Temp gauge/water pump

[guyw]

Talked with the dealer and he said a new thermostat was $30. I hate to pay that for one if that is not the problem.

$30 bucks is cheap compared to what it costs for some cars I know about. In order to replace the thermostat, you have to remove the manifolds and other associated attachments. A couple of hours of labor and about $400 later, you have the thermostat replaced. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[PineRidge]

Funny you should mention "touching" the tractor. As part of my preventive care on my TN, I routinely "touch" the machine when hot. I want to find out what is normal. How hot is the tranny, the radiator, turbocharger, hydraulic hoses, etc. I use common sense and never get burned, but maybe in the future, when I think something is "broken" I will have some idea of what is normal. Maybe I am just wasting time and risking a 3rd degree burn?
Bob

Bob I used to touch my tractor too until my neighbor called the cops and told them what I was doing. Tractor services came out and threatened to relocate it to a foster home if I didn't straighten up. I'm a lot better now.

 

[Daryl]

Randy41,
I live in extreme southwest Va. Lee County. Tractor place is Lee Tractor.
Does anyone know if I could use a car thermostat? They sale for $10.
Guyw,
the $30 was for the thermostat not putting it in I would do that, it is very easy to get to.

 

[jinman]

Randy41,
I live in extreme southwest Va. Lee County. Tractor place is Lee Tractor.
Does anyone know if I could use a car thermostat? They sale for $10.
Guyw,
the $30 was for the thermostat not putting it in I would do that, it is very easy to get to.

Daryl, I should have mentioned in my previous post that clipping off that little ball would cause the tractor to heat up a lot slower. The ball works like a tiny checkvalve. When fluid starts to flow by the ball, it pushes it up into the hole and stops flow. The reason for the check valve is that when you drain all the coolant and add new coolant, you want to get all the coolant out and make sure you don't have an air pocket inside the engine block as you refill the coolant. The checkvalve allows fluid to flow against the ball and/or air to flow up by it. When the denser liquid flows upward, the ball valve is pushed into the hole and stops flow.

As a result of having that small hole there all the time, your thermostat is letting cool water bypass. In 40º weather, you will have to put your tractor under load to make it heat up, and it will probably run 10-15º cooler than it would if the ballvalve was still working.

The thermostat is a 180º thermostat just like the ones sold for automobiles, but I'm not sure of it's dimensions. If you take it with you to the auto store, I'd bet you could match it up.

BTW: Is your tractor still in warranty? If it is, that thermostat is covered and you should get another one from your dealer for free. This is too common a problem for him to not know about it anyway.

 

[randy41]

Randy41,
I live in extreme southwest Va. Lee County. Tractor place is Lee Tractor.
Does anyone know if I could use a car thermostat? They sale for $10.
Guyw,
the $30 was for the thermostat not putting it in I would do that, it is very easy to get to.

ah...you are way out there. i live in floyd county.

 

[Daryl]

Thanks Jinman.. I used it a while today also. On my tractor it has 3 little blocks in the temp gauge. The third one being red. It always ran in the middle of the second one. Now It is running in the middle of the first one. Just want to make sure it is getting up to operating temp,don't want to do any damage. It is out of warranty. Thanks for all the help.

Randy41
yes I am WAY out there..

 

[jinman]

On my tractor it has 3 little blocks in the temp gauge. The third one being red. It always ran in the middle of the second one. Now It is running in the middle of the first one. Just want to make sure it is getting up to operating temp,don't want to do any damage. It is out of warranty.

I know how you feel Daryl. It will run cooler and that's a little disconcerting; however, consider that both the upper green or lower green are still green. If NH thought it was not okay, they would have made it yellow or red. I don't think you will do any damage to the engine. My tractor runs in the lower green except for really hot summer work. I think you will be okay.

 

[Daryl]

Thanks