branson 4720h cleaning radiator

[ARNAUDVILLE]

I have so much stuff in radiator when I cut tall grass. I use a heater hose with low pressure to wash out radiator and oil cooler is that ok I don't want to bend fins.

 

[3gunr]

That will work fine,But an air compresor with a long air nozzle works much better.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I also prefer using compressed air, set to low air pressure (so you don't bend fins), and blow from the back side to the front side. I have a blow gun with an extension tube on it, which really gets in the right spots. You just have to be very careful not to drag the blow gun across the radiator fins while blowing out the chaff.

 

[Stimw]

My 3510 has a removable screen that catches most of the trash.
Just pull it out wash or blow it off then a little blowing on back of radiator with air.

 

[LouNY]

My 8050 has a screen also, it is kind of pain removing it to clean.
A thumb screw and a 10mm bolt and nut, and the nut likes to fall and be difficult
to recover and reinstall.

 

[Cougsfan]

I had a huge problem with the radiator on my 4720 clogging continuously while cutting grass & weeds. What I did to correct it was mostly aimed at keeping stuff from getting to the radiator in the first place. I stuffed the huge gap under the radiator with foam rubber. I covered all the holes on the chassis in front of the radiator and under the battery with duct tape and/or fine wire mesh. I bought a 90 degree bend to clamp on to the exhaust pipe outlet when mowing to keep the exhaust from blowing chaff forward. All of that helped immensely. It still clogs with fine stuff that comes through the grill openings, but I can usually go a whole day of mowing now before cleaning rather than 1/2 hour. I agree that an blowgun with a long thin extended tip works best for cleaning. Harbor Freight has one that works quite well.

 

[ARNAUDVILLE]

THANK YOU

 

[ARNAUDVILLE]

Thank you

 

[ning]

I had a huge problem with the radiator on my 4720 clogging continuously while cutting grass & weeds. What I did to correct it was mostly aimed at keeping stuff from getting to the radiator in the first place. I stuffed the huge gap under the radiator with foam rubber. I covered all the holes on the chassis in front of the radiator and under the battery with duct tape and/or fine wire mesh. I bought a 90 degree bend to clamp on to the exhaust pipe outlet when mowing to keep the exhaust from blowing chaff forward. All of that helped immensely. It still clogs with fine stuff that comes through the grill openings, but I can usually go a whole day of mowing now before cleaning rather than 1/2 hour. I agree that an blowgun with a long thin extended tip works best for cleaning. Harbor Freight has one that works quite well.

I haven't done any mowing with my tractor yet but half of the year the dirt here turns to dust and the exhaust seems to kick it up from nowhere. I'm definitely going to look at rerouting the exhaust away from the ground before summer!

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I'm considering trying to work out a vertical stack that comes out between my loader mount and cab glass, and goes up the left front pillar of the cab to the roof. I'm planning on removing my soot cooker anyway, but any way I can think to run it would really end up being a 180 degree bend from up out of the exhaust manifold, to turn 180 deg down and back to the bottom of the cab and loader, then back up another 180 deg to go up the corner of the cab. Not really keen to put that much bend in the pipe, or sure if I can keep it from interfering with my FEL clearance.

 

[Branson Bob]

I'm considering trying to work out a vertical stack that comes out between my loader mount and cab glass, and goes up the left front pillar of the cab to the roof. I'm planning on removing my soot cooker anyway, but any way I can think to run it would really end up being a 180 degree bend from up out of the exhaust manifold, to turn 180 deg down and back to the bottom of the cab and loader, then back up another 180 deg to go up the corner of the cab. Not really keen to put that much bend in the pipe, or sure if I can keep it from interfering with my FEL clearance.

Just to be clear, why would you want a vertical stack?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Just to be clear, why would you want a vertical stack?

Well mostly just to get it out from under the front of the tractor entirely. Wouldn't kick up grass, seeds, chaff and dust while mowing.

 

[Cougsfan]

Let us know how that works out. The exhaust going out the front is a problem for mowing. I have looked at doing something similar to what you are talking about, but after looking at it for a while I thought maybe it was too much work to do it right. I have also contemplated getting rid of the soot cooker after reading the all of the complaints in this forum, but mine has never caused me any problems.

