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.

 

[sixdogs]

Normally I would say that's a load of BS but in this case I agree. I only use Deere coolant in my sleeved cylinder Deere and I like it. They make way too many $400,000 tractors to make a bad coolant for them. WalMart stuff is OK for the regular non-sleeved tractor engines. You did the right thing.

Same with Toyota coolant. My Toyotas get Toyota coolant and that's the way it is. Too many stories of bad coolant and problems.

I'm sure I could connect the right aftermarket coolant with sufficient research and constant monitoring but I'd rather have the seat time.



QUOTE=JD 4520;3742199]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.[/QUOTE]

 

[Rmd8136]

If you do not remove thermostat when filling radiator, will air in block get flushed into radiator thru thermostat when it opens? Otherwise, is there a bleed screw you can open on top of block to assure high points of air pockets get out?

 

[duckduke]

I am currently working on this. I just watched a youtube video with guy changing/flushing his JD 6### coolant..... wrong. All he did was open the radiator drain. He never opened the engine block drain, provided any fresh water circulation or anything. If he had added water while leaving the engine running a bit he might have flushed something.

Oh well....... don't take my word for it........ OMCD16510

I have a JD 5425 with 4045 engine. From the pic I had a hard time locating the "oil cooling housing drain plug". From looking at some pics online it appears to be on the side of the engine below/under the oil filter. I haven't pulled the plug yet but plan on doing so and doing a proper "flush". Simply opening the radiator drain does nothing to move any debris or old fluid out of the engine (the radiator drain will not remove this unless you are running/engine and circulating water while draining). Some warm/hot circulation needs to be done and then open both drains.

 

[Ingerdeere]

This thread seemed like a good place to ask for other's experience. I have 2011-2012 5093e limited with 6400 hours..yep 6400 hrs. I used Fleetguard/Cummins Restore Plus at about 1/3 gallon for the 3 gallon cooling system as label directed. Spliced in a "T" below the cab step for back flushing "just because" and assumed municipal water pressure would be enough to flush up the supply heater core out return. While doing this I had 1) both the right side and left side engine block drains open 2) then closed the block drains and put cap on the expansion reservoir and filled cooling system from tap and operated at temp for 10 minutes. 3) Opened up the block drains again and allowed to drain as well as "T" splice /port I installed at the lowest point in the heater core supply loop. Heater control valve was wide open. Bone dry as far as I knew after the draining 4) Refilled coolant at 5 quarts concentrated coolant to 7 quarts DISTILLED water. Everything running fine . No overheating but NO HEAT. Got a coolant sample from the "T" and it cloudy with rust flakes and when tested the coolant concentration was only good to "0" degrees but should be -15F degrees. I'M THINKING THAT EVEN WITH ALL THAT FLUSHING THERE MUST HAVE BEEN CLOSE to the entire heater core, supply and return lines left full of the COOLANT system FLUSH solution.
So now, since I need to replace the sediment-full, "0" degree protection coolant/flush combination I am also going to replace the THERMOSTAT.
QUESTIONS:
1) Recommendations on a better way to flush the Heater supply, Core/exchanger, return lines? My thought is to move the flushing "T" to just in front of the cab roof
valve under the cab access pan. Flush with tap water, then run some compressed air to empty the core.
2) Recommendations on how to refill coolant level to include or "charge" the heater core supply, core/exchanger , return line to eliminate possible "air lock" for the heater not heating the cab after the flush/recharge? Refill from the same "T" at this higher elevation? I do have a drill powered pump.
3) Anybody with recommendations or experience replacing the thermostat in the 5093e limited (Engine group 4045HLV60). The thermostat housing is R529893, the gasket is R502814 and the thermostat is DZ100555. Will all the "O" rings for the two adjoining lines need to be replaced or can the housing be moved off the block enough to get the thermostat out without detaching the lines.

I'll take and appreciate any help or recommendations other have any of these questions. Thanks

 

[sixdogs]

