Winter kit for JD 455 garden tractor?

[caseyvand]

Hi....Does anyone know if there is a winter kit available for JD 455? THe fan sucks air out of the cabin to cool the engine. I realize there are cabin heaters available but was wondering if anyone has used anything like a baffle to reduce the amount of cabin air loss?
Thanks......Casey

 

[beenthere]

Cover the screen intake under the steering wheel and any screen on the side panels that the "cabin" contains. Let the fan supply air come from the front of the side panels.
That should stop any air from the "cabin" being sucked away. Not sure where or how you will supply the heat, as it will need to come from the engine compartment somehow.

Either that, or reverse the fan blades to pull air back through the radiator for winter use.

 

[bwc]

Casey....My JD 455 has a factory hard sided cab and when it was installed back in 2000, it came with a vinyl cover that is velco'd onto the tractor's bulkhead below the steering wheel. I keep this on all year and have no issues with overheating. I also removed the screen in front of the rad and placed a cardboard cover in there during the winter. I have several cardboard covers with different size openings for air flow according to outside temp. The colder it is the smaller the opening I use. I have no issues with fogging etc. I do have a fan to move the air but the biggest improvement with these small diesels is to change out the factory 160* t'stat. I would not get the temp gauge to move off the cold mark in the winter blowing snow but now the gauge moves up to halfway mark with a JD 185* model. I leave this t'stat in all year and have no overheating issues whatsoever. You should be able to get a cover made or ask your JD parts guy to order you one. It came with the JD hard sided/soft sided cabs made by Femco for the 425/445/455 tractors.

Brian