Why is my T/M cooler covered in oil and dirt? XR4150HC

[kkl]

When I looked under the hood of my 2017 XR4150HC today, I noticed that the T/M cooler was covered in brown goo. At first I thought that mud had gotten in, but the cowling is clean and the cooler right in front of it isn't covered. It appears to be oil that's been covered in dust. I believe it's the T/M cooler based on the parts manual. The radiator also has the oily goo, but primarily right behind the T/M cooler.

Has anyone had this problem or know what's going on. I suspect a loose/leaking hydraulic connection. I'm not noticeably losing hydraulic oil and motor oil buy dipstick indicator. Pending other advice, my next step will be to clean everything off and see if I can figure out where the oil is coming from. The tractor only has about 175 hours on it and still looks pretty new. I haven't had any overheating yet.

 

[LittleBill21]

thats quite the leak

 

[spruce Deere]

Looks like you have a small leak around the cooler, possibly the cooler itself. The very side of the tubes look suspiciously clean.

The smallest leak can look massive over time. Especially in dusty conditions.

Wash it all off and watch the area closely. Stop occasionally when working and look around the cooler for 'wet' spots.

Small, gradual leaks like that seldom show on the dip stick or sight glass because of the very slight amount leaking.... If left long enough though it will become obvious.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Perhaps you get a good degreaser like Simple Green Pro HD or similar. Put some, undiluted, in a spray bottle and spray down the cooler. Let it soak for a while .. then spray off with a water hose. (A pressure washer is not a good idea.). If needed re-spray with the degreaser and rinse off.

Once it's clean .. it should be easier to find your leak.

Good luck!

 

[lostcreekranch]

A small investment in a tool like Radiator Genie is worth considering too.

Amazon.com: Radiator Genie - Water & Air Cleaning Wands for High Efficiency Cooling Systems and Radiators - Blow Out / Wash Out Kit : Automotive

Amazon.com: Radiator Genie - Water & Air Cleaning Wands for High Efficiency Cooling Systems and Radiators - Blow Out / Wash Out Kit : Automotive

smile.amazon.com

One wand is for compressed air .. one for water. Both have 90° outlets which works great on your radiator and coolers.

 

[ruffdog]

Once all clean and dry, I would spray foot powder onto the cooler and look for the wet spot.

 

[5030]

I haven't had any overheating yet.

You will at some point. You need to invest in a jug of Zep purple degreaser and soak it down and clean everything off and then determine where the leak is and address it.

When farming, I blow out my rad and my intercoolers and transmission heat exchangers EVERY EVENING before I put the tractor in the barn for the night.

 

[kkl]

Thanks all for the advice and info. The grime washed away fairly easily with just soap and water, so I don't think it's been on there an extended period of time. After working for a couple of hours, there was more dirt stuck on the fins, so I'll need to use one of the degreasers mentioned to get rid of the residual oil. I didn't find a blatantly obvious leak after working it, but there did seem to be some oil on the connector just below the left side of the cooler (see photo). If it's just a matter of tightening, I'm not sure how I'd do that since the fitting below is an elbow can't spin without disconnecting the other side of it.

 

[PCABE5]

Under that nut, should be an o-ring or sealing washer for the seal. At least that's my thought without looking up the parts diagram.

It could also be leaking from above (cracked) and you are seeing where it collects.

 

[ruffdog]

Is the goo covered cooler the AC condenser? (does this have a cab) What cooler is just in front of the goo covered one with simple hose clamps? As covered with goo it was, I'm wondering if the leak is just in front of it.