Tractor Cleaning?

   / Tractor Cleaning? #1  

alanwoj

New member
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
16
Location
East Tennessee
Tractor
Cub Cadet 5254
Two years ago I had a White tractor that had deck wash fittings. Last year I purchased a Cub Cadet that did not and the maual stated do not spray the deck or tractor with a garden hose or pressure washer, ( I have done so anyway). This year I am going to purchase a Cub Cadet 5254 with a deck wash system. All of these tracktors are made by the same parent company with varying washing requirements. What is your take on washing the tractor, engine, and attachments? I have always washed my equipment with soap and water, dryed off the excess water, and re-lubed. Just looking for comments on this subject.
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #2  
When we are done mowing, we use compressed air to blow the machines off rather than put them in the shed dirty. Then on Sunday morning before church, the machines get a bath. Both mowers, the tractor, car and pickup get the pressure wash treatment. The only caution I would voice at this point is to never wash a hot diesel engine with cold water. This will seriously change the clearances in the injection pump and cause it to seize up. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #3  
I use my air hose to remove the loose clippings and then take the garden hose with a little dish soap and various brushes to get the stubborn stuff off. I then use the air hose again to dry it.
Spray some Water Displacement-40 where it's needed and then a quick coat of wax. Done. Gerard
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #4  
Just don't do what I did!

I killed the voltage regulator and consequently the fusebox and alternator by using a pressure washer on my tractor.

I thought a wasp nest under the voltage regulator should wash out easily. Next time I ran the tractor I discovered there were some large heat-dissipating resistors under there that sizzled and smoked, then the whole charging system quit. Bah!
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #5  
Wipe off loose grease, spray problem areas with SimpleGreen, hose off, then wash as you would your car. Dry with compressed air and towels. Wax is optional /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Regrease if necessary. If possible,avoid using the purple degreaser, although it is very effective against grease, it is hard on aluminum and paint(read the lable).
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #6  
I don't think I'd ever put a pressure washer to my engines. Use a regular garden sprayer with a little laundry detergent(could be a little 2-4-D residue in mine /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) mixed in. That cuts most oily residue and a gentle rinse of water finishes it off. I only do this when the tractor is warm (nothing to hot to touch) and use the blower from the shop vac to dry things a bit.
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #7  
Yes, Cal, that pressure washer is too agressive for regular cleaning. It puts water where God never intended.
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #8  
Some tips I use on my Fatboy might apply to the tractor.
Get an old paintbrush and cut the bristles down to stiffen them up some, put a piece of duct tape around the metal clamp to prevent marring, use this and simple green for stubburn areas and areas that are hard to access. Keep in mind dish soap removes all wax from painted surfaces, also simple green will etch aluminum over time, so rinse well. As for drying I have always used a leaf blower immediately after rinsing. Its cut down on the towels and really does a good job of removing excess water from hard to reach areas. If your going to detail your rig start with dish soap to strip wax, use maguires polish next as this is a harder more durable finish than wax. The more coats of polish the deeper the finish, then after buffing the polish to a high luster with clean all cotton (polyester scrathes) rags or sheeps wool cloths (Those Mitts at walmart). Apply Maguires yellow wax, the yellow wax does not leave white build up in the crevices like some of the cheaper waxes do. ensure you always flip to a clean portion of the rag during the final buffing, and then for the final touch, right before the final, final buff apply a very light mist of fine water spray to the painted surface and buff. This will evenly disperse the emmulants for a showtime finish. One other point to note is try not to move in a circular pattern when washing, buffing etc. move back and forth in one direction. This will prevent swhirls that raise their ugly heads when the sun refracts off the paint, it will be less noticable moving in one direction, preferable parrelel to the ground. Hope this helps, its all I know in somewhat of a brief surmise. oh you'll need these when done /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
[p]
97 Fatboy 3 national shows, 2 first place wins, seen in the april 2004 issue of hot bike magizine.
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #9  
I've washed underneath the hood of my vehicles for years. In the past, a couple of them would occasionally get wet underneath the distributor cap. Otherwise, never a problem. Use Tide sprinkled over wet surfaces, Simple Green, Purple Solution or whatever if there's visible grease to get off. NEVER NEVER use a pressure washer. These things ought to be junked or just rented so you won't be tempted to use them on stuff that they shouldn't be used on.

Do same with my Gravely and started washing my JD. If there's a bunch of loose grass and other stuff on them, it's best to use an air gun to remove that stuff because it often clumps up when water is used.

Ralph
 
   / Tractor Cleaning? #10  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I've washed underneath the hood of my vehicles for years. )</font>

So have I. I've done it many, many times using the coin operated pressure washers at the do-it-yourself car wash places, although this last time I did it here at home by spraying Simple Green everywhere and then just the garden hose spray nozzle. And after I wash one, I try to blow off excess water with the air hose, if available. Then, whether I've used the air hose or not, I drive the vehicle long enough to get the engine hot enough to finish drying everything. And the ONLY time, I've had any problem at all was with a 1970 Oldsmobile that got a little water into the distributor, and that was easily corrected.

However, while still under warranty, I did have one of the two spindles seize on my 1995 Cub Cadet riding mower deck and was told it was because I washed it. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I didn't quit washing it, but I did try, from then on, to run it long enough to dry it out good after that, and never had another problem.
 

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