Need help - Ford CM272 commercial mower overheating

[TSO]

Ok, I have a mid 90's (I believe) Ford CM272, with a Shibauru 27 horse engine.
Here's what happened: about 2 weeks ago, I notice that the mower is getting hot and the coolant bubbles over out of the radiator relief hose. I flushed & changed the coolant this spring and have only put about 40 hrs on it since the flush. So anyhow, I finally had a chance to look at it this week, and I found that the radiator was nearly empty. I found the leak: there is a small "fitting" coming out of the block, above the oil filter, with a hose attached to a nipple on the side of the fitting. It looks to be a return hose going to the bottom of the radiator. the leak appeared to come from the top of the hose, so I attempted to tighten the metal ring-clamp. When I went to tighten the clamp, the metal nipple broke off of the fitting. OK, no biggie... Called the shop, and they have a replacement fitting for $31. Then I attempted to unscrew the fitting from the block, and fitting snapped right off due to corrosion of the metal. So, now I have a hole in the block, and no way to install the new fitting because of the leftover fitting still screwed into the block.

So, I go to autozone, and I grab some jb weld epoxy, along with a nipple fitting that will fit inside of the hole. The JB WELD actually worked to hold the fitting into place with a strong connection. However, it didn't seal well around the edge of the hole and coolant was still leaking. I then used some hi temp gasket epoxy to try to seal the edges. There's still a slow leak, but it is working somewhat.

HOWEVER, the mower is still overheating and bubbling hot fluid over. So, aside from the slow leak at the fitting, is there something else that is failing, and causing the overheat? I'm getting sick of buying new fluid!

Can anyone give me a list of what might need to be checked or repaired/replaced?

Thanks in advance

 

[whodat526]

head gasket or thermostat is most likely your problem

 

[Winsmoke]

I have the cm 222 bought it a year ago with the same problem.

Last week i took the rad out took about 45 mins (1.75 beers)

The fan blows from in to out and i couldnt see any debris untill i got the rad out

It was so packed with stuff the shroud had bent over the fins of the rad i guess due to vibration.

Fixed the bent fins washed and blew out the rad

Now works perfect

Your other problem reqires a little more surgery ez out a tap and thread sealer

Good Luck

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

About the only 2 things that can cause bubbles in the radiator are a blown headgasket or a cracked head or block.
Bill

 

[TSO]

Called a tech yesterday. His over the phone diagnosis was to check:

1) radiator fins may need cleaning, since it's overheating after awhile, and not immediately.

2) water pump may be going

3) head gasket
...

So I tried blowing out the radiator fins and I did get a fair amount of dirt/dust out. Now it does take a bit longer to overheat (maybe 30-40)... And it doesn't seem to be quite as bad as before. So maybe the radiator needs to be replaced.

I was worried about being able to source the parts, but he said he can still get them all. He figured that the parts cost would be around $250 each for the radiator & water pump.

He didn't think it sounded like the thermostat, because he said he would expect it to overheat much faster.

I didn't get pricing for a head gasket, but IM sure the part is cheap. He said they charge around $75/hr for labor, and figured the radiator & water pump would each take about an hour.

All of those I can deal with... but I'm sure I'd be in for alot more if the block is cracked.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

You need to pressure test the cooling system. This will show a head gasket or crack problem. I would not replace any thing untill this was done. A pluged radiator or bad water pump will not cause bubbles. A pluged radiator or bad water pump could have caused the problem and may need to replaced but will not fix your current problem.
Bill

 

[TSO]

You need to pressure test the cooling system. This will show a head gasket or crack problem. I would not replace any thing untill this was done. A pluged radiator or bad water pump will not cause bubbles. A pluged radiator or bad water pump could have caused the problem and may need to replaced but will not fix your current problem.
Bill

I just want to make sure that I'm describing it right; it's not exactly that it just "bubbles"... it's that the fluid gets so hot that I can hear it boiling, and it "bubbles" over out of the radiator overflow hose

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

If you fill up the radiator with water and start the mower and look into the radiator are there bubblles.
Bill

 

[TSO]

OK.... So the mower has been at the local Ford tractor shop for about 2 weeks. They think the radiator, waterpump, and thermostat are fine. They removed the head, and the head gasket is fine. They sent the head to a machine shop, so hopefully they find a crack they can weld. if they can't repair it, a new head is around $1150. if that is the case, I'll probably just buy a new motor rather than fix the old 1. OR.... just have them put it back together, and sell the thing and find something else.

So...my fingers are crossed awaiting week answer

Sent from my Motorola Photon using TractorByNet for Android

 

[Steve HEF]

They had the same problem with the 272 here at my job. Prior to my coming here the dropped a pile of money on the thing replacing parts, water pump, thermostat, fan and even resorted to propping the hood half open with bungees. I started studying it because we had the same symptoms, it wouldn't overheat until about 45 minutes of mowing. I pulled the radiator and water flow seemed fine. While the fins looked clean, I held a drop light behind the radiator and you couldn't see light through the core. It was caked up with what looked like mud, it was probably dust from grass and such kicked up by the mower.

I pressure washed the radiator and reinstalled, we haven't had a problem since.