2554 heat shields and underhood temps.

JSharp · Jul 13, 2007

Northstar - You're right. Knowing the real oil temp is a big deal. I think the readings I got from the filter are close if not perfect and my conversation with Kohler plus the safety switch information you found sort of confirms it. I'll look too this weekend to see if there's an easy place to tap in an oil temp sender. I'm *very* glad I added the oil cooler plus changed out to synthetic oil. The guy at Kohler strongly approved of both.

We'll never need anti-icing equipment. We have Cub Cadets!

Fordlords - Any information you can get from your 682 would be useful. The ducting in it is done right from what I can see in your photos. I wish I'd have seen and studied one IRL but I haven't. Yes the underhood area is tight, but the airlflow is proper IMO. No cooked clutches, no engine fan and intake drawing hot air.

Again IMO, just getting the cooling and intake air from a cool area would help our situation. Seeing 150ºF - 175ºF temps in those places can't be a good thing. Getting those down would make all the temps come down proportionally...

Fordlords · Jul 14, 2007

Here is what I came up with today. I used a calibrated Extech DMM with type K thermocouple thermometer. The outside air temp was 76 degrees and I mowed at full throttle for 20 minutes. These are all peak readings.

Air temp at air filter intake: 183
Air temp at air outlet: 241
Oil filter case: 171
Engine block at front by oil filter: 218
Oil temp: 220

Really the only conclusion I can reach is our air temps are running about the same with mine a little warmer, yet my engine itself and its oil are running much cooler. Makes little sense as my engine does not have an oil cooler. Go figure?

-Fordlords-

Dascro · Jul 14, 2007

I have been following this thread with some interest since I have a 2007 2550 with a little over 20 hours on it. While I haven't experienced any problems with the plastic hood (or anything else for that matter), I did take the opportunity to measure the temperature of the engine block beside the oil filter after mowing for about 1 1/2 hours today.

The reading I got was 274 degrees F. I used the temp probe from a multi-meter. The outdoor air temp was about 75 degrees F while I was mowing.

Even if the error on the temp probe of the multimeter is +/- 5%, it still seems too hot!

Dave

Northstar · Jul 15, 2007

I wonder has anyone tried this oil, Amsoil small engine synthetic ?
AMSOIL - Formula 4-Stroke 10W-30/SAE 30 Synthetic Small Engine Oil (ASE)

JTKub · Jul 15, 2007

JSharp, that 'OEM' heat shield box looks very similar to the one installed on a newer Kubota GT I've seen with a Kohler Command V-twin gas engine. It does seem like would put excessive heat load on the PTO, but you don't hear of any complaints from owners with $7K Kubotas equipped as such.

Joel

JSharp · Jul 15, 2007

Well guys, this has become more interesting. Had Drasco not posted that crankcase temp it would make me think that I just messed up when I checked mine. It's easy to do with the non-contact thermometers. The distance to measuring spot ratio is 10:1. So it's a 1" area with the gun 10" from the object etc. At distance it's easy to measure something you don't want to be measuring and get numbers that aren't very accurate.

But the number Dave saw for his crankcase temp mimics my numbers well enough. So...

Fordlords, you should look at your repower project and be quite happy with it. Even with ambients as high as ours or higher, your oil and crankcase temps are comfortably low. And on top of the low engine temps, you're not baking your clutch. Honda. IMO, that's all that needs said about that.

Northstar I think if you want to try Amsoil in your tractor the ACD might be a better choice.

https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/acd.aspx

Some of the Amsoil dealers here -

Bob Is The Oil Guy: Viewing list of forums

indicated the ACE is similar chemistry to the ACD but the latter has a higher TBN and possibly some other advantages. The downside is that it's only available in gallon or larger containers. Still, a gallon is only 2 changes. I'd probably run that if I didn't have a stash of other oils around.

Are you on the BITOG board? It might interest you along with everyone else in this thread. Lots of useful information about lubricants.

I broke my engine in on Rotella 10W-30 and now have a 50/50 mix of discontinued Mobil 1 Racing 0W-30 and Mobil 1 15W-50 Extended Performance in it. It ends up being a low viscosity 10W-40 according to the mix calculators. That may be adding a small amount to my oil temps but not that much. And lots of people run 5W-40 and 15W-40 oils in Kohlers with success so I didn't think it's out of line given these oil temps.

