Steaming Radiator

Ramon · Jul 4, 2004

So I took my Farmall 100 out for a but of heavy plowing today. I got toward the end of the work and my radiator starts steaming like a banshee. I checked the oil and it was fine and I am waiting for the radiator to stop steaming so I can check the radiator fluid level. Any ideas on what might be wrong and have I done any damage?
Ramon

Soundguy · Jul 5, 2004

Assuming no water in the oil.. is your thermastat installed correctly/ Is the radiator clean, and clean fluid? when flushing the radiator.. can a garden hose run a good stream right thru the core?

Water pump belt tight?... Fan turning?

Soundguy

upgw · Jul 5, 2004

I don't think you can damage anything as long as there is still water in it, the engine temp won't go above the boiling point of the coolant, it'll just boil faster as it generates more heat. I'd check the cap as well, I think these are pressurized systems.

My 130 seems to 'bubble' along the head gasket when I'm running on these warm (90 degree) days, but that's about it.

- P

Ramon · Jul 6, 2004

Yup, it seems the radiator fluid was running low. I refilled it and it ran ok. Is it normal to have to fill the radiator after every hard use though. After I shut if off after an hour or two of running hard, I see a lot of fluid coming out of the overflow tube. It seems odd that I would always have to refill the radiator after every heavy use...

RonR · Jul 6, 2004

The old JD model M I used to own would boil over when pulling hard. It had a thermosiphon (no water pump), so it was pretty inefficent. It was easier to see the boil over than the gage, and I think it was more accurate too!

When mine got that hot, I'd let it fast idle with no load for awhile to cool it down. I typically had to add coolant after hard pulls like that also.

As a side note, when working toward dusk, I could see that my muffler was running a dull red color under a heavy load as well!

Ron

Soundguy · Jul 6, 2004

Any water making it into the crankcase?

Soundguy

upgw · Jul 6, 2004

I'd start with the easy stuff, make sure the cap seat is clean, then replace the cap with a new one. Make sure the water pump belt isn't slipping, they aren't supposed to be that tight on these though.

How old is the radiator? Can you see any crud in the tubes looking in from the top?

- P

slowrev · Jul 7, 2004

My vote is with Soundguy. The most common rweason tractors overheat is dirty radiator fins. Keep the cooling fins clean. Sometimes I have to clean the fins a few times a day if cutting a lot of dry stuff with the brush hog and the wind is coming from behind me.
If the air can't flow thru them good the will not cool.

BobG_in_VA · Jul 9, 2004

Thought I'd drop a line in here. IH/Farmall radiators are made to only fill to 2 or so inches below the cap/top. This gives expansion room for the fluid. I've seen a lot of boilovers/blow-outs when you overfill. It should only blow out the amount to get it down to where it should be. My '57 230 row crop will plow all day without boiling over. When its cold you just can see the anti freeze about 2 1/2 inches down. The 130 and the 230 pretty much share the same engine except I believe the Nebraska tests show the 130 a few HPs lower. I have Firecrater pistons in mine which ups the compression to a whoopy-do shade over 7:1. The old flat piston Super C's had about 6.5:1. BobG in VA