Tractor Runs Hot

[rockbuster]

I have a 2003 Branson 2810 with 1100 hrs on it. Unfortunately the temp guage was not working for a couple of months and because it was running fine I ignored it until it overheated 2-3 times. I have fixed the temp guage (sending unit). Knowing that the guage did not cause the tractor to overheat I found the water pump to be bad so replaced it and the thermostat. Also flushed the radiator several times and obviously replaced all the coolant. The tractor seems to run fine now but runs hot. It does not over heat but will get up to the line. Not sure what to do next. No water in the oil or anything that I can see to indicate a warped head. ?? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanx

 

[texasjohn]

Well, only thing I can suggest is to take a water hose and make sure your radiator is not stopped up with dust and crud. I'm shredding now and have to stop every 4 hours and clean out radiator when temp starts rising. I assume you have rechecked the fluid level and it is still all there. Also, assume that radiator cap is good, holding pressure. Also assume you know fan belt is tight and fan is properly turning.


Otherwise, good luck!!

 

[Farmerford]

It is possible to overheat enough to damage the head gasket without warping the cylinder head. If the cylinder sealing ring is damaged and the nearest (relatively) low pressure place is a water passage, the combustion gasses will travel through the damaged sealing ring into the cooling spaces. There they will show up as bubbles in the radiator fill neck when you remove the radiator cap, stop the tractor with the radiator uphill slightly, and run the engine, preferably with a load. I have had them so damaged that the combustion gases were making the overflow pipe puff like a steam engine.

In many cases, if you get the engine hot and then shut it off with the radiator cap on, the pressure in the radiator will force water out of the cooling passages and into the cylinder through the damaged head gasket. When that happens, you will get several seconds of white smoke from the exhaust at startup as the accumulated water turns into steam.

 

[farmallbill]

worked on a 4020 that was overheated and it had cracked the head and failed the head gasket, after head was replaced and was back running found that the temp was getting high on the gauge but never too high, found that the overflow tank cap had melted and sealed shut not allowing the coolant to flow into the reservoir tank when the radiator cap released the pressur. take the overflow hose off radiator and see if you can blow into the overflow tank.

 

[art]

With the replacement parts used with the temperature gauge you might get different readings then before. Get a heat gun on it to check to see if you really do have a problem.