Cleaning the radiator

[SCDolphin]

I just purchased a Kubota Grand L 5240 and bush hog. I have about 16 hours. I am in a field with weeds about 4-5' high. I thought that I would not get much seed in the radiator and oil cooler. I was running the fel low so the bucket would knock down some of the weeds. After 3 hours there was considerable debris on the radiator screen. The only way to clean it was to raise the fel, pop the hood and remove the side panel to get the metal screen out. I thought JD 4000 series was whimpy because of the plastic screen but in retrospect probably a good idea. Anyway I used a compressor and blew out the seeds. The whole process took some time and I had to work around a raised fel.

This last trip I had my stihl leaf blower and started blowing off the grass off the tractor. I popped the hood and blew out the weed seed in about 30 seconds. I never had to touch the screen and got dust out of all kinds of places that I would have never gotten out with my compressor. From now on, where ever the tractor goes, so goes the leaf blower!

So the leaf blower is much faster, much safer if you have a fel and have to raise it to take off the side panels. It gets ride of all of the crap all over the tractor, bush hog, trailer in about a minute!!

 

[Slacker]

I just purchased a Kubota Grand L 5240 and bush hog. I have about 16 hours. I am in a field with weeds about 4-5' high. I thought that I would not get much seed in the radiator and oil cooler. I was running the fel low so the bucket would knock down some of the weeds. After 3 hours there was considerable debris on the radiator screen. The only way to clean it was to raise the fel, pop the hood and remove the side panel to get the metal screen out. I thought JD 4000 series was whimpy because of the plastic screen but in retrospect probably a good idea. Anyway I used a compressor and blew out the seeds. The whole process took some time and I had to work around a raised fel.

This last trip I had my stihl leaf blower and started blowing off the grass off the tractor. I popped the hood and blew out the weed seed in about 30 seconds. I never had to touch the screen and got dust out of all kinds of places that I would have never gotten out with my compressor. From now on, where ever the tractor goes, so goes the leaf blower!

So the leaf blower is much faster, much safer if you have a fel and have to raise it to take off the side panels. It gets ride of all of the crap all over the tractor, bush hog, trailer in about a minute!!

Nice setup. I'll keep the blower idea in mind. Pretty smart. What size trailer is that? 18 or 20 foot?

 

[SCDolphin]

22 foot

 

[N80]

The radiator screen on my L4400 is easy to get to even with the loader down. Just pop the hood up and slide it out. I used the garden hose or compressed air to clean it out. Blower is a good idea for all around dust and debris removal. I don't have a blower down at the cabin so I usually just hose the tractor off after it has cooled down a few minutes.

 

[daTeacha]

Blower works good in the barn, shop, garage, gutters, etc.

Dog doesn't like getting cleaned with it, though. She prefers the shop vac.

 

[chrisjbell]

We use a blower on everything that collects lots of grass before we hose the equipment off. That is especially true of the machines that collect a bunch of junk in the radiators - getting stuck dust and such wet makes for an even more clogged radiator.

 

[swampvol]

Use my leaf blower on my tractor and lawn mower after every use...works great.

 

[RalphVa]

I use compressed air and a blower nozzel on the end of the air hose. Using the compressor is A LOT more fuel efficient than using one of those gasoline-powered blowers.

Ralph

 

[dtd24]

I use my compressor with a air gun attachment. My friends make fun of me, but I blow off everything after using it. I come from a millwork shop background so we always had them on hand. I carry one in my toolbelt at all times.

 

[Richard]

We just acquired a International 886. On looking closer at the machine I noticed what appeared to be mud in the fins of the radiator. I surmised that it was a buildup of dust over time and moisture made it solidify.

Spent 45 minutes this morning with hose & hot water going through it, just spraying the radiator from both sides. I was amazed at the amound of muck that worked its way out of the fins. This is a VERY clean looking tractor but there was a ton of crud in the fins.

Later on, when I was cutting one of the fields, I noticed something kind of interesting. The other day when I was cutting, the temp gauge was in the middle of the green. Presumably "normal" range.

Today as I was cutting, (it does happen to be a couple degrees cooler today), none the less, the meter wasn't even IN the green. Was just barely touching the bottom edge of the green.

