1500D coolant

[Darellk]

Just bought a 1500 D and it has automotive type coolant in the rad. I don't believe this is recommended for diesel. Can anyone recommend the correct type to use? I live in Michigan and will need mix to -20F to be safe. Also can someone tell me the correct Hitachi starter number for this application. Has anyone tryed to match a gear-reduction type off another Yanmar engine for better cranking?

 

[rbeitz]

I also have a 1500D and it has regular antifreeze in it. I am not aware of any special coolant for diesels. Something to be aware of is the 1500 does not have a water pump so you only want to mix the antifreeze to a 30/70 ratio of antifreeze to water. Any higher ratio and it won't ciculate correctly through the system.

 

[reb]

I believe the recommended 30-70 antifreeze mixture protects to only about +7 deg F. I don't know what everyone else does for colder weather, but mine hasn't overheated yet with approximately 50-50.

 

[mark777]

I believe the 30/70 viscosity is the best for keeping the tractor cool under normal to severe operating conditions, especially thermosiphon models...

I would toss that rule of thumb out when it comes to subzero weather, and do what ever it takes to protect your tractor.

Your stock starter (Hitachi), when used with the decompression release, should be more than ample in cold starts. Are you having a start or starter problem? Is your tractor equipped with Thermostart?

Mark

 

[normde2001]

If you are having cold weather starting problems, it's probably your battery. A fully charged battery only retains about 40-50% of it's cranking power at 0 degrees. I was in below 0 to -25 degree weather for a week one time and solved my morning car starting problem by taking my battery in the house every night and re-installing in the morning.

 

[Darellk]

Well on most heavy duty diesels with liners there are special additives to prevent cavitation. This engine without waterpump may not be threatened with the problem. On the starter--- I had to remove and have rebuilt because of a weak drive kicking out to soon. On inspecting the ring gear, it appeared that the starter was not engaging deep enough. This is why I asked for the proper starter number.

 

[gbirky]

Darell, you are right about the coolant additives for most diesel applications. However, it seems to be manufacturer dependent. Some have severe problems, others have none. Yanmar diesels do not have any cavitation problems. I recently replaced a sleeve (wet) in my YM1110D. Like the 1500D, it is also a 2 cyl with no water pump. The old sleeve showed absolutely no evidence of cavitation, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[SheriffSRB]

I keep my 1500D in the basement (my wife is gonna kick both of us out) during the winter. BUT, I run about 30/70 water in mine, and a pint of a product called Water Wetter.
Adding the Water Wetter reduced the operating temp by about 8-15 degrees depending on the time of year.
With the thermosyphon system I wanted as much cooling ability as I could get, and Water Wetter is cheap enough. I bought a quart at AutoZone for about 5 bucks maybe, I don't remember, but it did help my 1500D run cooler...