 

[Texasmark]

I'm considering trying to work out a vertical stack that comes out between my loader mount and cab glass, and goes up the left front pillar of the cab to the roof. I'm planning on removing my soot cooker anyway, but any way I can think to run it would really end up being a 180 degree bend from up out of the exhaust manifold, to turn 180 deg down and back to the bottom of the cab and loader, then back up another 180 deg to go up the corner of the cab. Not really keen to put that much bend in the pipe, or sure if I can keep it from interfering with my FEL clearance.

I needed to re-do my Ford 2000 rear exhaust system and it had a lot of kinks and bends and couldn't find pre bent parts to suit me. Loaded the tractor on a trailer and took it to a muffler shop. They custom made me an aluminized steel system, pipe and brackets only, muffler was already on the tractor, real sweet, 40 bucks. Might check it out.

 

[Texasmark]

On cleaning the radiator, I saw a JD field service guy cleaning one for a customer and as a result I made this:

Piece of ⅜ copper tube of suitable length...mine is about 30 inches long, closed and soldered end to seal tube. Came back with about a .040 (not critical dimension) drill bit and punched it about 4 times making holes on both sides of the tube, about 1" up from the end and 1" apart (not critical dimensions). Attached a connector, a flow valve and male air adapter to fit my air compressor system plumbing. Stick it down between the radiators (my 6530 has 3), turn on the desired air flow and go for it. I did remove my screen as it just blocked air and I don't need it....just gets in the way.

Using water just makes a mess whereas air blows the debris away and it doesn't stick to the parts.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I needed to re-do my Ford 2000 rear exhaust system and it had a lot of kinks and bends and couldn't find pre bent parts to suit me. Loaded the tractor on a trailer and took it to a muffler shop. They custom made me an aluminized steel system, pipe and brackets only, muffler was already on the tractor, real sweet, 40 bucks. Might check it out.

I've taken it to one shop in town already, there's not much to choose from here. But the first guy was more interested in telling me all the reasons why it would be hard to do, than to actually do the work. I think by the time he was done making excuses (too hard to get to, doesn't have the right size flanges, that bend will be hard to do, etc), he was over $300 and still counting.

And this was just to replace like-for-like, with a new tractor muffler taking the place of the soot cooker, and still coming out at the same place as the original tail pipe. I even went and bought a muffler with a 90 degree inlet, to help "make it easier" for him.

It was pretty obvious to me that he just didn't want to do the work. Ok, fine, I'll go elsewhere.

 

[Branson Bob]

Well mostly just to get it out from under the front of the tractor entirely. Wouldn't kick up grass, seeds, chaff and dust while mowing.

Couldn't you just turn/bend the exhaust tip sideways/horizontally so it wouldn't blow towards the ground?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Couldn't you just turn/bend the exhaust tip sideways/horizontally so it wouldn't blow towards the ground?

Sure. It looks to me like it would get really close to the front tire though, especially with the wheel turned inward (to the right) full lock. Just seemed to me it would be simpler (maybe not) to shorten it up and have it come out the top somewhere. It just has to not interfere with the loader, which is what got me thinking about a stack going up the front corner of the cab. I kind of wish I could just pop it out through the hood, but don't want it to interfere with the hood, or look like garbage. Seems silly to have it exit the exhaust manifold upwards, and all the way at the back of the engine, just to travel all the way to the front and exit out in front of the axle for the sole purpose of being able to blow chaff up into the radiator (humor attempt).

Lol.

And if I could free up that space where the soot cooker sits now, I could do like another member did here and relocate my air cleaner assembly to that spot, which would make cleaning out my radiator much easier to do as well.

It's just all got me thinking about it is all.

 

[ericm979]

What would you do for a muffler? Put it on the stack, or do without?

How about cutting the tail pipe where it comes out of the engine compartment by the front wheel and running a low exhaust along the bottom of the tractor and out the back, like a truck? You woudn't want to do that if you run a stationary pto implement like a chipper as you'd be breathing exhaust, but if you're not doing that it might be an option.

 

[LouNY]

Morning Slim;
Not sure if these will help but here are some pics of my 8050 exhaust which come up the corner of the cab,



They came right off the turbo flange with the muffler,
from the muffler down to a flex,
made a long double 90, then up along the cab with a heat shield.

Lou