Coolant overflow reservoir not working?

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Changing the coolant in my 18 JD 5075E and my coolant reservoir is empty. Still plenty of coolant in the radiator. Tractor doesn't have any issues overheating unless I get the coolers and radiator filled with trash where they can't breathe. I started filling the reservoir with water to flush the system, and it just sits in there and doesn't go anywhere. I have to remove the radiator cap to add to the coolant system. How is this thing expected to gravity feed? The hose running into the radiator sits higher than the reservoir.the only other hose is an overflow hose. My trucks have an extra large hole coming out the bottom of the reservoir to run into the system. The manual says to fill at the reservoir? WTF?

Here's the tractor with the two small hoses and one of my trucks with the large hose coming out the bottom of the reservoir.View attachment 842612View attachment 842613

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Why does this site do such a poor job of hosting pictures whenever I try posting them?

 

[Richard001]

The coolant system is a closed loop. That is that when the coolant gets hot it expands and overflows into the reservoir. When the coolant cools, it will suck coolant from the reservoir back into the radiator. The reservoir does not need to be higher then the radiator.

Do NOT put water in the reservoir, always put antifreeze in it.

Richard

 

[5030]

Just an expansion tank and nothing more and it actually increases the fluid capacity of the radiator because it removes the air space in the top of the rad holding tank so no air in there unlike vehicles with no expansion tank. On my trauk and cars, there is no rad cap. Everything is done through the expansion tank and the pressure cap is on the tank. On my tractors, they have a rad cap on the rad and the poly tank is merely for expansion.

 

[5030]

It does a fine job of hosting pictures but you MUST enter them one at a time. You didn't need any pictures anyway, we all knew what you were asking.

 

[5030]

The manual says to fill at the reservoir? WTF?

Better read it again. I'm sure it says to fill the rad and then to TOP OFF the plastic tank AFTER the vehicle warms up,

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

The coolant system is a closed loop. That is that when the coolant gets hot it expands and overflows into the reservoir. When the coolant cools, it will suck coolant from the reservoir back into the radiator. The reservoir does not need to be higher then the radiator.

Do NOT put water in the reservoir, always put antifreeze in it.

Richard

Yes, I made sure to drain and blow the water out and replace it with coolant.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Better read it again. I'm sure it says to fill the rad and then to TOP OFF the plastic tank AFTER the vehicle warms up,

You're correct. It's kind of hidden deeper in the directions, and early on it was easy to find it saying to make sure to fill the reservoir, but that was for the check fluid, and not the flush, and that threw me off, plus I watched a video where a guy with a 6100D was filling at his reservoir, and that also threw me off.

Why do they want you to fill the reservoir if it's not being used? It looks like just a place for coolant to escape under too much pressure. I don't see how the coolant could get from the reservoir to the radiator with the cap blocking the hole, and no pressure to push it up the tube? It seems like you'd want it empty, unless the system is draining itself.?.?

View attachment 842640

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

It does a fine job of hosting pictures but you MUST enter them one at a time. You didn't need any pictures anyway, we all knew what you were asking.

Nope. I tried that the other day, and in the above post. It's very selective on what pictures it will take. It's random, even with smaller sized pictures.

 

[5030]

Phone or computer. Makes a difference.

 

[LouNY]

You're correct. It's kind of hidden deeper in the directions, and early on it was easy to find it saying to make sure to fill the reservoir, but that was for the check fluid, and not the flush, and that threw me off, plus I watched a video where a guy with a 6100D was filling at his reservoir, and that also threw me off.

Why do they want you to fill the reservoir if it's not being used? It looks like just a place for coolant to escape under too much pressure. I don't see how the coolant could get from the reservoir to the radiator with the cap blocking the hole, and no pressure to push it up the tube? It seems like you'd want it empty, unless the system is draining itself.?.?

View attachment 842640

Your radiator cap is maintaining pressure in the system. It has two sealing surfaces, the top one seals the radiator cap to the top of the radiator neck, the spring loaded lower one seals the lower portion of the neck to the radiator header tank. As the coolant heats up the increased pressure pushs coolant past the first seal and it flows into the coolant over flow bottle. Once the engine is at operating temp the fluid temp and pressure is fairly constant and the radiator is 100% full with some coolant in the over flow bottle. When you reduce the engine load and then shut down the tractor the fluid begins cooling and contracting this creates a vacuum in the radiator which in turn pulls the fluid from the over flow bottle. This way the radiator top tank is always at 100% full as long as the over flow has coolant in it and the hose doesn't have an air leak and the radiator cap is in good shape.
If you check your radiator with the engine cold it should be full, and the over flow reservoir should be above the low mark, as you work your tractor the level in the over flow will rise, when you shut down and the radiator cools the over flow reservoir should decrease from the hot level back to the cool level.

 

[newkiotiguy]

I'll take "people that don't know how radiators work" for 500 Alex.

 

[RustyA]

Question depends on system design. Many modern automotive cooling systems have pressurized expansion tank. Radiator is sealed and pressure cap is on the expansion tank. On those systems the only way to add coolant is through the tank. If expansion tank has unpressurized cap then radiator cap allows overflow coolant to flow to tank when pressure exceeds rating of cap.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

I'll take "people that don't know how radiators work" for 500 Alex.

