Overheating problem

[Brewster68]

I recently sold my LK 3054 , it has a Great Bend 240 loader mounted on it. The new owner does a good bit of bush hogging with it, something I didn't
have a need to do. He lives a couple of hours away. He first used it to bush hog and called me that the tractor ran fine for an hour then started overheating
with the gauge getting near redline so he shut it down. I told him to check the radiator in case of debris, check the fan and belt. He said the fluid level was
normal. Engine oil level normal, I had just changed with Super Tech 10W 30. Last weekend he changed the thermostat and it ran good for 2 hours and then
overheated, again while bushhogging. He has graded with it without overheating, but for not as long of a run time . Seems like a long time to run without
beginning to overheat--we are down here on the Gulf coast, so it has been hot weather. Any thoughts on what could be going on here would
be greatly appreciated! Marshall

 

[Fuddy1952]

My new JD overheated after Bush hogging a pasture with just 30-40 hours on it. I called dealer who said blow out, clean grill, radiator, etc. So I got one of those long blowguns from Harbor Freight.
That was the problem. Maybe it's that simple.
If that one has a lot of hours I would think remove thermostat, then flush it out...check radiator, it may need to go to a radiator shop.

 

[Brewster68]

Thanks, didn't think of a radiator flush--good suggestion

 

[holeycow]

That is the problem

 

[deserteagle71]

I do a lot of bushhogging and always in very dry and dusty conditions. I've found it necessary, with both the old John Deere and the new Kubota, to thoroughly blow out (and in the case of the John Deere, wash out) the radiator assembly DAILY to keep the temperature gauge from climbing.

 

[Huffmeister]

I do a lot of bushhogging and always in very dry and dusty conditions. I've found it necessary, with both the old John Deere and the new Kubota, to thoroughly blow out (and in the case of the John Deere, wash out) the radiator assembly DAILY to keep the temperature gauge from climbing.

^^This. If they can't breathe, they get HOT. All my equipment gets the leaf blower treatment before I put it back in the shed. Good to inspect & blow out the air filter elements every now and then also.

 

[DieselBound]

While one can start activities with a clean radiator, at some point that radiator WILL get clogged up as you operate. Pretty common for me to periodically stop my tractors and clean out the screens, most especially when mowing tall stuff (with seed heads and such).

If things are fairly clean and you're overheating then there are some serious concerns: bad head gasket being the biggest/most problematic- under light loads the problem might not be all that noticeable, but as soon as you get heavy loads it'll show itself.