tractor with no thermostat?!

[SPYDERLK]

Yes. Retarded means hot exhaust valves and exhaust manifold. Running lean does this as well. These would not cause whole engine heat. Significantly advanced ignition timing would have some full engine effect due longer exposure in the combustion chamber. A healthy cooling system should handle it tho. A marginal one not so much.
larry

 

[The Fred]

Another thing to check is the ignition advance mechanism inside the distributor. I believe it has 2 flyweights that advance the spark as the engine revs. They could be frozen, pull the cap and try to move the ignition rotor in the direction of rotation, it should move about 10 degrees (20 degrees crankshaft).

Basic engine condition and tune-up are imperative to decent cooling. Compression, air in (and out), spark timing, fuel mixture.

Fred

 

[DarkBlack]

Ignition timing that is far retarded, WILL cause excess engine heat.

 

[DarkBlack]

Check your ignition timing...

 

[SPYDERLK]

Ignition timing that is far retarded, WILL cause excess engine heat.

I would be interested an explanation of how that could happen. The engine is essentially throwing its power out the exhaust pipe. You got more head heat near the exhaust ports. Less everywhere else.

 

[Egon]

OK, here it is. I did "calibrate" on the pot boiling on the stove, and surprisingly on the outside of the pot of boiling water got only 99-100 degrees. Touching the pot there with my finger would burn you, so I cannot understand that. Inside the pot, in the water, I got 180s. Shooting the tractor, I got as high as 180s at top of radiator, lower at the mid to bottom of radiator, and 203 hottest in the block iron itself.
This thermometer is new, and is for my use at work regulating the food businesses. I believe it is accurate, but there may be some limitations on taking "surface" temps like this, which is why we don't really rely on this type of unit---we use a probe thermometer for foods much more than this IR gun.
So, what do y'all say about my temps? Don't worry about it, or what?

Try the IR GUN on some other vehicles for comparison. Also try a probe thermometer in the radiator.
Don't know if the tractor gauge has been checked but that should be looked at too.

 

[94BULLITT]

OK, here it is. I did "calibrate" on the pot boiling on the stove, and surprisingly on the outside of the pot of boiling water got only 99-100 degrees. Touching the pot there with my finger would burn you, so I cannot understand that. Inside the pot, in the water, I got 180s. Shooting the tractor, I got as high as 180s at top of radiator, lower at the mid to bottom of radiator, and 203 hottest in the block iron itself.
This thermometer is new, and is for my use at work regulating the food businesses. I believe it is accurate, but there may be some limitations on taking "surface" temps like this, which is why we don't really rely on this type of unit---we use a probe thermometer for foods much more than this IR gun.
So, what do y'all say about my temps? Don't worry about it, or what?

It sounds like something weird may be going on with that thermometer. I would think the thermometer should have read hotter than 100*.

What were you doing with the tractor when it you got 203 on the block?

 

[buickanddeere]

What ever the case . The engine needs a 195F stat.
Odds are somebody in the past 51 years has plated the inside of the rad with an insulating layer of lime, calcium, iron etc. by using tap water instead of distilled water.

 

[SPYDERLK]

What would be the point of a 195 T stat?

 

[pmsmechanic]

What would be the point of a 195 T stat?

Engines run cleaner, burn fuel more completely,and have less products of combustion in the oil when run at warmer temps. Thats one of the reasons for extended oil changes on newer vehicles.