New Yanny

bfd11 · Nov 3, 2006

I just bought my first tractor. It is a YM2000b. I've been in the market for a while and after studying long and hard as well as looking at this forum decided that for my 2 acre pasture and 1/4 mile driveway this was the tractor that would meet my needs. I have just a quick question for now. I've notice when brush hogging with my 4' howse brush hog that after about 30 minutes the temp gauge kept climbing. I shut down before the guage ever reached hot status. However after shutting down, I noticed coolant blowing out of the overflow bottle cap bleeder. I let the tractor sit for about 3 hrs and came back just to check if there was a leak elsewhere and the fan might have thrown it, but no further leaks. I checked the radiator cap and found rust on the spring system, so I purchase a new 13# cap. Today I used the tractor and noticed it was starting to warm up to the 3/4 mark so I shut down and cleaned the screen in front of the radiator. I am mowing stuff that is as high as me sitting on the tractor so I know that it's gonna clog. How often should I do this? Every thirty minutes? After I cleaned the screen used the tractor for a while until temp started raising again, and cleaned once again. Will this only happen with brush hogging the high stuff? Once I get a good cut on it will this get better? Also I'm running in 4th or 5th gear with the pto in 1 and about 2000 rpms. Is all of this correct operation?

buppy69 · Nov 3, 2006

Your RPM's are a little low. If the grass is this high it will stop up the screen. It should get better when the tall grass is gone.

Eugene

kenmac · Nov 3, 2006

Do the temps stay down after you clean the radiator ? I mow the same stuff that you are talking about. Sometimes I let the stuff get too high (above the hood of my tractor) b-4 I cut. I cut all day( about 4-6 hrs) in the summer heat. I never have to stop & clean the rad.& my tractor never runs hot. You may want to have your radiator checked.

roxynoodle · Nov 3, 2006

I'd put the rpms up to 2200. Any possibility the coolant was overfilled? I know, it's probably not that simple, but every once in awhile we all get lucky.

BruceR · Nov 4, 2006

Welcome bfd11,
I have a 2000B also. It's a great unit. Plan on having your radiator cleaned professionaly. Also, don't just brush the screen off, make sure you clean out the radiator fins too. You should be running 2400 RPM.
Consider running 3rd gear on your first couple of passes. Makes it easier on the B and safer for you untill you know whats in there. You might lift the bush hog a little the first time through. Again, easier and safer, and a good excuse for more seat time. You might also want to check your clutch adjustment as that can cause overheating as well.
I went through the same problem when I first got mine. I had head high weeds and 10' tall dead plum thickets. Once you get through the head high stuff it will get better, but having you radiator rodded is still the best bet.

Bruce

normde2001 · Nov 4, 2006

There is no magic in keeping your tractor running cool. Same as your car except no thermostat to worry about. A YM2000B should run cool, barely 1/4 way up on the gage. I stop and clean the screen any time I see the gage begin to rise above normal. If your gage normally reads above 1/4 hot, you need to clean your radiator inside and out.

64f100 · Nov 4, 2006

I had this problem develope awhile back. After 30 mins. to an hr. of hard use the temp would climb. I would check coolent level (when cold) and all was well. I kept thinking the belt was loose to the fan. I tightend it. It would still do it when I worked it hard on a hot day. 90+. I don't remember why I thought of it but I finally bent down and looked directly into the radiator fins to see if I could see through. It is dificult to get your head down there because of the way the hood opens forward but what I saw was that about 2/3 of the front surface of the radiator was blocked with dust packed into the fins. This could not be brushed or blown out. All I did was take my garden hose to it under moderate presure and it looked like mud coming out on the back side near the fan. I squirted water through until it was clear water and I have not had a problem since. I can't make it overheat, no way no how.

Please check the radiator itself, not just the screen or filter. The fins on mine look like they like to trap very small particules that I would have thought would pass right through.

greatrandini · Nov 6, 2006

64f100 is giving good advice. Sometimes u can blow chaff out from the fan side out... The thing I want to add is that u say u "shut it down". You should always attempt to idle it down.. I mean any time you get ur unit up to operating temp u should let it idle for awhile to cool itself down. If you get a couple of manuals they will tell u all this....

Tom_Veatch · Nov 8, 2006

greatrandini said:
64f100 is giving good advice. Sometimes u can blow chaff out from the fan side out... The thing I want to add is that u say u "shut it down". You should always attempt to idle it down.. I mean any time you get ur unit up to operating temp u should let it idle for awhile to cool itself down. If you get a couple of manuals they will tell u all this....

Not advising a hot shutdown, but I have noticed that leaving the engine running (to avoid a hot shutdown) and pulling the screen often shakes chaff loose which the fan then pulls into the radiator. Point is, after a few screen cleanings done with the engine running, you may need to do a complete shutdown to clean the radiator, also. If so, be sure to do it before the radiator gets so blocked that it won't cool at idle.

normde2001 · Nov 8, 2006

Tom_Veatch said:
Not advising a hot shutdown, but I have noticed that leaving the engine running (to avoid a hot shutdown) and pulling the screen often shakes chaff loose which the fan then pulls into the radiator. Point is, after a few screen cleanings done with the engine running, you may need to do a complete shutdown to clean the radiator, also. If so, be sure to do it before the radiator gets so blocked that it won't cool at idle.

I have always been curious about that "idling to avoid a hot shutdown" thing. Even though it is mentioned in the owners manual, I have never known idling to cool any vehicle. All of my auto owners manuals always said if you overheated from idling to turn on the heater, (for more water flow), and rev the engine.