Anyway, I still want to see if I can get these temps down somehow on my tractor. The oil and crankcase temps bother me plenty...

JSharp · Jul 15, 2007

JTKub said:
JSharp, that 'OEM' heat shield box looks very similar to the one installed on a newer Kubota GT I've seen with a Kohler Command V-twin gas engine. It does seem like would put excessive heat load on the PTO, but you don't hear of any complaints from owners with $7K Kubotas equipped as such.

Joel

I'm starting to wonder if its worry for nothing JT. As long as we can keep our hoods from melting anyway.

But the oil temps are disturbing at least to me. And look at Fordlords Honda engine. Nice and cool even in a hotter environment.

All these heatshield changes are fairly new too. We really don't know if they'll have any effect on life since no one has enough hours on the tractors. You're right though, you would think we'd hear the Kubota guys mention it.

Do you happen to have any kind of thermometer that would allow you to check how hot your tractor runs? I'd love to see what the temps are on the older units with the metal hood and side panels.

Dascro · Jul 15, 2007

JSharp,

Where did you get the parts (i.e. adapter at the oil filter, cooler, etc) to install the oil cooler on your engine?

I am beginning to believe installing an oil cooler on my engine would be a smart thing to do.

At this point, I am not entirely sure what is causing a high temp reading of the engine block (oil sump). I agree the temps seem high, but also believe that the cooling air intake location has every conceivable opportunity to draw in cooler, ambient air. I must be missing something. Of course, maybe the engine is designed to run at this temperature for efficiency reasons (i.e. a “hot” engine is more efficient than and “cold” engine,. But there is a limit too!)

As far as the clutch being exposed to the heated cooling air, I am not as concerned about that as I am about the temp of the block and accordingly the oil.

Dave

JSharp · Jul 15, 2007

Dascro said:
JSharp,

Where did you get the parts (i.e. adapter at the oil filter, cooler, etc) to install the oil cooler on your engine?

I am beginning to believe installing an oil cooler on my engine would be a smart thing to do.

At this point, I am not entirely sure what is causing a high temp reading of the engine block (oil sump). I agree the temps seem high, but also believe that the cooling air intake location has every conceivable opportunity to draw in cooler, ambient air. I must be missing something. Of course, maybe the engine is designed to run at this temperature for efficiency reasons (i.e. a “hot” engine is more efficient than and “cold” engine,. But there is a limit too!)

As far as the clutch being exposed to the heated cooling air, I am not as concerned about that as I am about the temp of the block and accordingly the oil.

Dave

Here's where I got my oil cooler although anyone that sells Koher parts should be able to get one. Just ask for a Kohler 24 755 120-S kit. They're showing it for $118 now.

KOHLER ENGINE PART 24 755 120-S - KIT, OIL COOLER, KOHLER_ENGINE

One thing about it. One of the metal shroud parts that is included requires flywheel removal to install. No way was I doing that and we didn't need to. We just drilled a hole in the existing part and then filed it square instead of replacing it with the new part that has the square cooler mounting hole.

Once you get the kit this will all be obvious. All you need is hand tools and a drill to install it. A Dremel or other small grinder is nice to clean up the hole you''ll be cutting in the plastic shroud.

After seeing the temps of Fordlords Honda I also have to wonder why ours run so hot. But they do, and I just don't care for oil and sump temps this high...

Fordlords · Jul 16, 2007

I'm really shrugging my shoulders with this case. The Kohler Commands are nearly identical in design to the Honda GX'es. I can find no justified reason why a Kohler engine with the oil cooler installed should run that much hotter oil temps than the Honda with no cooler, that with our air temps being about on par with one another. You know if the oil filter casing is that hot- the oil itself has to be hotter.

OK, the Command is Kohler's first all aluminum small engine design and Honda has been making aluminum air cooled small engines for about 50 years. So maybe experience helps in this case. I'm just not sure what else you can do to bring the oil temp down short of using the cooler.

-Fordlords-