HST without fan

[kchear1]

I posted that I busted the cheap plastic, unprotected HST fan last week.I'm waiting on my replacement fan to be sent to me (dealer that I bought the tractor from shut down), but out of curiosity, does anyone know or accidentally came upon how long can the tractor run without that fan ?

 

[megaboz]

It is going to depend on what you are doing, how hot the ambient temperature is, and how hard you are working the machine.

Even with the fan, the hydro fluid get's hots when running the tractor.

The fluid is under pressure and that alone will generate heat.

I don't think anyone is going to tell you that is safe to run it for any period of time. But if isn't real hot out, you can probably get by for an hour or so ata time, you can also try checking the fluid temp witha thermoter, I don't know the "too Hot" zone for the hydro fluid, but I am sure it is somewhere.

 

[rdsaustintx]

how long can the tractor run without that fan ?

In summer? Wouldn't run it at all.

 

[radioman]

good question. I don't think anyone really knows. For thoses who broke thiers probably drove it enough to get it from point A to point B to get it fixed and not under working conditions. question is , why do you ask? do you want to attempt to use it without the fan? do you feel lucky? sorry - I don't think any of us is going to condone using the kubota's without the HST fan in place due to fact we LOVE our kubota's and its a very expensive, most useful piece of machinery. Sorry again.

 

[SPYDERLK]

In the summer no more than 15 minutes per hour if youre using it hard.
larry

 

[kchear1]

good question. I don't think anyone really knows. For thoses who broke thiers probably drove it enough to get it from point A to point B to get it fixed and not under working conditions. question is , why do you ask? do you want to attempt to use it without the fan? do you feel lucky? sorry - I don't think any of us is going to condone using the kubota's without the HST fan in place due to fact we LOVE our kubota's and its a very expensive, most useful piece of machinery. Sorry again.

Radioman: I only ask because I was wondering if anyone tore the fan up (not knowingly) and may have reached that "limit". But yes, I need to get it from point A to point B and was wondering how much time I had to even do that. And simply curiosity...

 

[ampsucker]

the fan speed does vary with engine rpm. that would be a clue to you in that you could probably operate the tractor safely for a longer period of time at low rpm than at higher rpms.

if you needed to limp it home for example, and didn't have a trailer, i would run it at just above idle in high gear and do it early in the morning when weather was still cool.

on a side note, it just occured to me that i've never looked at what the fan blows over. are there cooling fins on the HST that could become clogged with mud or trash?



amp

 

[kchear1]

yes, there are cooling fins that could become clogged, but I've been running the tractor for a little over a year now (mainly moving dirt) and I just took a look at it, still looks really clean for having moved all that dirt.

Slightly different topic, I was looking to see how the fan was secured on there. I have a BX24 bought new last year right before they came out with the BX25 and it appears that the fans are mounted by bolts that come in from the back side of little stump that is on the shaft. Can that stump be moved in any way so to access the bolts?

 

[kchear1]

Being mechanically challenged, does it only heat up while driving? I.E. Does it apply if I'm only using the BH?

 

[megaboz]

Being mechanically challenged, does it only heat up while driving? I.E. Does it apply if I'm only using the BH?

Yea, when using the BH for FEL it does heat up, it is the nature of putting fluid under pressure.

 

[mswlogo]

Do DT (gear drive) machines have these HST fans? I would like to check vulnerability on my B2320DT but I can't seem to locate it.

 

[DavidAubke]

In another thread I remember somebody saying that they didn't discover their fan was missing most of its fins until they took it in for periodic service. So theirs ran for some indeterminate amount of time - longer than just a limp back to the garage - without frying.

I wouldn't risk it though. That little fan moves a bunch of air and it's the only active cooling the hydraulics have. Even without using an attachment, just driving a hydrostatic transmission involves compression and heat.

Slightly different topic, I was looking to see how the fan was secured on there. I have a BX24 bought new last year right before they came out with the BX25 and it appears that the fans are mounted by bolts that come in from the back side of little stump that is on the shaft. Can that stump be moved in any way so to access the bolts?

