CT225 head gasket?

   / CT225 head gasket? #41  
Checkoutmyjunk said:
I was able to find the head gasket ($65) and the head bolts ($130) at a Koti dealer about an hour from my house. I was also found that a bobcat dealer near the Kioti dealer had the core plug in stick for $4.

I am on the fence about reusing the head botls and gasket. They have about 10 minutes of run time on them and I very well could get it all back together and discover the block is cracked. On the other hand, I could snap off an already yielded bolt in the head and curse myself about being cheap when I am grabbing the drill and easy-outs.....

I question if the head actually froze, it seems odd that it went from frozen solid enough that it pushed the core plug out to completely thawed a few hours later. I know when I installed the plug, it made me uneasy how little the resistance was. I suppose the radiator would be the first thing to freeze and crack, I will know once I get it back together. I hope not, I had over 700 in the radiator recore alone! It some strange way, I would rather find out this last problem was my fault!
Click to expand...
If mine I would assume the freeze plug is metric given the manufacture of the unit. I would use a caliper and measure the hole in the head. (If you do not have a caliper, Harbor Freight sells a digital caliper for 20-25 dollars.) I would also insure the freeze plug was metric and not American Standard they are different. I would measure the freeze plug and make sure it was 4-5 thousands larger than the hole on the head. Heat and cool down contraction will make a too small freeze plug pop out.

Some freeze plug specs calls for a .008 thousand size difference between block and head hole size. See if a Unit manufacturing dealer service department can provide the thousandth size difference the hole in the head and the freeze plug.

If that fails buy the freeze plug from a Dealer using the factory provided part number for the rear freeze plug. Also don't assume the front and rear freeze plugs for the head are the same size.
 
   / CT225 head gasket?
  • Thread Starter
#42  
I got the calipers out and put them right back when I realized the battery was dead :rolleyes:

I did buy an OEM plug from the Bobcat dealer, when I held it up to the old one, they were close. I decided to goop it up a little heavier with the RTV and tap it in. I figured if it whet in too easy again, I would pull it out. I work in a machine shop, so I would bring it in and have one of the lathe operators turn me a custom plug. Alas, when I put the plug in it felt normal.

I put the tractor back together, I would have started it but the oil was contaminated with coolant and diesel. I was a few quarts short so I decided to hold off till I could top it off. Hopefully when I report back, it will be all good and my last!
 
   / CT225 head gasket? #43  
Checkoutmyjunk said:
I put the tractor back together, I would have started it but the oil was contaminated with coolant and diesel. I was a few quarts short so I decided to hold off till I could top it off. Hopefully when I report back, it will be all good and my last!
Click to expand...
It's good that you didn't fire it right back up, the RTV needs time to "set up". If it's still liquid and you put coolant in, and pressurize the system, the liquid RTV would act like lube and let it push out easier. Cured RTV seals great, but doesn't have alot of "holding" power. The instructions on the tubes advise us to let it set up, but most of us don't follow those instructions... ;)
 
   / CT225 head gasket?
  • Thread Starter
#44  
No doubt, I try to let RTV tack up before reassembly and cure over night. Key word is try, I don't always do that. In this case I did not start the tractor but I did fill it up with strait water. I was more curious about a cracked radiator than if the RTV was setup.

I wanted to add a few things.

Both times I installed the core plugs, I hit the holes with a red 3m pad and then cleaned the area with brake clean

I did spring for new head bolts and gaskets. I reused the intake and exhaust gaskets

I did not think to "check out my junk" in the morning, I sit here at work wondering if there is a puddle under the tractor. It was getting late when I filled it up with water last night, but I didn't see any obvious signs that the radiator cracked. If the rad is good, I am going to caulk the core plug up as either improperly installed or faulty.

gstorm99 has a good point! I never considered how RTV would lower the mechanical strength! Looking at the plug that fell out, you can see that there was little of the sealant left on the mating area and to me would indicate that it should have had little effect on the mechanical strength. On the other hand, silicone is a lubricant and when RTV is on my fingers, it is slippery.

