Thermostat range for gas farmall super C

What is the correct thermostat range for a farmall super C , gas engine? Just curious. I have a thermostat in mine but it seems to take an act of god to get the temperature gage to rise at all. Is this normall? I did find an original 165 to 195 degree thermostat. Wondering if that is too hot for it. Thanks in advance!

Well first off it your gauge in good working order?? If your gauge is bad no matter what thermostat you have will not make it read. Me I use 180 thermostats in most things I have. Or is your thermostat maybe stuck open??

Those tractors were made to stay COOL. They worked hard,in often times hot temps. They had an efficient cooling system. So,'paradeing', or just 'poopin' around the yard just isnt enough to get it "warm".Your cool running is normal.

Delta is correct/ When designrd, the bypass port (past the t-stat) was too big and sllows them to cool too much. If you restrict that passage with a home made thin stainless steel plate with a 1/4 inch hole where there is nearly a 3/4 inch hole it will warm up and get better economy. It will not cause overheating to do that modification. Jim

(quoted from post at 06:43:02 01/12/17) Delta is correct/ When designrd, the bypass port (past the t-stat) was too big and sllows them to cool too much. If you restrict that passage with a home made thin stainless steel plate with a 1/4 inch hole where there is nearly a 3/4 inch hole it will warm up and get better economy. It will not cause overheating to do that modification. Jim

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Where is the bypass port on a Super C? The thermostat sits in a hose on the Super C.

Thanks,
Dan

Have you read the coolants temp with a therm andhow hard to you work the engine that colling system is very good and has great capicity for keeping the engine at good operating temps if you had a problem it would kik coolant out of the overflow. The B which is similar will get to around 185 when mowing on a good summer day and i measure with a good therm dont use a temp guage.

Even in the hottest weather, my Super C will not come off 100 deg unless it's plowing or working hard. It will run all day at minimum temp on the gauge doing normal work even when its 80 degrees out.

No by pass on a C. You are thinking of an H.

All great replies and greatly appreciated. My gauge was new and has indicated maybe a little past the center of "warm" at best when I beat my tractor in 104 degree weather. I usually block off the radiator in winter, fall and early spring just to get the temp needle to budge. I rebuilt this engine several years ago and maintain it well. Otherwise, unless it is working fairly hard, I rarely see the temperature needle deflect at all even if the radiator is blocked off. So, I was wondering about this a bit

I suspect it is operating pretty normal based on responses. After I get my axle put back in and my snow out of the way, I was going to replace my water pump which was howling at me last summer for a little while. Not leaking but I think I will replace it and check on everything in the fan, generator etc. It has a charging issue that I would like to chase down too. I will do the charging issue last. I might replace the clutch since it has been in there a long time and worked hard (I never replaced it when I rebuilt the tractor. It looked good so I kept it.) Anyways....

I saw in the parts manual that there were 3 types of temp range thermostats listed. I understand the distillate engines would want a hight temp thermostat (165 to 195 degree - 257 440 R91). But the parts book implies another thermostats and I sort of get confused when reading the explanation they give (ha ha)... Anyway, this is what it says.... "

257 440 R91 - THERMOSTAT (165 to 195 degrees)

361 818 R91 - THERMOSTAT (130 to 150 degrees) (For use with low boiling point anti-freeze. It is recommended that the 165 to 195 degree thermostat and the 170 to 220 heat indicator , if used, be reinstalled when anti-freeze solutions are not required. When this thermostat is used on distillate or kerosine burning engines it is recommended that gasoline be used as the fuel.)

I get this to say that the 165 to 195 degree thermostat is for distillate engines and the 130 to 150 degree thermostat is for the gas engines. I guess I am surprised they used such a low temperature range for a gas engine. I like the idea of it running hotter because of hydraulics and efficiency. Car engines operate in this range but cars and tractors are different. I suspect, the slow speeds that the tractor moves at doesn't give it the cooling efficiency that a car has. I am also thinking that the tractor was engineered to be working hard or not working at all. Or, its just up to the conditions the tractor is working in and the preference of the owner???

I have an original 165 to 195 degree thermostat and was thinking of putting it in there.