This thread seemed like a good place to ask for other's experience. I have 2011-2012 5093e limited with 6400 hours..yep 6400 hrs. I used Fleetguard/Cummins Restore Plus at about 1/3 gallon for the 3 gallon cooling system as label directed. Spliced in a "T" below the cab step for back flushing "just because" and assumed municipal water pressure would be enough to flush up the supply heater core out return. While doing this I had 1) both the right side and left side engine block drains open 2) then closed the block drains and put cap on the expansion reservoir and filled cooling system from tap and operated at temp for 10 minutes. 3) Opened up the block drains again and allowed to drain as well as "T" splice /port I installed at the lowest point in the heater core supply loop. Heater control valve was wide open. Bone dry as far as I knew after the draining 4) Refilled coolant at 5 quarts concentrated coolant to 7 quarts DISTILLED water. Everything running fine . No overheating but NO HEAT. Got a coolant sample from the "T" and it cloudy with rust flakes and when tested the coolant concentration was only good to "0" degrees but should be -15F degrees. I'M THINKING THAT EVEN WITH ALL THAT FLUSHING THERE MUST HAVE BEEN CLOSE to the entire heater core, supply and return lines left full of the COOLANT system FLUSH solution.
So now, since I need to replace the sediment-full, "0" degree protection coolant/flush combination I am also going to replace the THERMOSTAT.
QUESTIONS:
1) Recommendations on a better way to flush the Heater supply, Core/exchanger, return lines? My thought is to move the flushing "T" to just in front of the cab roof
valve under the cab access pan. Flush with tap water, then run some compressed air to empty the core.
2) Recommendations on how to refill coolant level to include or "charge" the heater core supply, core/exchanger , return line to eliminate possible "air lock" for the heater not heating the cab after the flush/recharge? Refill from the same "T" at this higher elevation? I do have a drill powered pump.
3) Anybody with recommendations or experience replacing the thermostat in the 5093e limited (Engine group 4045HLV60). The thermostat housing is R529893, the gasket is R502814 and the thermostat is DZ100555. Will all the "O" rings for the two adjoining lines need to be replaced or can the housing be moved off the block enough to get the thermostat out without detaching the lines.

I'll take and appreciate any help or recommendations other have any of these questions. Thanks

.
I have a 5520, which is the same engine and the owner's manual--maybe shop manual--says to remove the thermostat when flushing or you won't get a complete flush . Maybe that has something to do with it.

When I flush mine, I do not remove the thermostat. I just drain the old coolant out, add the radiator cleaner and fill with distilled water. Then I run it for maybe a few hours of normal activities, drain the water and coolant out and run again for a couple hours with fresh distilled water to circulate everything.

Then I drain that out, fill with Deere prediluted coolant and go do something else. This is how I was trained in a shop a long time ago and that's what I will do forever. Never a problem.

 

[3Ts]

So, when you flush the coolant, what do you do with it? There are no recycling centers around here. If I put it in a big tub will it evaporate so I can put dried remnants in the trash to go to the land fill?

I've got to get mine done soon. I've not ignored it, I just forgot. That really amounts to the same thing.

 

[sixdogs]

So, when you flush the coolant, what do you do with it? There are no recycling centers around here. If I put it in a big tub will it evaporate so I can put dried remnants in the trash to go to the land fill?

I've got to get mine done soon. I've not ignored it, I just forgot. That really amounts to the same thing.

I take mine to an Advance Auto and that take it. I dump it in a drum out back. As I understand it, TSC and the other auto parts places do it as well. It's been over a year since I've taken any in but that's the way it was then and I've heard nothing of any change. I've never been able to get anti freeze to evaporate.

 

[Ingerdeere]

I take mine to an Advance Auto and that take it. I dump it in a drum out back. As I understand it, TSC and the other auto parts places do it as well. It's been over a year since I've taken any in but that's the way it was then and I've heard nothing of any change. I've never been able to get anti freeze to evaporate.

Thanks sixdogs. I'm ok using tap water for the flush 'cause I read in an older Deere Manual and in the Cummins/Fleetgaurd flush instructions BUT I wondered the same thing about not using Distilled water for the flush of the Coolant flush. Had I done that with distilled water maybe I would not have gotten so much sediment. Let me know if anybody has replaced thermostat in the same or similar engine group. I got a few days until the parts arrive. Thanks.

 

[sixdogs]

Thanks sixdogs. I'm ok using tap water for the flush 'cause I read in an older Deere Manual and in the Cummins/Fleetgaurd flush instructions BUT I wondered the same thing about not using Distilled water for the flush of the Coolant flush. Had I done that with distilled water maybe I would not have gotten so much sediment. Let me know if anybody has replaced thermostat in the same or similar engine group. I got a few days until the parts arrive. Thanks.

I've got a 5520 shop manual if that helps. When I looked it up I felt why bother; as long as it heats up and is run hard for a while it will fully circulate. In my case I felt a good flush and thorough rinse with new distilled water would be OK as long as I gave it time to fully heat up and circulate and not a hurry up 10 minute flush where the thermostat doesn't even open.

Spend the money on distilled water and not tap water laden with the minerals you're trying to remove is my personal opinion.

 

[BlueBerryFarmer]

Distilled water is all I use in the tractors. CAT ELC is the ONLY coolant I use too -- we buy it in the big 55G drums so it's priced "ok" --- otherwise it's too expensive.

IIRC the "drain interval" is 12,000 hrs (perhaps longer with their extenders)