The first plug was installed and allowed to cure for more than a week, dry and sitting on the bench in my thermostatically controlled and heated garage
 
   / CT225 head gasket? #45  
Checkoutmyjunk said:
No doubt, I try to let RTV tack up before reassembly and cure over night. Key word is try, I don't always do that. In this case I did not start the tractor but I did fill it up with strait water. I was more curious about a cracked radiator than if the RTV was setup.

I wanted to add a few things.

Both times I installed the core plugs, I hit the holes with a red 3m pad and then cleaned the area with brake clean

I did spring for new head bolts and gaskets. I reused the intake and exhaust gaskets

I did not think to "check out my junk" in the morning, I sit here at work wondering if there is a puddle under the tractor. It was getting late when I filled it up with water last night, but I didn't see any obvious signs that the radiator cracked. If the rad is good, I am going to caulk the core plug up as either improperly installed or faulty.

gstorm99 has a good point! I never considered how RTV would lower the mechanical strength! Looking at the plug that fell out, you can see that there was little of the sealant left on the mating area and to me would indicate that it should have had little effect on the mechanical strength. On the other hand, silicone is a lubricant and when RTV is on my fingers, it is slippery.

The first plug was installed and allowed to cure for more than a week, dry and sitting on the bench in my thermostatically controlled and heated garage
Click to expand...
Freeze plugs are made to install without coating with RTV or any other sealer. They are force fit. Purchase the correct freeze plug for your cylinder head. Put it the freezer and leave overnight. Clean but do not enlarge the freeze plug hole in the head. Prior to placing the freeze plug in the freezer locate a deep well socket that will just fit inside the freeze plug.

Remove the freeze plug from the freezer and immediately insert the socket that fits inside the freeze plug and use a hammer tap the frozen freeze plug into the inlet for it until the edge of the freeze plug is aligned with the hole in the cylinder head.
 
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   / CT225 head gasket?
  • Thread Starter
#46  
Now it's sooting so much it will black out my garage in seconds.
What would make it run that rich!
 
   / CT225 head gasket?
  • Thread Starter
#49  
Hopefully this is my final update. I am not sure if I explained that I boogered the injection pump up trying to fish some dirt out of it yet. We have a local place called Miller Diesel that rebuilds all kinds of pumps and was familiar with the one on this tractor. Looking at the bill ($440) I can't see where they charged me for any parts, so just lapping the mating surfaces and calibration on the bench flow tester is all it took. The machine runs like it did before all this mess and has been holding temp. I haven't given it a workout yet but I was able to put a few laps around the block, and she held temp. The overflow tank is not bubbling either. The machine would run cool working, it was taking a drive that would cause it to over heat before I replaced the head gasket. I am optimistic about it being FINISHED.

I had about $1,750 into the head gasket, and radiator re-core. Then I added another $750 for the second head gasket and injector pump, that I can't rightfully blame on anyone but myself. It's no surprise that this good deal turned out to costing me what I would have paid to buy the machine from a local dealer.

I have a neighbor that has some stone to move and ground to clear, I plan to help him and if the machine performs like it should, I am planning on putting the machine up for sale. I am willing to admit that I got a stinker, and this machine could be a staple in my equipment inventory. What I can't ignore is the how the bestline "dealer" support was sub par, how the actual bobcat dealers (not a bestline) talked about the tractor line as a bastard child. I can't forget how long it took for parts to arrive or how expensive and rare they are, or how some parts are no longer available. I also got a taste how much better the Kioti dealers treated me, they had better parts availability and were much happier to schedule service for the bobcat machines than the bobcat dealers. Even my wife, whom is ignorant to much of this saga, told me yesterday that of all my toys, she wanted to see the tractor go first, simply because of all the missed family dinners running an hour to the kioti dealer to pick up parts and my general temper because of the roller coaster the machine took me on.
 
   / CT225 head gasket?
  • Thread Starter
#50  
A HUGE thank you to all that read my saga and kudos to all that tried to help. Like I said, hopefully this is it for me!
 
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