4110 overheat problem - cannot locate fault

[aries12345]

Help

Bought new in 2001 / I now have about 800 hours on it.

My 4110 tractor has started to overheat. I have not let it boil over yet and quit using it when the temp reached 200. If I start mowing it takes about 2 1/2 hours before the temp reaches 200 degrees. The overheating only occurs while mowing, moving dirt, etc. (not idling) and I have not been able to locate the problem. There are no leaks in the system, fluid is clean and at 50/50.

The orginal temp guage crapped out about 300 hours ago so I installed a mechanical guage by Sunpro. After the installation the Sunpro guage would normally read around 170 degrees.

Tested the Sunpro gauge / sender in a pan of water with a known good thermometer. There was only a 4 degree difference between the guages so I am pretty sure the guage is reading correctly.

I removed the thermostat from the tractor to test for it being stuck closed and to check for normal operation. Since I wanted to check if it was stuck cloased I was carefull to not bounce it around which might 'fix' the problem. in the pan. The thermostat started to open at about 160 degrees and was fully open by 170. I repeated the test several time with the same results.

Checked the water pump by filling the thermostat hole with water until the engine would not hold any more. Spun the pump by had and water would raise and lower in the thermostat hole. Used a drill on the belt to spin the pump faster an it seemed like it was moving water.

Removed the radiator and ran water through the it. Exit flow was the same as intake.

Removed the water pump to inspect the blades. Blades are fine and the pump was not leaking.

Ran water into the engine. Exit flow was the same as the intake.

Oil and Hydro fluid has be change on a regular basis.

Help - Help - Help

Thank you

 

[NetworkMD]

Sounds like you have done a good job checking a few things I will mention is 1) Check you air filters and make sure everything is clean believe it or not this can cause overheating 2) Have you double checked the fins on the radator to make sure they are clean I have seen stories of using oven cleaner to throughly clean? 3) Consider adding a bottle of water wetter 4) If your battery takes up the bottom 1/3 of your radator Mahindra has a kit called Battery relocation enhancement that drops the battery so the top of it is at the bottom of the radiator easier to clean and some additional airflow. if this doesn't work try contacting Mahindra 24/7 or your local Mahindra Service Manager. Also what weight of oil are you using, was it changed before you started having the problems?

 

[aries12345]

Thanks for the response and the info on the battery relocater. Never was happy with the location of the battery, will check into it.

The fins are fine with only 2 little dings on the entire radiator. The radiator gets rinsed out about every 10 hours and I can usually see through the fins before I start rinsing it off. The oil and filter was changed about 4 hours ago using 10W40 and the hydro oil and filter(s) were changed about 15 hours ago.

 

[NetworkMD]

Air filter clean or replaced also? Bill Tractor in TX usually stocks the complete battery relo and it selles for around $100 plus shipping during the hot summer months I generally run straight 30 wt rotella oil.

 

[aries12345]

Air filter appears to be clean but I have not replaced it since the last 50 hour service. I will replace it when I pick up the pump gasket. Oil is cheaper than engine repair so I will change to the 30w you mentioned. Do not recall the hydro oil number but it was the shell equiv. to the mahindra. Oil and hydro filters are napa replacements specified from members of this forum.

thanks

 

[wrenchturner]

You said your tractor is overheating but you did not go over 200 degrees.
Two hundred degrees is not overheating so why do you think it is overheating? Is it spewing coolant from the overflow?

If the overflow is spewing fluid, squeeze the upper radiator hose when it is at operating temperature to do a quick test for a defective radiator cap not holding the specified pressure. It would be better to test the cap with a pressure tester.

Are the belts tight? Is the drive belt worn causing it to bottom in the coolant pump pulley? Turn the coolant pump pulley by hand to see if the belt slips.

The other suggestions were good and I could offer more but need to know if it is actually overheating.

 

[aries12345]

The temp increase is a steady and constant rise. I have no doubt it would boil over if I let it. I saw no reason to experiment beyond the 200 degree mark as the tractor should not be running at 200 degrees in any case. I did not mention the belt but should have. It is in good shape, no dull (worn) spots and the fan / pump cannot be turned by hand. All hoses are in good shape and are not collapsed. The radiator cap is suspect of course and will be replaced unless I can find someone who can test it. I did not pinch the upper hose prior to removing the cooling system.

Thanks for the response.

