134 Operating Temperature?

The temp gauge on my '62 Ford 2000 (134 gas) started getting into the red.
The oil pressure has stayed constant.
Pulled the thermostat (160) and verified it was working.
Radiator is clean and topped off.
Replaced temp gauge and sending unit with numerical gauge.

What is the operating temperature supposed to be? It got up to 200 degrees before I shut her down.

My 641's 134 engine runs around 170 to 180 in 100 degree
heat. Is your water pump working good? I would think it
should run a lot of water through once the thermostat opens.

I watched the gauge and you could tell when the thermostat opened - there was a big temperature drop.
It stayed around 180 for a while - but I was bush hogging in South Georgia (the heat index right now is unbelievable) so I'm not surprised that it continued to rise.
What is the "magic number" that I need to worry about that indicates I'm too hot.

This is a good question. My 641 has been running at the top of the green pushing red lately. How do you troubleshoot a waterpump? I would think it either works or doesn't.

I'm not sure what 'normal' is, but maybe someone else can answer it. I was thinking that if the belt was slipping once it heated up that maybe it wouldn't turn the pump very well (probably unlikely), or perhaps some trash has built up inside preventing good flow. I've used a brush hog on my 641 on a 105 degree day before and it never got any warmer than around 185 or so...but who knows if my thermometer is very accurate

According to my owner's manual, it says the thermostat should start opening around 160 degrees and be fully open at 180 degrees. A drop in temp when it first starts to open means your thermostat is definitely at least getting partially open and getting the cool fluid to your engine - and it doesn't take much of that cool fluid to get that initial drop. But perhaps it never fully opens? Not sure if that is possible or not. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I'd sort of be inclined to remove the thermostat (only temporarily) just to see if the temperature settles in at a considerably lower temp. If so, then perhaps the thermostat isn't ever fully opening for some reason or another..if that doesn't help, then it would seem to me that there might be some excessive junk built up somewhere.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will respond to you as well I'm just going off my own prior experience, which isn't anywhere near as extensive as a number of folks on this board.

working its butt off it should get hot 200 is ok,,but if you unload it a bit, it should also cool back in a matter of minutes... if its not cooling back when you unload the engine,, you got a problem some where..either cooling or head gasket or other severe problem. fill the water to the neck of the radiator, and look for bubbles meaning you have a blown head gasket or worse. check engine timing, air filter, and air flow, check for flooding or lean carb...

Does your tractor have a fan shroud? If not, it needs one.

Is the radiator core clear of debris?

Is the engine timing set at 4 degrees BTDC at 400 RPM or less?

Is the centrifugal spark advance operating properly?

Has the radiator been repaired many times? Radiator shops often close off leaking tubes. If this has been done several times the heat exchanging capacity of the radiator has been reduced.

Finally, water pumps that have seen extensive service and/or several rebuild cycles often have worn impellers, which are not replaced when rebuilt. If worn badly enough, the pump capacity is substantially reduced.

In any event, if the coolant does not boil when working the engine hard in 90+ degree ambient, it should be OK.

Dean

Ive found water pumps with the impellor fins rusted away.A plastic impellor can split, instant overheat happens with a split impellor.

The tractor runs very well. The heating issue has just come up.

No shroud - never had one. Looks like a good move to get one on it.

Radiator was replaced a few years ago and still looks great inside.

Probably a good move to go ahead and replace the water pump and install a shroud.

(quoted from post at 12:16:12 06/29/10) The tractor runs very well. The heating issue has just come up.

No shroud - never had one. Looks like a good move to get one on it.

Radiator was replaced a few years ago and still looks great inside.

Probably a good move to go ahead and replace the water pump and install a shroud.

Click to expand...

Coolant absorbs heat,,,, air removes the heat from the coolant,,, aif flow the for gotten element

Timing : if it were a timing issue you would need to know the total timing,,, not the base number...

200 is not heat'n but I would keep a eye on it,,, I normally stop and let my tractor run a few min at haft throttle when it reaches 210,,, its shroud less,,, poor air flow across the rad are the rad is blocked with debris...

The most I have ever ran it was 2 hr. at that time then the shroud less effect only shows up in the last hour,, that's the biggest reason I will not let anyone operate that particle tractor,,, one day it will get a shroud

I think a fan shroud is the answer to your problem. It will force all the air thru the radiator and to the fan. The engine is running at high RPM and the tractor is moving slowly so you will get no ram air into the radiator while cutting. If the fan is more than 1 in. away from the radiator core , the fan will be pulling air from in between the Rad. and fan. The shroud will keep the air coming thru the rad. by sealing off that space. Most tractors have shrouds for that purpose.