Added a temp. indicator

[RobB7300]

With all the talk about diesel engine operation I was getting concerned that since I couldn't monitor engine temp it may not be warm enough in the winter. So I bought a temp indicator and installed it today. There is a piece of round chunk of metal on the side of the thermostat housing that has a hole in it. The bushing that came with the indicator fit right in there after I ground the threads off. I used RTV and tapped it into place. I filled the cavity with antifreeze and screwed the sensor right in but not to tight to allow for expansion. I mounted the indicator right next to the throttle, the only place it would fit, where I could monitor it. It seems to work just fine, comes up to about 180 degrees and stays there. I thought it wouldn't indicate true engine temp since it isn't in the fluid stream. But it is close enough that it works great. Not quite factory perfect but I like it.

 

[bpence]

RobB7300, where did you get the temperature guage and who is the manufacturer? I have a B7100, same basic engine / driveline as the B7300, and have thought that a temp guage would be nice vs. the little whistle Kubota provided to indicate over-heating. I'm into tinkering with my little beast and a temp guage would be a good add.

Bob Pence

 

[RobB7300]

I bought it at an Advantage Auto store, but I am sure any parts store has them. It was less than $20. It starts at 130 degrees, some of the ones I have been looking at in JC Whitney start at 180. That would be to high. The temperature gage is a EQUUS product #6510 if that helps. They have a 1-800-544-4124 for tech assistance. Today when I started the tractor for it's warm up and I could actually tell that I was warming the engine up! After 6 minutes it had come off the 130 degree peg so I figured it was warm enough to start driving, other wise in this cold I would be running it 10 minutes or more!

 

[TomG]

Sounds like a good simple solution and far better than nothing. When given a choice, temperature sensors are installed in the fluid flow and on the engine side of the thermostat. Otherwise, readings may be affected by rad fluid or cylinder head temperature.

 

[Kelvin]

bpence,
While the B7100 and the B7300 are very similar, one of the major differences between the two is the cooling system. The B7300 has a water pump & thermostat whereas the B7100 does not. Refer to the many discussions about "thermo-siphon" cooling.

For my B7100, I had a radiator shop solder a plug in the radiator near where the top hose from the engine connects. I installed a mechanical temperature probe (from NAPA) into the radiator and mounted the round temperature guage into the empty slot in my dash that most newer B7100s have an hour meter. It provides excellent results, compared to sticking a thermometer in the top of the radiator (the way radiator shops do).

Some B7300s (and some B7100s?) came with a whistle mounted on the end of the radiator overflow tube that would play you a tune when the coolant pressure got high enough to for the radiator cap to release pressure. I also bought one of the whistles, but ended up installing the guage first and never got around to mounting the whistle.

Hope this helps,
Kelvin