 

[MLinOleMiss]

Unless you're rinsing it with a pressure washer or using compressed air, it's not nearly as clean as you think. It took me a while to figure this out, I clean my radiator every 3-4 hours with a pressure washer.

 

[ribchord]

i did see one weird possability recently on a b7100, the lower radiator hose was collasped internally, the outside of the hose looked normal but the inside was collapsed. it dont have a water pump though.

 

[NetworkMD]

The collapsed hose is a good idea. I will say that a properly cleaned radiator on a 4110 seems to be very efficent I can mow with a 6 foot cutter in tough stuff all day in 80+ outside heat and the temp does not go to 1/2 way.

Good luck working through this challange

 

[skipmarcy]

I agree with wrenchturner, 200 degrees is not overheating, it is a perfectly normal operating temp., especially in hot weather. Water doesn't even boil until 212 at sea level and at atmospheric pressure. In a pressurized system water doesn't boil until upwards of 225 and up, depending on pressure. My 2001 4110 requires the radiator blown out good every couple hours when cutting - more or less depending on how dry it is and how much chaff is being blown around. A water hose is about the worst thing to clean it with, just makes mud inbetween the cores, needs to be shop air or a pressure washer. The oven cleaner trick might work OK eating up the organic materials but I would be afraid of it deteriorating the metal fins & core tubes. I haven't done the battery tray swap but that would help a little bit with airflow but when mine starts running a little high on the gauge a quick cleaning with the air hose gets it right back down, additional airflow from moving the battery isn't going to change that at all, just make it easier to get the screens off. Every so often I take the battery out and the screens off and use my pressure washer on the radiator for a good cleaning. When I'm doing a quick clean with the air hose I start blowing from the engine side first, then from the front and back & forth like that a couple times.

 

[Keith_B]

2.5 hours of work given the summertime heat and the tractor is just then reaching 200 isn't overheating, IMO. It sounds to me like the radiator just needs a good cleaning, as mentioned by others. You can have a radiator looking clean as a whistle and blow some compressed air through it and get a lot of debris out.

 

[swines]

This is going to sound overly simple...but - have you checked the radiator cap? If it doesn't seal properly, the system won't pressurize and the engine won't cool properly. I'd also vote for the hoses. Replacing them is inexpensive and easy. As stated in a previous post, sometimes they'll collapse and you can't see it from the outside.

 

[JerryG]

Who ever said above that the water would make the chaff stick in the fins is exactly right. If you use water it needs to be run at a higher RPM while sitting to dry the core out before getting in the weeds, grass or dust again. The oven cleaner will really clean the fins. But, use it only on brass radiators never on aluminum ones. Spray it on, wait about 4-5 minutes then wash it out with a hose real well. If the water is black coming off the fins, repeat. The fins will be spotless. I have used oven cleaner for years on brass radiators.

 

[GIJOE]

If your radiator is aluminum, you can go to an a/c supply and purchase a can of coil cleaner. It is safe to use on aluminum, copper, brass and plastic and imo works better than oven cleaner. It is a little more expensive though.

 

[aries12345]

Thanks to everyone who has responded.

The point I was trying to make about the 200 degree overheating is that the increase was a steady rise with no indication that it would quit rising and that for 6 years it would stay at about 170 degrees regardless of what I was doing. This would indicate something has changed.

Thanks for all the info about the radiator cleaning and radiator cap. I mentioned my inability to test the radiator cap in a previous post. I have ordered a replacement cap just to be sure. I will pick up some of the coil cleaner. I was leary about using a pressure washer for fear of damaging the fins.

Again thanks for all of the help

 

[Nightrain1]

You say it's been 6 yrs now and it's starting to rise? Maybe it is inside the radiator that needs a good flushing and some additives?

 

[SPYDERLK]

Thanks to everyone who has responded.

The point I was trying to make about the 200 degree overheating is that the increase was a steady rise with no indication that it would quit rising and that for 6 years it would stay at about 170 degrees regardless of what I was doing. This would indicate something has changed.

Thanks for all the info about the radiator cleaning and radiator cap. I mentioned my inability to test the radiator cap in a previous post. I have ordered a replacement cap just to be sure. I will pick up some of the coil cleaner. I was leary about using a pressure washer for fear of damaging the fins.

Again thanks for all of the help

did you cure the problem. What was the cause?
larry