On the subject of cooling

[woodlandfarms]

I am still very, very confused on the non recycling oil in the tram system. Shouldn't I be changing that oil as well? I am going to have to review the manual I got....

This all said, I was pondering the hydraulic cooling issue (not the engine cooling issue). I looked at some pictures the other day of an old motorcycle I had. I realized that wouldn't it be really simple to weld some cooling fins on to the tank.... That additional space would provide a lot of cooling.. I am thinking like 2 to 3" deep, 1/4" steel, length of the oil... Maybe 5 to 7 rows...

I am not much of a welder so it is out of my league....

Carl

 

[MossRoad]

Where on the hydraulic tank would you put cooling fins that would not interfere with the turning radius or get rubbed off on trees, bushes, etc...?

Is overheating really a problem on your machine?

 

[woodlandfarms]

Overheating on the Hydraulics system is a question I can't answer. As far as I know there is no guage for the system. I have an oil temp gauge for the engine only on my machine. I have yet to operate in extremely warm temps. I know my hydraulic radiator is HUGE. But it is also put on the roof of a black box, which is solid save for a 14" hole for a fan, with the hottest part of the vehicle directly under it. Not a particularly brilliant design in cooling methods

I have heard that people will use there system for a couple of hours and the wheels will start getting sluggish as the heat causes the oil to thin too far. For me, I have yet to notice that.

As for rubbing, I would have to look and am not at the tractor this month. It was just an idea... Provide more cooling area for a hot box...

 

[MossRoad]

Fourtenn painted some of the black areas on his PT white. He said it helps a lot.

 

[KentT]

Fourtenn painted some of the black areas on his PT white. He said it helps a lot.

I painted the top of my ROPS/FOPS white, leaving the underside black to reduce glare. It made it much cooler to the touch...

I used Rustoleum and a roller...

Note that items you want to cool off need to be FLAT black so they'll dissipate (sp?) heat. I used to spraypaint VW engine blocks and heads (including the air fins) with a thin coat of high-temp flat black. Flat/matte surfaces will radiate heat much better than glossy paint or polished surfaces... Polishing the air fins on a motorcycle head are actually counterproductive, for example.

Items that you want to keep cool and not absorb heat should be white or another light color. Here polishing would help, also, since it would help reflect heat.

 

[MossRoad]

I painted the top of my ROPS/FOPS white, leaving the underside black to reduce glare. It made it much cooler to the touch...

I used Rustoleum and a roller...

Note that items you want to cool off need to be FLAT black so they'll dissipate (sp?) heat. I used to spraypaint VW engine blocks and heads (including the air fins) with a thin coat of high-temp flat black. Flat/matte surfaces will radiate heat much better than glossy paint or polished surfaces... Polishing the air fins on a motorcycle head are actually counterproductive, for example.

Items that you want to keep cool and not absorb heat should be white or another light color. Here polishing would help, also, since it would help reflect heat.

It is amazing how much heat these things can absord just sitting in the sun when they are not even running. Fortunately, I work in the shade most of the time and mow in the evenings, but those few times I am out in a field, man, I can feel it! When the heat exhaustion sinks in, I look like this...

 

[Barryh]

It is amazing how much heat these things can absord just sitting in the sun when they are not even running. Fortunately, I work in the shade most of the time and mow in the evenings, but those few times I am out in a field, man, I can feel it! When the heat exhaustion sinks in, I look like this...

That's why I leave my cab on in the summer with the windows and panels out, it does a good job of keeping the sun off of me and the PT, so I look like this instead of this