RTV radiator watch out

[DMA1]

Just wanted to share something I recently learned. We planted about 6 acres worth of food plots this week with our tractor and RTV. We broke the ground with a tiller behind the tractor and then broadcast the seed. Then covered the seed with a drag harrow pulled behind the RTV 1140. Its been dry lately and I was stirring up a fair amount of dust pulling the drag harrow. Noticed the temp gauge on RTV was higher than normal late in the day, although not "in the red", it was about halfway between the middle of the gauge, where it normally stays, and all the way to the right side of it. Got home and checked the radiator out and it was about 3/4 stopped up with a fine, talcum powder-like dust from all the work we had done. The removeable screen was fine, it is for larger debris. Blew the radiator out with compressed air and then followed that up with flushing it out with water. I can see through the radiator to the fan now. This should help engine cooling greatly. I had two learnings from this: dust will stop up the radiator fairly quickly in the right conditions, and too much water pressure (it takes less than you might think) from a normal garden hose sprayer will bend the fins on the radiator. Don't ask me how I figured out the second one.

 

[ayelvington]

Thank you! I'll be sure to clean out my radiator before winter gets here. I use my RTV for hauling firewood, and the steep climb out of the woods definitely heats her up!

 

[Old Coot]

I use my RTV for hauling firewood, and the steep climb out of the woods definitely heats her up!

My 2009 heats up when working hard. The 2004 never did. I noticed the electric fan on mine never came on. Checked it out, by gounding the wire from the switch, and the fan works but I think the temp switch is not working. So I just by passed the temp switch and added a manual one I can switch on and off.

 

[9973720wb19]

thanks. never had any problems with overheating or any other problems but one thing I've been doing when performing long slow work with my RTV (185 hrs), is keeping it in L gear rather then M. I figure I'm just crawling and it's easier on the trans and engine if your crawling in L rather then M. I have a very long fence line and driveway and I spot spray the fences...takes about 2.5 hours very slow for each one.

 

[DMA1]

I've never had any overheating problems until the other day when the radiator got stopped up with dust. The fan was doing all it could to cool things down, but with the reduced air flow, it wasn't effective enough.