excavator over heated last night

[mlinnane]

I was not using the excavator last night put the guy who works for me part time and he said the temp gage went up last night till a little below the red. I have never noticed anything in the past, (but I have not dug too long either) so we stopped using last and after it cool checked the water in the radiator. The fluid level was down a little and we added a little fluid. I do not think my guys was running for less then 1/2 hour, I got in this morning to see how quickly it woudl heat up we are trenching water and electric to the barn. I ran it for about 10 minutes or 20 minutes and it never went up more then a little less then 1/2 the guage. The guy running the machine was diggin out some awful big boulders again. The fan is working, there is fluid in raditor, does this mean the water pump is not working correctly?
Stats on MAchine IHI 55UJ Isuzu engine I think 4 cyl diesel? Obviuosly I need to get somebody there to fix it, but is there something we have over looked to check for when I run machine I looked at ground under machine and have not seen any fluids maybe like a leaky hose. Can I myself check for anything more?
any help would be appricated

 

[Slacker]

I was not using the excavator last night put the guy who works for me part time and he said the temp gage went up last night till a little below the red. I have never noticed anything in the past, (but I have not dug too long either) so we stopped using last and after it cool checked the water in the radiator. The fluid level was down a little and we added a little fluid. I do not think my guys was running for less then 1/2 hour, I got in this morning to see how quickly it woudl heat up we are trenching water and electric to the barn. I ran it for about 10 minutes or 20 minutes and it never went up more then a little less then 1/2 the guage. The guy running the machine was diggin out some awful big boulders again. The fan is working, there is fluid in raditor, does this mean the water pump is not working correctly?
Stats on MAchine IHI 55UJ Isuzu engine I think 4 cyl diesel? Obviuosly I need to get somebody there to fix it, but is there something we have over looked to check for when I run machine I looked at ground under machine and have not seen any fluids maybe like a leaky hose. Can I myself check for anything more?
any help would be appricated

I'd check the radiator for dirt. I'd make sure the belt wasn't slipping at high rpm. I'd check for collapsed hoses. Check the waterpump for play in the bearings, check the leak hole on the waterpump.

 

[DmansPadge]

If you only added a little coolant... a leak is not the problem. You could have a dirty radiator that isn't allowing enough air to pass through it. (If you think that is the problem, please post so before doing anything... there is a certain way to clean it), the radiator could also be plugged up internally, a malfunctioning thermostat, a water pump going out, etc.

If the machine is fairly new and has been maintained... I would lean more towards a dirty radiator. It is probably something fairly simple... let us know what you find and we can go from there.

One more thing... what does the coolant look like? Is it dirty? Is it a bright green (or whatever color antifreeze it has in it)? A lot of people do not realize that adding to much coolant can cause systems to overheat. (antifreeze doesn't dissipate heat as quickly as water) I would assume thats not your problem since this is the first time it has done it.

 

[paratrooper]

Little known fact . The pressure exerted by the radiator cap changes the boiling point of the coolant . If you know anyone with the kit to check the cap it's a quick thing to look at . Every pound of pressure rating of the cap will raise the boiling point by 3 degrees . If it's the wrong cap , faulty cap or was not put on correctly that could be your culprit . Since you replaced some coolant it is probably put on right now .

 

[thatguy]

I second looking at the radiator cap first.. I had a compact pickup that kept heating up when at idle - when driving the temp was fine due to increased air flow thru the radiator.. I changed the following separately trying to figure out the problem (in no particular order): thermostat, fan clutch, flushed radiator - AND then I changed the radiator cap and solved all my problems..

Little known fact . The pressure exerted by the radiator cap changes the boiling point of the coolant . If you know anyone with the kit to check the cap it's a quick thing to look at . Every pound of pressure rating of the cap will raise the boiling point by 3 degrees . If it's the wrong cap , faulty cap or was not put on correctly that could be your culprit . Since you replaced some coolant it is probably put on right now .

 

[zeuspaul]

DmansPadge, What is the proper way to clean a radiator? The outside of my radiator is full of dust and it is restricting the air flow and needs to be cleaned.

Thanks

Zeuspaul

 

[George2615]

DmansPadge, What is the proper way to clean a radiator? The outside of my radiator is full of dust and it is restricting the air flow and needs to be cleaned.

Thanks

Zeuspaul

The best way would be to pull the radiator out of the machine. Then you could power wash it from the back and straighten any fins with a fin comb when done. There are many types of coil cleaners that could be sprayed on first if buildup doesn't power wash off easily. A steam jenny would also do a nice job. If there are no leaks I don't see a need to send it to a radiator shop. While in the equipment you may not be able to clean it properly with the fan and shroud in the way.

 

[john_bud]

I use compressed air from the back side of the radiator. It makes a cloud of dust! You may want to put a screen on the front of the radiator to slow down the dust.

I would NOT use a power washer on a radiator with impunity. The fins can easily get pushed over by high water pressure. Now, some PW's are not strong enough to damage a radiator, but many are. Just so you know.

 

[JJT]

DmansPadge, What is the proper way to clean a radiator? The outside of my radiator is full of dust and it is restricting the air flow and needs to be cleaned.

Thanks

Zeuspaul

Air or a low pressure water hose from the backside. DO NOT USE A POWER WASHER. I have a friend that did serious damage using high pressure water.