I read some other stuff about the use of a spacer to keep the modern thermostat secure. I do recall using a modern thermostat but I don't recall using a spacer in there. Maybe it is just flopping around in there???? I wouldn't be surprised. I just thought of that. Ha, ha. I'll keep everyone posted. All your comments and ideas are appreciated.

I tried to post two pictures of my tractor but one keeps posting upside down. Funny.

The item "361 818 R91 - THERMOSTAT (130 to 150 degrees) (For use with low boiling point anti-freeze. " refers to the use of non-permanent anti-freeze (denatured alcohol), which I doubt anyone uses now. If you used a 165 to 195 degree thermostat with it, you would boil all the alcohol out and be left with water. Since the low temperature thermostat wouldn't keep the engine hot enough to properly burn the low-grade fuels, they said to only use gasoline with it.

So if I use a 165 to 195 with modern anti-freeze, I should be good to go?? Your explanation makes sense. I have heard of people using alcohol and sugar water.

Ok, that helps out. Thanks!

I would use a 195 if you can get it, no lower than 180

Yup, I have one of those and I will compare it with what I find in the tractor. I recall I put a automotive style one in there but it just didn't seem to fit correctly. That was at least 20 years ago. I am sort of wondering what I will find in there. I have a very nice original 195 degree thermostat that I will compare it too. I think it is possible I didn't install the one that is in there correctly. I remember the retainer and I remember the thermostat but I don't remember the spacer that people talk about.

I will say that my spark plugs look cold. Never see any crud on them or fuzzy stuff. Just clean with slight carbon residue. I guess that is good.

The original thermostat is huge compared to the automotive thermostat. I should post a picture. Thanks for the information.

(quoted from post at 22:07:21 01/11/17) What is the correct thermostat range for a farmall super C , gas engine? Just curious. I have a thermostat in mine but it seems to take an act of god to get the temperature gage to rise at all. Is this normall? I did find an original 165 to 195 degree thermostat. Wondering if that is too hot for it. Thanks in advance!

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Hello tfringo,my Super-C still has the original 165-195 thermostat in it but had to replace guage.Just got it back together and it runs in the green range on replacement guage but have not worked it yet,just running it around without a load on it seems to be fine.Also checked it with heat gun and it is around the 165 range.There is Discussions on these thermostats in the archives,with a picture of original!

I will post a picture of the original I have. It is good to hear you have the 165 to 195 range thermostat. Hmmm, might have to replace gauge. I am going to look
closely at how I installed my thermostat. Something tells me something got messed up when I converted from an original to a modern automotive. I remember
struggling with the physical difference between the two but I don't remember accounting for this difference which I heard mentioned in a different post. Thanks for
the information!

(quoted from post at 08:47:23 01/13/17) I will post a picture of the original I have. It is good to hear you have the 165 to 195 range thermostat. Hmmm, might have to replace gauge. I am going to look
closely at how I installed my thermostat. Something tells me something got messed up when I converted from an original to a modern automotive. I remember
struggling with the physical difference between the two but I don't remember accounting for this difference which I heard mentioned in a different post. Thanks for
the information!

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That one is Identical to the one in my Super-C,was going to take it out and check it but could not get it out after getting the retainer ring out,so decided to just leave it alone,it was working fine when I tore it down around 20 years ago!Thank's!

That is just crazy. There is couple of things about these tractors that I just love. 1) They are still practice if you have some implements with them. 2) They are
practically indestructible and take a lot of abuse. 3) Fairly easy to maintain, operate and rebuild (they very often survive flat out neglect). 4) I believe they reflect the
mind-set of the people that designed and engineered them. This last one is the most interesting of them all for me. I think it is just the way people thought back
then.

That thermostat still working in there is amazing. I don't think there are a lot of those out there. I just happen to come across that one and recognized it for what it
was. 3000 years from now, they will still be around. Funny.

Need to find a picture of that ring and how that works. Sounds like it acts like a spacer to keep it from moving around. I remember the spring clip but don't remember
the ring. I think will try to find a picture. I think someone said you can make it out of brass?? Thanks