JD 5065e Coolant Flush?

[Rmd8136]

Has anyone flushed their cooling system on their 50xx? The manaul says every 2 years or 2000 hours. I don't put many hours on mine so it will be 2 years for me when I do it. Where is the block drain plug? Do you have to remove thermostat and run tractor w/o it installed for 10 minutes each flush? Any helpful advice is appreciated. I don't expect to do this until next Summer but just wondering if it is easy or difficult?

 

[Oldtink]

That is the JD recommended procedure and I certainly wouldn't question their advice….but.
I will say this. My last JD was 28 years old. I changed antifreeze every two years regardless of the hours I put on it. Usually less than 250 hrs. Never had a coolant related issue and always used JD coolant and distilled water or JD pre mixed.
I don't know that there is a drain plug in the block but opening the drain on the bottom of the radiator should do the trick. Check your OP manual to be sure.
Just my 2 cents.
Changing antifreeze is a lot easier and cost less than changing water pumps or clogged heat exchangers.

 

[sixdogs]

I have a similar size Deere and change as required and use the Deere premixed A/F. I did not remove the thermostat because it seemed like too much of a hassle. Block drain on the side of the block.

 

[fieldman12]

I think with Deere they say two years or two thousand hours to sell you some coolant. Then you go to the Deere store and for them to be able to get you to buy the expensive Cool Gard II they label it as 6 years or 6 thousand hours. If you decide to change it every two years just check the freeze point and don't bother buying the test strips. If you want to keep it for six years get the test strips. They check glycol, ph, and cavitation Inhibitor level.

 

[sixdogs]

I used to think casually about anti freeze until I learned that changing A/F is equally important to changing motor oil and that more engine problems can be caused by old coolant than you would think. This seems to especially true in engines with cylinder sleeves like the Deere I have and I'm pretty sure is the same as the one in the OP's tractor. I change my A/F on schedule or a little before, use JD pre-mixed coolant and believe that is the best course of action.

It's the plugging of the block and fins with silicates or whatever that can cause unequal cooling and heating and this seems to be what causes the problem. I'm not going to risk a 50K tractor on a little A/F when that A/F change is on the schedule of maintenance anyway. Just my two cents.

 

[Oldtink]

I used to think casually about anti freeze until I learned that changing A/F is equally important to changing motor oil and that more engine problems can be caused by old coolant than you would think. This seems to especially true in engines with cylinder sleeves like the Deere I have and I'm pretty sure is the same as the one in the OP's tractor. I change my A/F on schedule or a little before, use JD pre-mixed coolant and believe that is the best course of action.

It's the plugging of the block and fins with silicates or whatever that can cause unequal cooling and heating and this seems to be what causes the problem. I'm not going to risk a 50K tractor on a little A/F when that A/F change is on the schedule of maintenance anyway. Just my two cents.

Amen to that.

 

[fieldman12]

To each his own if a person likes to change every few years but its more than a little coolant. It also takes a good bit of time to change especially if you have many machines. I'm around semis all the time with well over a million miles that get coolant tested all the time. I have seen the liners removed at over a million miles which is more hours than most people on here will put on there tractors in a life time. They would not make the test strips and tell you its okay to run 6 years or six thousand hours if you could not run them that long. They for years did the same thing in car manuals trying to get you to change oil all the time at 3,000 miles. They finally admitted oil today last longer and you can go much longer than older conventional oil. Yes there is all different brands of antifreeze and types out there that last any where from two years to 6 years. For even the big combines and articulated tractors on our farm test strips are really the only true way of knowing what is going on with your coolant. Diesels with wet liners are a very different animal than a gas machine most people are use too.

 

[Oldtink]

Those are good points fieldman12 and I think we all agree it is important to either test the AF and add depleted additives or simply change it but for goodness sake don't ignore it.

 

[fieldman12]

Yes, I agree with you all perfectly. The coolant must not be ignored.

 

[JD 4520]

I again changed my antifreeze this past week. When I went to the dealer to pick up a few items, I again asked what I should use that is Deere labeled and what I can otherwise buy on the open market. The service manager told me that I should feel comfortable using any brand oil, filters BUT really the only thing that is a must buy Deere product is CoolGard Antifreeze. It is due to the lubricants that are contained in the CoolGard and is a must for Deere engines.