I need some serious help !

[Uncle Levi]

I have a JD 2020 that overheats after about 20-25 minutes. I'm running a 6' finish mower behind it and have a loader on it. The gauge is good--it's definitely overheating. I have replaced the radiator, water pump and the thermostat (which is installed right) and the belt is tight and just a couple days ago, just to be sure, I flushed the radiator and block and refilled it with 50/50 antifreeze mix. It's still overheating. I'm plumb out of ideas. I'd appreciate ANY input. I'm about ready to cut this thing up for scrap !

Edit-- I let it cool down and just took the side screens off and ran it. Still heats up, but it feels like the fan is blowing FORWARD. Even though the radiator is behind the gas tank, that seems BACKWARDS to me.

 

[aczlan]

Edit: Put your thermostat in a pot of hot water with a thermometer and see what temperature it opens at
Have you cleaned out the dirt, etc in the fins of the radiator? We have done that and were shocked at how much junk came out of those fins (even though it looked pretty clean).
I would start with air, then a water hose, then finish it off with Air Conditioner Coil Cleaner.

Aaron Z

 

[grainger12002]

If memory serves it should pull air thru not push it out, how long has it been running hot ? Did you run a hose with cold water thru the system when the radiator was out ?

 

[My Gym]

Possible bad thermostat. You said you replaced it, but may have been a bad new part.

 

[J_J]

Do you have bubbles in the radiator?

Maybe blown head gasket.

 

[jd110]

The fan should definitely pull air from in front of the radiator, through the radiator and towards the rear. With engine at full throttle, if you place your hand in front of the radiator, you should feel a strong suction through the radiator. If not, you have a bent fan, incorrect fan, dirty radiator fins, or a slipping fan belt.

 

[94yj]

sounds like you have the fan blade reversed the fan should pull air thru the radiator not push air forward

 

[Tx Jim]

Ditto on fan pulling air back towards engine

 

[hogheadCTD]

Dont quote me but I think the 2020's had a head gasket issue.

 

[boggen]

thermostat as others have said...

goto John Deere Home Page Redirect
pick country / language
click "parts" across top
click agriculture parts (link up to this point) Agricultural Parts JohnDeere.ca
click "search parts"

type in 2020 click find
click plus sign beside 971 - 2020 Tractor - 16May11
click "alphabetical index"
click "R"
click "radiator"

i am showing a engine radiator in front, and oil cooler behind that, and then main engine fan.
i am also seeing some "foam pads" unsure if they are support rubber, so vibrations don't damage the radiator, and oil cooler (radiator but for hyd oil) if if they are an actual filter of some sort (most likely foam blocks for vibration could be wrong)

you may need to take off hood to get to oil cooler. or you might be able to undo bolts on front to remove grill then a couple bolts on front engine radiator, so it swings down to get to hyd oil cooler. or *cross fingers* there is an access panel on the side, you can remove easily to get access to the hyd oil cooler to blow all the crud out of it.

==============
you also mention you flushed the radiator block. double check fluids afterwards, to make sure all the air pockets have been removed after the engine ran to point thermostat opened up. 5 to 20 minutes pending on RPM's / load on tractor. "assuming thermostat is not bad"

feel of wind can be mis leading. get a generic lighter (for cigars, cigarettes, lighting up BBQ, lighting a fire etc..) and place in front of grill. and see which way the flame bends, (direction of air flow)

 

[boggen]

radiator behind the gas tank...
you most likely have a "engine radiator" normally always up in the very front of the tractor.
a hyd oil cooler (directly behind engine radiator) normally
directly behind the above to is main engine fan, then the engine.

and then possibly a "transmission oil cooler" this is most likely near the operator vs very front of the tractor like rest of the above stuff. it may or may not have a fan on it, and it may blow in a different direction if there is a fan on it.

i am wondering if you are trying to clean / deal with wrong radiator / oil cooler.

 

[Egon]

Unfamiliar with your tractor: does it have a reversible fan?

Consider a radiator pressure and flow test .

 

[Tx Jim]

thermostat as others have said...


i am showing a engine radiator in front, and oil cooler behind that, and then main engine fan.

Hyd oil cooler is beside radiator no between radiator & fan.

 

[Tx Jim]

Dont quote me but I think the 2020's had a head gasket issue.

2020's didn't have a history of head gasket problems.

 

[Xfaxman]

Check the lower radiator hose to make sure it is not collapsing internally, blocking coolant flow.

 

[MNchipmaker]

I had a similar problem on a 2030. It turned out to be a dirty injector causing a miss in one cylinder. I'd never had problems picking up a miss in a gas engine, but, it took a JD service manager to point that out to me.

 

[Daronspicher]

Hi, I just found this thread, I may be the only other guy with a 2020 gas.

I've had mine about 2 years and have done some work on it. My fuel line was rusting out and leaking so I took most of the front of the motor off to get it out and replace it.

I can't remember why I was in to the water pump, maybe because I had so much off the front already.

What I found was: The impeller on the water pump free wheels on the shaft it should be pressed onto. So, even though my belt is turning the shaft, there is really no reason the impeller has to turn, and thus no real water pumping in the circle.

Might want to open up the water pump.

If by chance you are any good at tuning the carb, I'd like to get a thread with you about that, or on email. Mine has been max rpms about 1800 to 2000 and I need to turn it to run full pto speed which I think is 2400 or 2500rpms so that my haybine runs at it's intended speed.

-Daron
Kendall County IL.

 

[Daronspicher]

I have a 2020 gas.

I was into it fixing the fuel line that had gone bad, had a lot of the front off for it.

Not recalling why I was into the water pump, but the impeller wasn't static to the shaft that spins it. In fact, it was free wheeling on there. Belt turns shaft, shaft does not turn impeller.

I wonder if you have something like that going on.

-Daron

 

[willg]

I have a John Deere 4020 diesel which has a 24 volt system. I removed the generator to have it checked and now need to know how to re-polarize the generator. Remember I am a real novice when it comes to electrical.

 

[Tx Jim]

polorize the reg by briefly touching a wire between batt and arm posts