Cool joke bro, but you're new, rocking a Kioti, asking about Titan FEL attachments, so I'll take, "newbs to tractors, trying to figure out how to use one" for 1,000 Alex. I have several vehicles that use multiple reservoirs. Other than my N/A stuff I own an 03 Cobra, and an 03 Lightning. My 88 GT is a stripper car, and I don't remember radiator caps on my LS vehicles. I'm not used to big, plastic containers with large fill holes having radiator caps to deal with. Also the owners manual says to fill A, loosen B, remove C, do this to D, etc. It doesn't have a letter going to the radiator cap saying to remove E, and fill with coolant. That's why I'm like, "this doesn't make sense." Plus I didn't want to run out of daylight, so I was seeking a quick answer. The reality is I'm actually a pretty decent shadetree mechanic, and it's extremely rare that I ever pay for mechanic work, but no, I'm not a master mechanic or anything, I'm a Tool Maker, and a Die Builder.

Again, tell this layman why there's a reservoir that does nothing, but give an over pressurized radiator (the manual says to fill the radiator to the top) a place to evacuate coolant without spilling it anywhere, yet it gives you lines to fill it to X level depending on whether your engine is hot or cold?

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Your radiator cap is maintaining pressure in the system. It has two sealing surfaces, the top one seals the radiator cap to the top of the radiator neck, the spring loaded lower one seals the lower portion of the neck to the radiator header tank. As the coolant heats up the increased pressure pushs coolant past the first seal and it flows into the coolant over flow bottle. Once the engine is at operating temp the fluid temp and pressure is fairly constant and the radiator is 100% full with some coolant in the over flow bottle. When you reduce the engine load and then shut down the tractor the fluid begins cooling and contracting this creates a vacuum in the radiator which in turn pulls the fluid from the over flow bottle. This way the radiator top tank is always at 100% full as long as the over flow has coolant in it and the hose doesn't have an air leak and the radiator cap is in good shape.
If you check your radiator with the engine cold it should be full, and the over flow reservoir should be above the low mark, as you work your tractor the level in the over flow will rise, when you shut down and the radiator cools the over flow reservoir should decrease from the hot level back to the cool level.

Good post.

Thanks!

 

[etpm]

Cool joke bro, but you're new, rocking a Kioti, asking about Titan FEL attachments, so I'll take, "newbs to tractors, trying to figure out how to use one" for 1,000 Alex. I have several vehicles that use multiple reservoirs. Other than my N/A stuff I own an 03 Cobra, and an 03 Lightning. My 88 GT is a stripper car, and I don't remember radiator caps on my LS vehicles. I'm not used to big, plastic containers with large fill holes having radiator caps to deal with. Also the owners manual says to fill A, loosen B, remove C, do this to D, etc. It doesn't have a letter going to the radiator cap saying to remove E, and fill with coolant. That's why I'm like, "this doesn't make sense." Plus I didn't want to run out of daylight, so I was seeking a quick answer. The reality is I'm actually a pretty decent shadetree mechanic, and it's extremely rare that I ever pay for mechanic work, but no, I'm not a master mechanic or anything, I'm a Tool Maker, and a Die Builder.

Again, tell this layman why there's a reservoir that does nothing, but give an over pressurized radiator (the manual says to fill the radiator to the top) a place to evacuate coolant without spilling it anywhere, yet it gives you lines to fill it to X level depending on whether your engine is hot or cold?

Those lines are to show you that there is the correct amount of coolant in the system. When the engine is cold the coolant in the reservoir should be at the "COLD" line, when the engine is hot the level should be at the "HOT" line. If the coolant tank is not pressurized then coolant should be added to a cold radiator.
Eric

 

[newkiotiguy]

Cool joke bro, but you're new, rocking a Kioti, asking about Titan FEL attachments, so I'll take, "newbs to tractors, trying to figure out how to use one" for 1,000 Alex. I have several vehicles that use multiple reservoirs. Other than my N/A stuff I own an 03 Cobra, and an 03 Lightning. My 88 GT is a stripper car, and I don't remember radiator caps on my LS vehicles. I'm not used to big, plastic containers with large fill holes having radiator caps to deal with. Also the owners manual says to fill A, loosen B, remove C, do this to D, etc. It doesn't have a letter going to the radiator cap saying to remove E, and fill with coolant. That's why I'm like, "this doesn't make sense." Plus I didn't want to run out of daylight, so I was seeking a quick answer. The reality is I'm actually a pretty decent shadetree mechanic, and it's extremely rare that I ever pay for mechanic work, but no, I'm not a master mechanic or anything, I'm a Tool Maker, and a Die Builder.

Again, tell this layman why there's a reservoir that does nothing, but give an over pressurized radiator (the manual says to fill the radiator to the top) a place to evacuate coolant without spilling it anywhere, yet it gives you lines to fill it to X level depending on whether your engine is hot or cold?

I didn't go back and read every post you have on here like you did but from this thread all I can tell you is