kioti running hot

[ptsg]

5030, I've got to ask "why" is it so important to blow out radiator from the fan side? I've seen that stated many times on TBN but with zero being said as to the why!

I blow mine from both sides - but from the front I am able to completely cover the entire radiator - where as from fan side the fan blades are "always" in the way. As long as the fins are clear/clean what's the difference? Just curious to the "from the fans side" statement.
Thanks, Greg

Do this test. Get your radiator full of dust. Then blow just the front. Once you're done, try blow it from the fan side and see how much stuff will still come out.

 

[Gregster613]

Do this test. Get your radiator full of dust. Then blow just the front. Once you're done, try blow it from the fan side and see how much stuff will still come out.

ptsg, I do know that dust blows from both sides, and I stated that I do blow from both sides, just that I can get "complete" coverage of the radiator from the front versus the fan side. It probably means nothing in the big vein - I just wondered by it's been stated "often" on TBN to blow from the fan side? Making one think that TBNr's suggest that's the only side to blow out the radiator from. My tiny radiator gets clogged frequently so I'm all about blowing it any way to get all the chaff out! Thanks, Greg

 

[5030]

5030, I've got to ask "why" is it so important to blow out radiator from the fan side?

Because the fan sucks the junk into the rad and the easiest way to expell it is opposite the air flow. I blow both ways as well, but I always start on the fab side and blow to wards the front unless it's a lager JD which blow outward and don't suck in. In fact you can option a reversing fan on a JD. Too bad Kubota don't offer it. The fan don't physically reverse the fan blades rotate.

 

[Gregster613]

Because the fan sucks the junk into the rad and the easiest way to expell it is opposite the air flow. I blow both ways as well, but I always start on the fab side and blow to wards the front unless it's a lager JD which blow outward and don't suck in. In fact you can option a reversing fan on a JD. Too bad Kubota don't offer it. The fan don't physically reverse the fan blades rotate.

Well that makes sense. Thanks. A reversing fan would be a great option to have, now that I think deeply on it. But I'll just stick with the way I've been doing it for years now - as it seems to work. I blow mine out every time I put it away in the garage and then sometimes again before I start it up for the next days event. I don't need or want a hotter than running temp engine!

 

[MESSMAKER]

I find it to be a constant battle. I use compressed air and a wand to get at the radiator. I also use water and coil cleaner from time to time. When you shoot water through from the back side, you can tell if you have a blockage by the water flow. It does not take a lot of internal blockage combined with other air restrictions to cause you trouble.

 

[5030]

Actually, the best and cheapest coil cleaner is diluted Dawn dishwash soap in a spritz bottle applied about 5 minutes prior to a water wash. Stuff 'floats' the crud right out.

 

[nyone]

why" is it so important to blow out radiator from the fan side? I've seen that stated many times on TBN but with zero being said as to the why!

I blow mine from both sides

It's not. Blow out back to front or front to back and you should be doing both like you said you are. The point is to remove dirt in between the fins, what way you blow makes no difference.

Pressure washer does work well to however you do need to be carefull.

 

[rodneyn]

It's not. Blow out back to front or front to back and you should be doing both like you said you are. The point is to remove dirt in between the fins, what way you blow makes no difference.

Pressure washer does work well to however you do need to be carefull.

Blowing out radiator is key to long diesel life. What is not discussed is antifreeze frequency of changing. Verification if it’s acidic high pH level or verification if it’s conductive. Share thoughts how do you know if it’s time to replace the antifreeze in your tractor.

 

[RSKY]

Don't laugh but when mowing the 'Old Farm' which is five miles from the shop I take my truck with fuel cans, generator, and air compressor in the back. Ever time I stop to refuel I blow out the radiator. This is experience from 55-years bush hogging.

Several years ago we got some type of invasive weed in the CRP ground on the home farm. It looked like 6-7' tall cattails growing around a pond but when the brush at the top broke open it made a thick feather like flower that would clog a radiator in no time. Took pictures and showed the Conservation Agent. Even though contract said to mow in alternating strips in alternating years he told me to mow it completely every year as low as possible. Said it would control it and keep it from spreading. The little Kioti could only make one trip around the field before it overheated. The bigger Ford 4600 could make three or four rounds before the heat gauge started creeping up. Then the Ford's heat gauge quit working so we blew it out every three rounds to be safe. Took us three days to mow what usually only took one. Spent more time cleaning radiators than mowing.

Point I'm trying to make (badly) is that mowing tall grass or brush will clog the radiator on any tractor. Using a water hose to clean it out is a bad idea. We had to replace one radiator after doing that for several years. The wet dust becomes like cement on the fins and the machine cannot cool. Use an air compressor. I bought a tool made for cleaning radiators. Cheaply made junk but it works.

Have fun mowing but keep one eye on the heat gauge.

RSKY

 

[5030]

OK ... I only had 1 acre remaining to mow today. This would be enough, given the experience of the last few days, to get the engine over temp.

I am happy to report ... I finished the entire acre without getting above the marked "normal" operation level I've attached a pic so you can see what I was fighting.

Just as an aside: Running the AC, even when doing nothing but using the loader bucket, still runs the engine temp up. This has been true since purchased.

Thanks for all the input!

One thing you need to do is remove the bucket. Mowing that tall of stuff with the bucket on causes the bucket to fold it over and folding it over causes even more chaff to be produced. Either than or raise it above the level of the stuff you are mowing. Running the ac will always cause the engine to warm pretty quick. The AC condenser which is in front of the rad is shedding it's heat into the rad no matter what. One thing I did with my Kubota's is I added a 12 volt automotive cooling fan in front of the ac condenser and I run it whenever the ac is operating. That helps the condenser shed heat and keeps things much cooler in the cab when toe motor is idling. Every heat exchanger is totally dependent on the engine fan for air flow, from the rad to the ac condenser to the transmission cooler and in my case the air to air heat exchanger.