I presume the crud I cleared out has helped the airflow through the radiator and done that.

Once we get our 10' cutter (I was using a 5') I will expect to put a larger load on the engine and maybe see the temp more in the 'normal' range.

 

[flusher]

We just acquired a International 886. On looking closer at the machine I noticed what appeared to be mud in the fins of the radiator. I surmised that it was a buildup of dust over time and moisture made it solidify.

Spent 45 minutes this morning with hose & hot water going through it, just spraying the radiator from both sides. I was amazed at the amound of muck that worked its way out of the fins. This is a VERY clean looking tractor but there was a ton of crud in the fins.

Later on, when I was cutting one of the fields, I noticed something kind of interesting. The other day when I was cutting, the temp gauge was in the middle of the green. Presumably "normal" range.

Today as I was cutting, (it does happen to be a couple degrees cooler today), none the less, the meter wasn't even IN the green. Was just barely touching the bottom edge of the green.

I presume the crud I cleared out has helped the airflow through the radiator and done that.

Once we get our 10' cutter (I was using a 5') I will expect to put a larger load on the engine and maybe see the temp more in the 'normal' range.

I bought a 1966 MF-135 diesel last July. The radiator air passages were about 3/4 blocked. Took better part of two days to get all the crud out. Otherwise the radiator is fine. Not a trace of gunk in the coolant and it flushes clean as a whistle.

 

[flusher]

I just purchased a Kubota Grand L 5240 and bush hog. I have about 16 hours. I am in a field with weeds about 4-5' high. I thought that I would not get much seed in the radiator and oil cooler. I was running the fel low so the bucket would knock down some of the weeds. After 3 hours there was considerable debris on the radiator screen. The only way to clean it was to raise the fel, pop the hood and remove the side panel to get the metal screen out. I thought JD 4000 series was whimpy because of the plastic screen but in retrospect probably a good idea. Anyway I used a compressor and blew out the seeds. The whole process took some time and I had to work around a raised fel.

!

It's much easier on my 2005 Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL. Just pop the hood and grab the little handle on the removable radiator screen. Only need to brush it off with my hand to get it cleared. No need to remove the side panels.

 

[skipmarcy]

I would check the thermostat (or lack of one) for correct operation, if it has one it's probably stuck open. The other possibility is that the sending unit is out of spec with the gauge but I would lean towards the thermostat. The gauge should never read lower than normal range once the engine has run for awhile, except in extremely cold weather - the thermo. regulates this. If the gauge system is OK electrically, it has to be the thermo. Different story for one running hotter than normal - more possibilities to cause a problem, but that isn't what your's is doing.

 

[skipmarcy]

I would check the thermostat (or lack of one) for correct operation, if it has one it's probably stuck open. The other possibility is that the sending unit is out of spec with the gauge but I would lean towards the thermostat. The gauge should never read lower than normal range once the engine has run for awhile, except in extremely cold weather - the thermo. regulates this. If the gauge system is OK electrically, it has to be the thermo. Different story for one running hotter than normal - more possibilities to cause a problem, but that isn't what your's is doing.

This message was directed at Richard - forgot to quote !!

 

[chrisjbell]

It's much easier on my 2005 Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL. Just pop the hood and grab the little handle on the removable radiator screen. Only need to brush it off with my hand to get it cleared. No need to remove the side panels.

Even with those screens in front of the radiator you'll get crud in the actual radiator. That stuff is especially gnarly if you hit it with water because it is all small enough to go through the radiator screen - it'll sneak into the fins and turn into gunk.

The other thing that happens with the screens is if you pull 'em out with the engine running they drop some of the stuff off as they come out, which is immediately sucked onto the radiator ...

 

[Bob_Young]

Chris is right, flusher, get behind the radiator with an air gun and blow out any stuff that made it past the screen.

Dandelions are seeding out around here and the B7610 looked like it had a full face beard when I finished mowing today. Cleaned the grille, then found another mess on the screen and cleaned that. Looked down at the front of the radiator and saw a mat of stuff spread across the radiator fins. Blew that out from behind the radiator. Surprised that none of this seemed to affect the operating temperature.

As long as you get it out before it gets wet, it comes out easy.
Bob