Radiator cloggage

[Highbeam]

Don't ever let anyone tell you that there is no need to clean the radiator out.

The layer shown in the picture is 1/2" thick and composed of grass, leaves, duff, insects, and a little bit of mud. It is from my little bulldozer and the fan blows out to the front on a dozer.

I noticed that it would warm up after a few hours and have a hard time cooling down. Engine and transmission fluid would get pretty hot.

Also I had to squirt liquid into the radiator to stop little fires that would easily start when a spark from the brush fire would get blown into this hot, dry, layer of duff and then fanned until I noticed the smoke coming out of the grille. I used whatever liquid I had ready and available and always have a backup fire extinguisher in the dozers tool box.

 

[Highbeam]

Another

 

[Highbeam]

And lastly, it is not easy at all to access a radiator on a dozer. The bugger is in there good to protect it. Here it is parked inside the 20 foot long storage container. It is a tight fit but there is sufficient length to store fuel and lube behind the dozer. On the rear of the machine is a set of rippers.

 

[Dozernut]

Nice looking dozer! Those 500C's are good little machines and will do a lot of work. Parts are getting a little harder to find is the only bad thing I know about them.
I made up a wand out of steel brake line and put a rubber tip on it. I attached a quick connector to the brake line which allows me to hook it up to the air compressor and blow the radiator out. The long wand lets me reach in tight places and the rubber tip protects the radiator if it makes contact. You probably already know this, but do not use a pressure washer to clean the radiator, it will damage the fins.

 

[btolle]

I have a telescoping air blow gun I got at Harbor Freight for about $10 that is great for blowing stuff out of hard to reach places, similar to Telescoping Air Blow Gun

I hadn't thought about adding a small piece of rubber on the end to keep it from bending radiator fins, that is a great idea. Consider your idea stolen!

I also use it to clean the dashboard on our Jeeps. It will blow the dust our of the crevices and cracks that I can't reach to clean out.

Bill Tolle