Overheating

[Judy_in_NC]

Have any of you had trouble with your tractors overheating?

I have a 3510 - bought it in April, '04

It never overheated until I had to do a lot of bushhogging this summer - tall weeds with apparently a lot of seed material that was very light and fluffy - kept having to clear the radiator. Sometimes I tried air, sometimes water. I cleaned it as well as I could, even moving the battery out of place and cleaning behind it. It still overheats after just a little bit of work now.

The dealer told me the some of the bigger Mahindras are coming back with overheating problems, and they are putting a dropped tray on the front so that the battery doesn't block a lot of the radiator. I just don't feel like that's my problem, but do intend to have the dealer check it out just as soon as I can get it to him. (My Dodge Ram van 3500 has been in the shop EIGHT WEEKS now getting some part of the trans rebuilt. I can't believe it's taking them that long. I am so eager to get my tractor back up and usable again.

I called the dealer last week to see what he would charge me to tow it (he is about 45 miles from me). He wanted $1.50 a mile. I couldn't bring myself to pay $135.00 (round trip) or so for what is expected to be warranty work.

On another note, I had a very dissapointing experience recently when towing this tractor (on the trailer I bought at the same time from the dealer). Someone had left a 1X6 - about 3 feet long, out in the road with a bolt, about as big around as my thumb, sticking straight up out of each end. I managed to miss it with all the tires except one of the trailer tires. It sliced about a 1/2 inch hole in the tire! It made me sick! This is a brand new tire. I priced them (Load Range D tires) and they are $80. each. I am a rather frugal (tight?) person. I hate so bad having to replace a brand new tire, but I have been told it is non-repairable, even with a patch AND a tube put in the tire.

Thanks for any thoughts any of you might have to share.

Judy in NC

 

[DK35vince]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It never overheated until I had to do a lot of bushhogging this summer - tall weeds with apparently a lot of seed material that was very light and fluffy - kept having to clear the radiator. Sometimes I tried air, sometimes water. I cleaned it as well as I could, even moving the battery out of place and cleaning behind it. It still overheats after just a little bit of work now. )</font>

Did you wash out in between the radiator fins ?
Sometimes when brushmowing fluffy/seedy material some will get by the screen and get trapped in between the radiator fins causing the problem you are having.

 

[Judy_in_NC]

Yes, I removed both halves of the screen and sprayed really well to get everything that I possibly could out of the radiator.

The dealer suggested I try shining a flashlight through it, that the beam should shine through - it doesn't, but I don't know anything further I can do to clean it out.

Judy in NC

 

[Bird]

You did spray the radiator from the back side, didn't you? Spraying the front, where the seeds and debris went in, can just push the stuff farther and tighter between the cooling fins. And whether you use air pressure or water, I guess you know you want to spray straight through horizontally being careful not to bend the cooling fins.

 

[Judy_in_NC]

No, the very experienced famer next door showed me to spray from the front! :-( It would be a little difficult to access from the back, but I'll certainly go back and do that if that's the right way.

He also helped me check the thermostat to make sure that wasn't contributing to the problem.

I did spray straight on, and tried to be very careful for the fins. I am thinking that because of the fins being fragile, it would NOT be a good idea to use any sort of pressure wash?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Judy in NC

 

[Bird]

Yep, it's a little more difficult to get to the back of the radiator, but I think you want to blow the stuff back out the way it came in, not just push it farther in. And if light won't shine through, then it sounds to me as if it's pretty well plugged. Now that's my opinion; maybe someone else will disagree.

 

[shvl73]

<font color="blue"> The dealer suggested I try shining a flashlight through it, that the beam should shine through - it doesn't </font>
<font color="blue"> I couldn't bring myself to pay $135.00 (round trip) or so for what is expected to be warranty work. </font>
I'd follow Bird's advice and try blowing the debris out from the backside of the radiator. It sounds like it's packed in pretty well. I would also discuss your expectations on this being a warranty issue, with your dealer. I'm not aware of the 3510 having an issue with overheating, with regard to battery placement, but any tractor will overheat if the radiator becomes clogged. An air blow gun will be easier to get in behind and blow straight on, vs. a pressure washer.
Good luck.