On my BX2350, after removing the bolt that locks the driveshaft onto the transmission spindle, the shaft could be retracted a few inches to allow access to the fan bolts. It just won't move enough to be completely removed.

 

[LBrown59]

Don't run it at all .

In summer? Wouldn't run it at all.

good question. I don't think anyone really knows. For thoses who broke thiers probably drove it enough to get it from point A to point B to get it fixed and not under working conditions. question is , why do you ask? do you want to attempt to use it without the fan? do you feel lucky? sorry - I don't think any of us is going to condone using the kubota's without the HST fan in place due to fact we LOVE our kubota's and its a very expensive, most useful piece of machinery. Sorry again.

In the summer no more than 15 minutes per hour if youre using it hard.
larry

Do DT (gear drive) machines have these HST fans? I would like to check vulnerability on my B2320DT but I can't seem to locate it.

 

[rdsaustintx]

Do DT (gear drive) machines have these HST fans?

Nope.

 

[kchear1]

On my BX2350, after removing the bolt that locks the driveshaft onto the transmission spindle, the shaft could be retracted a few inches to allow access to the fan bolts. It just won't move enough to be completely removed.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that, I will give that a shot to see how much access that will give me.

 

[rexcramer]

After fixing my fan I realized how much air that little fan really moves.

If you are in a pinch and have to move the machine without a fan, you are fine until you cant put your hand on the tranny pumpkin without feeling discomfort from the heat. A few degrees after that the hydraulic fluid gets too thin and starts to break down, a few degrees after that and your tranny is toast.

 

[TPS]

I don't think I would use mine at all if possible without the cooling fan. Rexcramer, as far as touching the tranny and feeling hot, even with the fan working great I notice my transmission feels too warm to hold my hand on when it has been working. I checked and everything is fine, they just get hot when working and that with a fan! I bet it wouldn't take any time at all to get hot without one.
Good luck with getting it fixed up-TPS

 

[Sniggle]

I am 'experimenting' with my G1900 lawn tractor. Last fall I put a new drive shaft on it, and repalced the fan at the same time. This spring when I was spreading fertilizer (before I put the deck back on which would have protected the fan) a stick jumped up and took out 4 of the 6 blades, making it look like a propellor.

I can't tell you what a PITA it was to get the new drive shaft to seat deep enough onto the tranny hub, and I could not bring myself to try to remove it to replace the fan (I do have a new one on hand).

So, I have been running this summer with 2 blades, probably 1/3 the standard airflow over the tranny hub. I have often felt the hub after mowing, and it does not seem too terribly hot. Of course, the G1900 only uses hydraulics to lift/drop the deck and ofcourse to operate the HST. My property is pretty flat, so the tranny does not have to work all that hard.

I plan to replace the hydraulic fluid this fall, and see if I can get the shaft off to change out the fan. I have pulled the hydraulic fluid dip stick, and the fluid still appears clear so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[ampsucker]

another option is to take a cue from the import tuners. replace the mechanical fan with an electric one.

in the short term, you could probably get by with a 15 dollar 12 volt one. just tie strap it up there in front of the HST and run it off the 12 volt socket.

just sayin...


amp

 

[ibnxe]

Hey, the electric fan could be a cheap alternative to spending to replace the original fan. Connect it in series with a temperature switch, so it comes on when the transmission starts getting hot.
Working as a mechanic for many years, I found an easy way to roughly check block or trans temperature. If you can touch and keep your fingers on the surface, It's 120F or less. If you can touch for three seconds, about 130F. If after 1 second, you go ouch, then it is 150+F. If you can spit on the surface and it sizzles, it's getting pretty **** hot.
The bottom line is, most hydraulic oils are safe to temperatures exceeding 250F. I have worked my BX23 hard enough that the cylinders have reached nearly 200F, and that is with the fan intact and turning at rated speed. I wouldn't be afraid to move the tractor from point A to point B, as long as you pay attention to the temperature.