# Tractor running hot issues



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

One of my tractors running hot while cutting moderately high grass. When cut with other tractors, I don't see temps this high. All radiators have been blown out and look great. No leaks whatsoever. Radiator topped off
What is the next step to look at?


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## ozarkian (Dec 11, 2010)

I had the same problem with a Case IH 5240. Always used compressed air on radiator after each use. Still ran on the warm side. Tractor tech friend of mine came over and used a power washer on mine. Power washed it for about and hour, or until the water coming out was totally clean. 
It has run perfect ever since.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Make sure it’s actually running hot. Some gauges aren’t very good.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Good ideas above. Process of elimination, simple (or stupid) things first. Usually if I have a warm runner it’s because the radiator is not as clean as it looks. Make sure the fan clutch if it has one is doing its job.


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## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

Changed out a temperature sensor on a 4960 , after doing everything else. Never was "over heating" . Just telling me so.......... and making me real nervous.


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

Could be a plugged air filter. Just had our 4760 overheating and blew out the filter but didn’t help. Turns out the pre-cleaner before the filter was 3/4 plugged with chaff and dust and not letting much air through. Half an hour of blowing and digging it out with dental picks and runs normal now.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

So I "pressure washed" (ok, used a strong garden hose with sprayer) and quite a bit of swampy lookin goop came out. I did manage to soak the alternator, too.
Kubota thermostat is $49. I guess that'll be next.


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

JD3430 said:


> So I "pressure washed" (ok, used a strong garden hose with sprayer) and quite a bit of swampy lookin goop came out. I did manage to soak the alternator, too.
> Kubota thermostat is $49. I guess that'll be next.


Was it oily (from a oil cooler possibly) at all? If it was you may need to wash it out with some gas or varasol with compressed air since water just gets the dirt out. Had to do this a week ago after a hydraulic line leaked in front of a rad on one of our deere's.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Not that I really saw. Looked like rotted grass, mud. Did see one "rainbow" on the water. But only briefly.
This tractor is going to be a work in progress.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

Check the lower radiator hose to be sure it is not collapsing.

Take an infrared thermometer and check your radiator for areas that are cooler than rest to check for clogged radiator. You can also verify the tractor temp with this and "possibly" tell if thermostat is opening.

Have been told clogged exhaust can also cause one to run hot.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

I run window screen over the side screens on my tractors, it really helps keep most of the hay dust from plugging up the rads. If the tractors temp rises i just shut the tractor off for a few seconds and it falls off, then carry on.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

It has the pre-screens on 2 of the rads.
My M126 will get too much chaff in the rads and the temp rises quick.
The M135 acted very similar today, but visually, the radiator and pre-screens looked pretty clean.
Now that I have power washed the radiator and saw the amount of trash that came out I'm hopeful that will be the solution.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Evidence of dirt in a radiator when you wash it is like a rat population. If you see one you have ten. I would suggest going back and power washing (with a real power washer--just be cautious with it) the radiators.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

The garden hose was strong enough to bend the fins, is a power washer going to be too strong?


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## ozarkian (Dec 11, 2010)

JD3430 said:


> The garden hose was strong enough to bend the fins, is a power washer going to be too strong?


We used a 2000 PSI power washer. My friend sprayed it for at least an hour. Crap would keep coming out. He stopped after the water ran clear for quite some time.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

ozarkian said:


> We used a 2000 PSI power washer. My friend sprayed it for at least an hour. Crap would keep coming out. He stopped after the water ran clear for quite some time.


^^^^This is what it takes. I like a gas powered power washer, then I can throttle the engine back some to avoid fin damage.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

SOLVED!
The water flushed through all the radiators did the trick. I went back and did some more high grass and pulled some hills and didn't see any even a remotely small increase in temps. 
Only thing I will say is I didn't have it under load for a long constant pull, but I think it did the trick.
A/C much colder, too.

Now I need to add a front weight rack and replace the exhaust pipe and shielding, and the abrupt shift between 4th & 5th gears.

THANKS to all who helped! 
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. 
Blessed be the souls who died for our country and our freedom!


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

When I ran excavator for a demo company we would wash radiator with fire hose every morning AC would run much cooler.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

When you all talk about pressure washing radiators is this with them installed or out of the tractors? I have one of those air hose attachments made just for blowing out radiators and even that can be difficult to get in where you need to. Seems like a pressure washer would be very hard....at least without spraying at an angle and damaging fins. Just curious. I need to get several of mine cleaned out better.


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## ozarkian (Dec 11, 2010)

Trotwood2955 said:


> When you all talk about pressure washing radiators is this with them installed or out of the tractors? I have one of those air hose attachments made just for blowing out radiators and even that can be difficult to get in where you need to. Seems like a pressure washer would be very hard....at least without spraying at an angle and damaging fins. Just curious. I need to get several of mine cleaned out better.


*I spray mine with the radiators and condensers installed, and at a angle. 2000 PSI is not a lot of pressure. Use caution as always. The trick is to be patient and keep doing it until the water coming out is clear.*


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Trotwood2955 said:


> When you all talk about pressure washing radiators is this with them installed or out of the tractors? I have one of those air hose attachments made just for blowing out radiators and even that can be difficult to get in where you need to. Seems like a pressure washer would be very hard....at least without spraying at an angle and damaging fins. Just curious. I need to get several of mine cleaned out better.


I ran into this issue. Kubota has about 5 radiators/coolers. One of them, the AC slides out and you can spray water straight through it. The others are hard-mounted and getting to the main engine radiator is difficult only where the fan clutch gets in the way. Radiator was especially dirty there and of course at the bottom 1/3rd as you would expect. When I angled the garden hose sprayer set on "jet" mode, it did bend some fins because of the "angling" aspect of the water stream you describe. 
I was able to lock the sprayer on, then actually hold the hose about a foot down from the sprayer to get it really close and directly spray into the radiator.
The affect was maximum as my driveway has a 10' swath of radiator dirt to show for my work. 
I was under the mpression compressed air would do a better job blowing out those little slots. Boy was I wrong. I think I'll do the other tractors.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

I’ll give it a try. I know all mine have to be filthy. All I’ve ever done is keep them blown out, and that’s usually just the big stuff.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Our Massey 8160 the Condensor and oil coolers slide out to either side then you can get a good shot at booth. Even our combine radiators that get blown out religiously on at least a daily basis always have some crud that comes out with a good water wash.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Trotwood2955 said:


> I'll give it a try. I know all mine have to be filthy. All I've ever done is keep them blown out, and that's usually just the big stuff.


Prepare to be amazed.


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