you also!
I was only in for 4, Luke AFB, Osan Airbase in S. Korea and back to Luke. Crew Chief on F-16s, i do miss it quite a bit. Im at Lyondell now in operations.

 

[AirForceJack]

Don't hold your breath on an hour meter. If you had it it would be right in front of you in the dash gauges.

Can't help with a serv manual. Try the Branson facility in Plainview, Tx. Don't have the phone no, but go to the Branson site and look up locations. Get that one and give Buster a call.

On the high temp, radiator could be clogged externally or internally. Mowing can put a lot of grass into the cooling coils of the radiator(s). Then drain out some coolant so that you can see the top of the fins. If clogged, time to flush out the cooling system good and refill with 50-50. Seems the guys on the old tractor forums use white household vinegar (acetic acid 5% dilution) full strength. Leave it in for a week or so and drain. If it comes out really cruddy, do it again and then rinse run with clear water to get it all flushed out then refill with 50-50 af mix.

Check the chains for wear. Seems they have been doing their job for quite awhile. If so and they outlasted your OEM brackets then why change.

Ok well im good with the hour meter then i guess,
ill give Buster a call tomorrow about the service manual.
I understand on the coolant ill try it out and let you know, ill also check the radiator. i was going to change out the thermostat but they are more than the water pump. Im wondering if there is another type like from an auto parts store that would work?
About the Loader though, the chains actually have a bit of slack in them, they do look like they have been on there a bit, thinking i would feel better with the oem clamps on them. when i go up with the loader it jogs a bit and those move a little, im thinking thats why it jogs because of those or maybe a little air in the system.

 

[AirForceJack]

Check coolant temperature with a thermometer in the tank to verify the gauge first things first.

!0-4 will do!

 

[Texasmark]

Ok well im good with the hour meter then i guess,
ill give Buster a call tomorrow about the service manual.
I understand on the coolant ill try it out and let you know, ill also check the radiator. i was going to change out the thermostat but they are more than the water pump. Im wondering if there is another type like from an auto parts store that would work?
About the Loader though, the chains actually have a bit of slack in them, they do look like they have been on there a bit, thinking i would feel better with the oem clamps on them. when i go up with the loader it jogs a bit and those move a little, im thinking thats why it jogs because of those or maybe a little air in the system.

I just happened to find his number: (806) 293-0337. You can put your thermostat in a pot of water on the kitchen stove and with a candy thermometer determine at what temperature it starts to open. A lot of stats will have a number stamped in the copper pellet. Being Korean made the number is probably metric....degrees C rather than F. You can google a C to F comparison scale on the www. Tractors I know of run anywhere from 165-192F, with the hotter stats in Northern climates, especially with diesel engines.

Bleeding air is a no brainer. Just run the lift max down to max up several times and it will purge any air in the system.

On why the original bracket broke gotta wonder what the PO was doing to cause it. My experience with, and one of the main reasons for purchansing Branson (besides the Cummins licensed engines and list of standard amenities) was the reserve capacity built into the Kukje machines. Going to bet you the PO was way out-of-line with what he was doing when he broke them.

 

[mddorange]

I appreciate it, it was my Pleasure. Thank you also!
I was only in for 4, Luke AFB, Osan Airbase in S. Korea and back to Luke. Crew Chief on F-16s, i do miss it quite a bit. Im at Lyondell now in operations.

So do you get to travel any with them as they have many locations?

After I retired, I went to work for any engineering firm that did most of their business with steel mills. So I travel more then than I did while in the AF including trips to other countries. In fact, I went to a steel mill in CA just before 9/11 and thought I was going to have to drive across the country to get back.

 

[AirForceJack]

I just happened to find his number: (806) 293-0337. You can put your thermostat in a pot of water on the kitchen stove and with a candy thermometer determine at what temperature it starts to open. A lot of stats will have a number stamped in the copper pellet. Being Korean made the number is probably metric....degrees C rather than F. You can google a C to F comparison scale on the www. Tractors I know of run anywhere from 165-192F, with the hotter stats in Northern climates, especially with diesel engines.

Bleeding air is a no brainer. Just run the lift max down to max up several times and it will purge any air in the system.

On why the original bracket broke gotta wonder what the PO was doing to cause it. My experience with, and one of the main reasons for purchansing Branson (besides the Cummins licensed engines and list of standard amenities) was the reserve capacity built into the Kukje machines. Going to bet you the PO was way out-of-line with what he was doing when he broke them.

Awesome! thanks for the number, I sprayed off the radiator really good and it actually brought the temp down to just above the 1/2 way point. I havnt had another day off yet to do much tinkering.. But as soon as i do i will try the thermostat in the pot. Yeah the previous owner ran about a 25 acre horse ranch i guess. So she had guys doing daily work, not telling what that was. But think the front loader was worked pretty good, may also be why it shakes a bit on the way up. But yeah im still looking for those brackets. guess im just going to have to call brush hog

Thanks for the update!