[AT] Cleaning out Tractor cooling system

[JParks]

Well.............I certainly don't qualify as an expert.....but a similar
circumstance happened last week when a neighbor up the draw bought a Cat 12
grader.  They were roading it home when they noticed the temp gauge going up
so they shut it down.  They checked the radiator (a little bit late as it
was very low) and found a lot of oil in the core itself.   No water in the
oil, just oil in the water.  Based on my limited knowledge, I figured a
couple of things could have happened; either a bad head gasket or someone
filled the radiator with a dirty bucket.  We contacted a field service man,
one who used to be Svc Mgr at local Cat house, and he recommended Calgon in
the radiator just to clean out the oil through the system.  Then...... run
it again to see if the oil reappeared.

This would not be a solution to the rust problem, and would not necessarily
clean out the rust deposits  but I would certainly stick with a product
specifically designed to operate as a rust and scale remover.  Their product
would not be on the market if it adversely affected seals or gaskets.  (pay
attention to their instructions for sure!) Anything else, for me, would just
be a guess, and  an un-educated one too.

John Parks
Boise, ID


----- Original Message -----
From: "Spencer Yost" <yostsw at atis.net>
To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 11:58 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Cleaning out Tractor cooling system


> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
> On 1/17/2005 at 8:19 AM fred bottles wrote:
> >Has anyone ever cleaned out a cooling system by using
> >vinegar?? I talked with a guy who said a friend of his
> >filled up the cooling system of his tractor with
> >vinegar and ran it like that a few days, drained it
> >and it really got the crud out. Any reason not to try
> >this??
> >
>
> Any kind of weak acid like vinegar would indeed loosen and remove some
> scale and mineral deposits.   Whether that qualifies it as a complete
> cooling system flushing compound I wouldn't know.   Most cooling system
> flushing compounds at the auto parts store I presume would do a better job
> and aren't much more expensive than two gallons of white vinegar -
probably
> less expensive.
>
> As for reasons not to try it - The gaskets for the upper and lower tanks,
> if your tractor has them, might possibly be hardened by straight acid but
I
> really doubt it.  Older water pumps with packing instead of sealed
bearings
> might be adversely affected.  However I think these, and other warnings,
> would hold true for any type of flushing compound.
>
> Someone on the list with professional knowledge probably needs to jump in,
>
> Spencer Yost
> Owner, ATIS
> Plow the Net!
> http://www.atis.net
>
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