I overheated my XR4140hc while bush hogging. Should I worry about long term effects?

[bulldog81]

I am a newb with tractors. I had limited use with a couple before buying my xr4140hc.

Last weekend I bush hogged for a couple hours. Well I didn't notice the temp gauge rising. Once the warning flashed though I realized it and shut the tractor off. I turned the key a min later and the temp had risen more and the guage was maxed out. Thirty seconds later the vacuum hose that connects the top of the radiator blew apart where it connects to the radiator. It looks like it melted or something I don't know. It let some steam out and blew a little antifreeze out.

I guess I didn't realize how fast the radiator screen fills up as you literally couldn't see through it. The stuff I was bush hogging was thick. I blew the screen out. I cut the blown hose and reconnected it. The coolant reservoir still was between the high and low marks. I let the tractor cool about half an hour. I then finished the bush hogging without issue.

I checked the reservoir the next day. It was just below the low line. I checked it because I know you are supposed to check it when the engine is cold. Anyways I topped off the radiator with antifreeze and added some to the reservoir. I replaced the vacuum hose as well.

Should I be worried I damaged something? It seems to run fine.

Lesson learned I need to check that screen often!!

 

[coldsteelva]

Don't think any permanent damage would be done. Biggest issue is that you shut down for an extended time. The engine running at idle produces less heat than the radiator can safely dissipate when NOT clogged and pumping coolant through the plumbing. Obviously once the line blew and the fluid was no longer staying in the system you had no choice. In the future, if you catch it, clean the screen, but leave the engine running and circulating coolant.

I have an old 30 year old tractor that likes to overtemp (idiot light) and per the manual, it specifically says to disengage PTO and to keep the engine running (or the fan and water pump won't run) and that allows the engine to cool down from the danger zone faster.

Once you blew the line though, you couldn't exactly work on the hot engine, but refilling once cool (never put cold fluid in a hot block) should have been fine. Replace the line with heater hose or silicone tubing. If it is new new, then it should be able to handle a single overheat. Not sure about the oil life though as I'm not familiar with that power plant

 

[bulldog81]

Don't think any permanent damage would be done. Biggest issue is that you shut down for an extended time. The engine running at idle produces less heat than the radiator can safely dissipate when NOT clogged and pumping coolant through the plumbing. Obviously once the line blew and the fluid was no longer staying in the system you had no choice. In the future, if you catch it, clean the screen, but leave the engine running and circulating coolant.

I have an old 30 year old tractor that likes to overtemp (idiot light) and per the manual, it specifically says to disengage PTO and to keep the engine running (or the fan and water pump won't run) and that allows the engine to cool down from the danger zone faster.

Once you blew the line though, you couldn't exactly work on the hot engine, but refilling once cool (never put cold fluid in a hot block) should have been fine. Replace the line with heater hose or silicone tubing. If it is new new, then it should be able to handle a single overheat. Not sure about the oil life though as I'm not familiar with that power plant

I was dumb and really hadn't read through the manual much. I read over it a lot that evening. I had really only used the tractor one other time but I need to let it idle for a few min before turning it off. I didn't know that. It was pouring rain when they delivered my tractor and didn't go over a whole lot.

 

[Thomas]

Good cleaning top and bottom maybe prefilter of sort will help...check your air filter also.

 

[rustydollar]

I know those digital dash gauges are really pretty all lit up, but do nothing in the way of protecting your investment.

You can still keep the dash fully functional and add safety features to your tractor that will shut the engine down in the event of oil pressure loss or over heating these Murphy shutdown units can be teed into the existing sensors on the engine block.

Temperature gauges that use a capillary tube are hands down more efficient over the crap installed at the factory with wires leading into a printed circuit board behind the instrument panel. No way I would trust faulty engineering to a $60,000.00 purchase.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I keep a small paint brush with me when brush hogging. Just keep a look out on the temp gauge and when you see it inching up disengage the PTO, dismount the tractor, and clean out the radiator. Leave the tractor running. In all likelihood you did no long term damage to your engine.

 

[xring100]

I agree you probably did no longterm damage. If coolant boils over it keeps the engine from getting any hotter than the boiling point as long as the coolant level stays high enough to keep the block and head full . Its when the coolant level drops below this level that you risk warping or cracking the head. Consider boiling coolant the last failsafe before permanent damage.

Pure water at sea level (1 atmosphere of pressure) has a boiling point of 100°c

If you fill a paper or plastic dixie cup and fill it with water you can place it on a gas burner and it will not catch fire. The water will boil and keep the temperature well bellow ignition/melting temperature.

Making carmel from condensed milk in a sealed cab requires water in the pot. If water boils out completely. The can will explode

Lots ot 4 stroke dirt bikes boil over at slow speeds due to lack of fans. Does not cause any damage as long as coolant level stays high

 

[alexsbuddy]

I did the same thing, but the safety kicked in and put me in limp mode. I'm surprised yours didn't do the same.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I think a lot of us have done that the first time bush hogging. I know I did. After that I keep a hawk eye on the temp gauge and stop frequently to clean off the screen in front of the radiator.

 

[peteinthehills]

Hey,
I'm in southern Texas and it's hot. So my tractor overheated when I stopped working it today. It was fine, but when I turned it off, hot water and steam came out of the overflow tube. I did clean it off from the dust and seeds that were clogging the radiator. When it was working the fan was on, but as soon as I turn it off, the fan goes off and it clearly over heats.

How do I do a better job of cleaning the radiator?
What should I put in the radiator? Water or something else. Back in the UK I would have put antifreeze, but that's not an issue here.
If this is a continuing issue, should I not turn it off and leave it idling for a while before switching it off after 30 minutes?

thanks

Pete
Texas