 

[DavesTractor]

Clogged radiator fins for sure. Not to rain on your parade, but that really isn't a warranty issue as nothing has failed. This is a common occurence when mowing, but generally it isn't so hard to clean out.

I don't think any tractor warranties cover hauling, although some dealers will do it for free, especially if you are a little patient and they can pick it up on a backhaul. Or it might be cheaper for them to send out their service truck and clean it in the field.

Thanks for posting this. It will help others be aware of the issue. I hope you get it solved soon. You have a great tractor, but they sure do need air through the radiator.

 

[BigAl]

Judy ,
Bird is exactly right ! Clean the opposite way . Among other little businesses I owned ,a radiator shop was one of them .
By washing from the front you are just ramming the bits and pieces further into the fins . Most new tractor( compact )radiators are built with a automotive style radiator core ,usually 3 or 4 rolls thick . The fins are much closer together . The Tractor manufacture does this because these radiators, when not plugged up ,cool much better than the straight fin core style .This new style is also much smaller because of the cooling capabilities it can perform , when clean and in proper working order .They are also cheaper to produce . Try to use air pressure set at about 50 to 60 pounds and keep the nozzle back aways a little .
For what it is worth , If other TBNers out there have a tractor that has always been marginal on its cooling from the day it was new , there is a number of new style cores that can be made to fit your existing top and bottom tanks of your radiator . Some shops do this and some shops just run in the opposite direction when asked to . Cost for a custom built compact tractor usually runs in the $100 - $200 range Max .We built hundreds of these and I never had one come back for not cooling better .
Big Al

 

[BigAl]

Judy ,
I almost forgot ! Here is a quick and safe way to tell if you have your radiator nice and clean . With the engine running, place a shop towel against the outside fins of the radiator . The suction of the fan should keep the towel in place ,showing you the fins are clean and the fan is working correctly . If it falls to the bottom it means the radiator fan is not pulling or the air is being sucked in from around the sides of the radiator instead of through it and you still have a problem . /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Big Al

 

[Judy_in_NC]

Clogged radiator fins for sure. Not to rain on your parade, but that really isn't a warranty issue as nothing has failed. This is a common occurence when mowing, but generally it isn't so hard to clean out.

Thank you so much for your replies.

This is just what I had told the dealer - that I didn't think my problem was related to the trouble he said some of the larger tractors had. He said on those they have had to install a dropped plate to put the battery on so that it didn't block so much of the radiator. But I told him - my trouble didn't start until after the mowing, so I didn't think it was going to be a warranty issue.

I have been so pleased with this tractor. I got a backhoe with it, and a FEL. It has helped with so many projects just in the months we have had it.

Back to the radiator - is it likely to be needed, or would it be more helpful to REMOVE the radiator when trying to get this debree out of it?

One other question (sorry if I should have asked this in a separate post). I am not working the tractor anymore since this problem came up, until I can get it rectified. But I do start it up once a week or so, and just drive it around for several minutes. Now when I start it up, there is just a VERY brief puff of smoke upon startup - it never did that before the overheating issue. Has something likely been damaged; and what would cause this. I have been told before that just a brief bit of smoke like that is nothing to worry about, but since it didn't do it before, I'd like to find out what might cause it.

Thanks again, for your very helpful response.

Judy in NC

 

[Judy_in_NC]

I almost forgot ! Here is a quick and safe way to tell if you have your radiator nice and clean . With the engine running, place a shop towel against the outside fins of the radiator . The suction of the fan should keep the towel in place ,showing you the fins are clean and the fan is working correctly . If it falls to the bottom it means the radiator fan is not pulling or the air is being sucked in from around the sides of the radiator instead of through it and you still have a problem .

