BX2200 temp hitting the red

[Tom_H]

Welcome to the forum. You have dug up a really old thread here for your first post. There are numerous threads devoted to this subject.

All BX models are relatively low tractors. The cutting of materials that pulverize into tiny floating particles allows them to easily be sucked into the radiator. I especially have this problem when I brush hog. The husks of dead and dried wild oats just float all around in the air. When brush hogging, I have to wipe the outer screen (in front of the battery) off every 3 or 4 minutes. About every 25 minutes I have to pull into the garage and remove that outer screen and the inner screen and vacuum them off. More importantly, I have to use the narrow wand nozzle to get behind the battery and suction off every square inch of the radiator face. You have to be really careful to get every last bit of area. If I don't do this, my BX2200 red lines. After cleaning, the temp gauge drops back to left of center, even when the outside temp. is 111 degrees. Some owners use compressed air to blast the debris out from the opposite side.

The problem of BX overheating has been discussed scores of times and 95% of the time, this is the problem. You stated that you constantly clean the screens. You can't just clean the screens and verification of a clean radiator from a shop is good for about 15 minutes. The radiator face itself must be repeatedly cleaned. Make sure you are cleaning the radiator itself. If you are doing that and still red lining, come back and start a new thread. Piggybacking on old threads won't get as much attention as starting a new one of your own. Again, welcome to the forum.

 

[jakell2010]

My B model runs at about 25% of the temp gauge , no matter what the temp or what I am running

 

[Tom_H]

My B model runs at about 25% of the temp gauge , no matter what the temp or what I am running

The B sits higher off the ground and the aerodynamics of air flow to the radiator are different. Historically, this is a BX issue and in general B series have not experienced the problem in the way that BXs have.

 

[taborekle]

Has it always run hot like this? If not, then that points to the radiator being properly sized for the tractor, and some other issue creeping in.

To check if the tractor is running lean, check and clean or replace the air filter.

Does it seem like your using more fuel then usual? It could be additional drag on the PTO, which you would not notice as you would bump up the engine throttle to the required PTO speed, but it would have more throttle then before. Have your greased the mower deck lately? With the mower PTO un-attached from the tractor, can you by hand rotate the pto shaft (and by implication gear box and blades). Is it hard to rotate?

 

[vanb]

My BX 2350 runs hot mowing in 90ｰ plus too. I try to take the screen off
and blow out the radiator area with my air compressor (when I remember)
I'm aways amazed at the amount of junk that I blow out, a clean screen can be deceiving. It never runs hot with the mowing deck off and doing loader work.

 

[mozark]

My BX2350 creeps up to the red too when mowing in 80+ temps, I can clean the screens and it moves right back up near the red almost immediately after starting to mow again. Removing the side panels or mowing with the hood open will lower the temp so that it is not up at the red, but not down to where it normally runs in cooler weather or when doing loader work. I think this all points to a marginal cooling system that can't cool the coolant properly before the coolant has to return to the engine to be reheated, this would explain why the temperature creeps up to the red gradually and why increasing air flow by opening the hood or removing the side panels lowers the temperature some. Increasing the coolant capacity of the system was probably the best, most economical solution that I've heard. I had been thinking of plumbing in something like a heater core, but could never find a safe place to put it.

 

[AaronS]

My BX2200 has the same issue. New air filter, new HST fan and HST fluid, full of oil and full of antifreeze. I'll do a better job of blowing out the radiator and see how much it helps. Glad I found this thread.

 

[Tom_H]

My BX2350 creeps up to the red too when mowing in 80+ temps, I can clean the screens and it moves right back up near the red almost immediately after starting to mow again.

You have to pull both screens and use a shop vac on every square inch of the radiator face itself, or blow with compressed air from the other side. Cleaning screens only just doesn't do it. Keep the radiator clean and almost always the gauge will drop back below center. I have brush hogged in heat as high as 115; if the radiator clogs, she moves into the red; clean the radiator and she drops back to the center. It's just that simple guys. I did need the thermostat replaced once, but on a BX it's almost always a clogged radiator. Nothing complicated, just clean the radiator.

 

[Volfandt]

You have to pull both screens and use a shop vac on every square inch of the radiator face itself, or blow with compressed air from the other side. Cleaning screens only just doesn't do it. Keep the radiator clean and almost always the gauge will drop back below center. I have brush hogged in heat as high as 115; if the radiator clogs, she moves into the red; clean the radiator and she drops back to the center. It's just that simple guys. I did need the thermostat replaced once, but on a BX it's almost always a clogged radiator. Nothing complicated, just clean the radiator.

Ditto on Tom. I use a long air gun to get down between the fan blades and blow back towards the battery. The bottom of these BX radiators really clooect the chaff and theres more packed in there than what meets the eye. You'll be amazed at what you'll blow out of the bottom.

re. normal heat range on my BX23 ranges from 10 oclock to 11 oclock, always to the left of the centerline. When it starts creeping past 12 I know the airflow is getting restricted. Normally I just brush away the chaff that acculiates on the outer screen without stopping and this keeps it from climbing hotter. The radiator gets cleaned nce she's parked and cooled down.
On >90 degree days it's not unusual to get up to 12 and stay there.

Dave

 

[sw03]

My BX 2350 runs hot mowing in 90ｰ plus too. I try to take the screen off
and blow out the radiator area with my air compressor (when I remember)
I'm aways amazed at the amount of junk that I blow out, a clean screen can be deceiving. It never runs hot with the mowing deck off and doing loader work.

I agree. I was mowing my yard 1 acre in 102F and the temp was about in the 10 o'clock. Put the air comp I might try...