Bobcat ct1021 blew up radiator, ruined engine less than 50hrs

[richied2003]

I know this model is a kioti. My relatively new tractor blew up its radiator a week or so ago just mowing the lawn on a 60 deg day. Mowed all last summer on hot days no problem. I was backing up and all of a sudden steam and smoke everywhere. I shutdown immediately. The temp gauge red low, the radiator reservoir showed half full. Called the dealership and they sent out a tech to pick it up. It’s less than 2 years and less than 50 hours. So I thought it odd, but he had no winch and started the tractor to attempt to drive it onto the flatbed he had towed. The machine sputtered badly, so badly I thought this isn’t good and shot two videos of him attempting to drive onto the flatbed trailer. The machine died and I had to help him push it on. Fast forward to today, dealer called, says the middle cylinder is destroyed. He said bobcat is determining whether this is a warranty repair! Ummm I said, it’s within the period and I did nothing to cause this, reservoir showed in middle and temp gauge read low. Engine full of oil. And their tech attempted to drive it. I said expect a full warranty repair but he said it’s not up to him! I mentioned the videos of his guy driving the sputtering tractor and offered to send them. I said I don’t want to go down this path but let Bobcat know I will pursue it for anything less than a full repair under warranty. He’s gonna let me know.
Any thoughts folks? The machine was fine for over a year, mowing, plowing driveway and my small garden with a small box blade with 3 rippers and a single bladed furrow plow. I don’t get why it exploded, he did initially last week mention a head gasket possibly failing. I speculate if it failed internally the engine compression maybe hit into the cooling system blowing the radiator? The radiator was leaking as fast as I could add water with a hose. I couldn’t see the actual hole but it was 1to 1, as if I held the hose under the machine. It didn’t seem to be the lower hose that I could mostly see.

 

[5030]

I'll be surprised if they warranty it actually. I'm also surprised you didn't see the outpouring coolant before the motor smoked itself.

 

[Eagle1]

Coolant level in the overflow does not mean you have coolant in the system UNLESS the reservoir is part of the pressurized system. (usually a radiator cap on the reservoir). Any leak in the cooling system will prevent the overflow from being sucked back into the system.

 

[5030]

Additionally, if there is no coolant in the system to activate the temp gauge, it won't show anything, anyway.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

What a mess. A beautiful example of a person making a decision above his pay grade. Driver should have
1) Called shop manager - OK to start this thing ?
2) Asked tractor owner - keep responsibility in one location (presumably owner would have said "no". There was no benefit to allow driver to start the engine. Go back and get a flat bed with a winch.
Fairest solution - split the cost 25% Kioti, 25% owner, 50% dealer (by whom I believe the big damage was done), but likely Koiti and dealer will await hearing from your lawyer.
I'm sorry for the problems. You've got better things to do than deal with this.
For what it's worth - lawyer told me
up to $8K a suit is all talk - not worth it
$8K to $16K - maybe - maybe not
$16K and above - worth a suit (figures have been adjusted to allow for inflation)
Good luck with it.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

The radiator was leaking as fast as I could add water with a hose. I couldn’t see the actual hole but it was 1to 1, as if I held the hose under the machine. It didn’t seem to be the lower hose that I could mostly see.

wow/wow/wow.... that really sucks.

If you needed to add 10 - 15 gallons of water a minute into the rad. the hole / leak must be huge like maybe a lower rad. hose completely blow off.

regardless a mechanic faced with a leak that huge should be easy to find.

fingers crossed for a reasonably priced repair.

 

[oldnslo]

If head gasket was sudden failure it can blow the radiator or weakest link in cooling system. I have had radiator cap land in my lap from failed head gasket.

 

[etpm]

What a mess. A beautiful example of a person making a decision above his pay grade. Driver should have
1) Called shop manager - OK to start this thing ?
2) Asked tractor owner - keep responsibility in one location (presumably owner would have said "no". There was no benefit to allow driver to start the engine. Go back and get a flat bed with a winch.
Fairest solution - split the cost 25% Kioti, 25% owner, 50% dealer (by whom I believe the big damage was done), but likely Koiti and dealer will await hearing from your lawyer.
I'm sorry for the problems. You've got better things to do than deal with this.
For what it's worth - lawyer told me
up to $8K a suit is all talk - not worth it
$8K to $16K - maybe - maybe not
$16K and above - worth a suit (figures have been adjusted to allow for inflation)
Good luck with it.

I don't know how you can possibly come up with the "Fairest solution" that you did with the information supplied by the OP. Could you please elaborate?
Eric

 

[richied2003]

Things happened pretty quickly. I have a steep front lawn. I mow it up and down to avoid a possibility of tipping. I was backing up it, looking backwards, maybe 15 20 seconds worth, turned forward to make my down hill pass and saw steam and smoke. I shut down immediately. He dealer initially mentioned a head gasket and I said that could blow the radiator if it failed inward so to speak letting compression into the cooling system. Point is everything was fine, no reason for this to happen outside of a defect somewhere. Machine ran perfectly up till then. I do have a legal service thru work I pay for, and the videos of their guy trying to drive it. I asked if he had a winch before and he said no and hopped on and started it, I was kinda shocked. Not just from him doing that but the tractor was running fine prior, and except for the steam that is. I might post the video here after it gets resolved. He’s a nice guy but perhaps not trained well. But kinda sorta their fault, buy a damn winch.

 

[Fordiesel69]

At 50 hrs they should be covering it all. We refer to that as a causal part. The radiator caused the engine to fail. After bobcat pays warranty X many times, they will go after the radiator supplier and or change suppliers.

No difference than a condensor fan motor ruining a whole expensive air conditioning system. Owner can sure hear the hum and lack of cooling but still let it run until the compressor smokes.