Thank you so much for this tip! - I will give it a try. (After I do the cleaning from the correct side! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Judy in NC

 

[Judy_in_NC]

By washing from the front you are just ramming the bits and pieces further into the fins . Most new tractor( compact )radiators are built with a automotive style radiator core ,usually 3 or 4 rolls thick . The fins are much closer together . The Tractor manufacture does this because these radiators, when not plugged up ,cool much better than the straight fin core style .This new style is also much smaller because of the cooling capabilities it can perform , when clean and in proper working order .They are also cheaper to produce . Try to use air pressure set at about 50 to 60 pounds and keep the nozzle back aways a little .

That sheds a lot of light on this. I knew the gentleman who helped me was very knowledgable - but I guess didn't know about the newer type radiators.

Is it likely I have compacted things so much that I'll need to remove the radiator to give it a thorough cleaning now? If so, are there any special tips to know to do this right?

I keep the tractor at a separate property where we are preparing to build a new home (which is about 45 minutes from where I currently live). I am eager to get to it and give your advice a try.

Judy in NC

 

[Judy_in_NC]

I would also discuss your expectations on this being a warranty issue, with your dealer. I'm not aware of the 3510 having an issue with overheating, with regard to battery placement, but any tractor will overheat if the radiator becomes clogged.

That is what I told the dealer when he asked me to bring it in - that I didn't think this was going to be a warranty issue. I wasn't eager to tow it so far only to find out it was something I could/should have taken care of myself.

Thank you so much for your helpful advice.

Judy in NC

 

[mike45tx]

Judy, My 3510 runs just under half way by the temp guage.It does not seem to matter what I'm doing (shredding,blading,fel work).It is still pretty warm down here in south Texas. That tire price is about the same down here. Better replace it with the same load range tire, or you might have problems down the road.

Mike

 

[BigAl]

Hi Judy ,
I would be surprized if you needed to pull the radiator to clean the fins .
Try to always clean the radiator without using water and when the raditor is dry . If you ever took a core apart you would notice that the fins have little louvers in them for better cooling . If you do not do a good cleaning job ,once you use water on a dirty radiator, the dirt turns to mud , the mud gets in the louvers, dries and then you lose even more cooling ability . Mud is much harder to remove than dust !
If this happens the best solution I know of is to soak the raditor with a water hose then after waitng a few minutes for the "locked in dirt" to turn back to mud air blow it from the fan side . Follow this by rinsing the radiator until the water runs clear on the other side .
I do wash off my radiator but only after I have air cleaned it first from the fan side .
As far as the puff of smoke when starting , What color is the smoke? Blue smoke equals engine oil bypass which is not good , White smoke can be unburned fuel , and black can be dirty injectors . Most diesels I see puff or smoke a little black until they warm up . I do not think you have a problem and this is normal unless the engine starts running rough or it runs at a high temperature without a load on it .
Good luck.
BigAl

 

[thegreatrandini]

Don't get mad but between your tractor, your truck, and your trailer you seem to be a very high maintenance woman!!!

 

[rback33]

*LMAO* And they say puns are the lowest form of humor..... but dang it if they aren't usually the best form... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[JimR]

Judy, Try air pressure to blow the debris out of the radiator fins from the backside of course. If that fails, you may need to pull the radiator and use a narrow piece of plastic or other stiff material to to slide between the fins to clean them out.

 

[BigAl]

IF it gets to the point that she needs to pull the radiator , I think she would be much better off to take it to a local radiator shop and have it "boiled out". It should cost between $30 and $40 dollars and will be a professional job .
One puncture in a tube ,trying to clean it herself, will cost a lot more than the cost of a "boil out", charged by a professional .
They can also check it for "GPM coolant flow" while she is there to make sure the tubes are not plugged . This is usually a free service.
Big Al