Buildup on fan blade

[wiskioti]

TBN'ers,

Recently while checking the engine oil on my NX, I noticed a discoloration of the fan blade. My first thought was that the discoloration was caused by heat (as in melted plastic), but upon scratching at the discoloration with my thumb nail, it came off fairly easily (you can see what I removed in the picture). What scratched off was like a thick gummy substance. I'm not sure what it is, as in if it came from the tractor or something else.



With my bumper-to-bumper warranty coming to an end in about a month and a half, I've been watching things on the tractor like a hawk. Does anyone have a guess what this could be? I was not able to find anything leaking on the tractor as I'm only finding this substance on the fan blade. I don't want to 'cry wolf' by calling the dealer yet if someone else has a good guess at what this could be. Again, since I wasn't able to find anything actually leaking and I'm only seeing it on the fan blade, I suspect this is came from something external.

Thoughts? Thanks TBN'ers!

 

[George2615]

I get the same on my tractor fan blade plus most all box fans I use in the garage and house. Unless you have an obvious leak I wouldn't worry about it. I clean all my fan blades by spraying them with simple green (or other cleaner), let them soak for several minutes and hose them off with a garden hose. Stubborn buildup may need a rag to wipe off grime.

 

[RandyT]

My fan blade gets that buildup also. Also have a nice splash pattern down both side panels and across the inside of the hood. Mine has bug parts mixed in with the slime. I have also suspected that is was those little bugs that get sucked through the radiator and chopped up by the fan.

 

[oosik]

I don't know what the build-up on my fan blades is - I don't WANT to know. It's tan, it's nasty, it's sticky. Dawn & hot water - let is soak in for ten minuets or so - wash clean with the garden hose.

However - my guess......... grasshopper guts and dust.

 

[ruffdog]

However - my guess......... grasshopper guts and dust.

The only way to know for sure is the taste.........:licking::licking:

 

[oosik]

NO THANKS - ruffdog. I'll just go with my guess...........

 

[wiskioti]

I don't know what the build-up on my fan blades is - I don't WANT to know. It's tan, it's nasty, it's sticky. Dawn & hot water - let is soak in for ten minuets or so - wash clean with the garden hose.

However - my guess......... grasshopper guts and dust.

While the thought of that is quite gross, that does make sense. I'll look a little hardware to confirm I don't see leaks anywhere else. I'm fortunate to park the tractor on relative clean concrete, so I suspect I would also see drippings on the concrete if there was a leak somewhere.

My initial fear was a coolant leak somewhere, but a bug massacre does make more sense since the only evidence I've seen is on the actual blades.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

 

[NYCheese]

Mine gets like this too, although generally not quite as dark in color. I do a ton of mowing with mine, and I'm pretty sure it's just a mix of pollen and insect guts. It gets super sticky when it builds up, but it comes right off easily. I cleaned mine at the end of the summer last year, and it stayed clean until I started mowing again this summer. That was enough confirmation for me to stop worrying about it.

 

[YLee Kioti]

yup gots da same discoloration..........using the water rad. wand and it all washes off. Looks better after a short soaking of simple green though....

all the critters flying around when cutting go thru the Kioti blender... :laughing:

 

[Timm250]

Yep.... bug guts