IH 340 Utility Tractor radiator drain

Well now that I got the engine running thanks to a rebuilt starter, I need to flush the radiator. I am hesitant to remove the hose but the radiator drain "plug" is stuck. Does anyone know if the drain plug is a valve of some type or does it just screw off completely. It is on the end of a tube coming out of an area between the engine and radiator. I am afraid to apply too much force for fear of breaking it. I sprayed some penetrating catalyst on it, but I do not know how much force I should apply. Thanks.
 
It should be a pipe cap, but who knows what someone put on there... Someone put a brass petcock in the radiator drain on my Cub at one time, and that's definitely not OEM.

Worst thing you will do is twist off the radiator hose. If that happens you need a new hose anyway.
 
Thanks. You're talking about twisting off the outlet or down hose with the plug in it. Is it better to try to get off the lower radiator hose which probably is 50 years old. It seems to be a straight 2" diameter hose but it is hard to get at.


(quoted from post at 13:24:32 10/11/14) It should be a pipe cap, but who knows what someone put on there... Someone put a brass petcock in the radiator drain on my Cub at one time, and that's definitely not OEM.

Worst thing you will do is twist off the radiator hose. If that happens you need a new hose anyway.
 
Thanks the diagram. It was very helpful. At least I know what to look for. I probably will decide to remove the small horizontal hose if I can get to it. I need to drain the radiator as it over heats every 30 to 45 minutes. If you have any suggestions of which way to drain it given what is stuck, I am all ears! Thanks again.

(quoted from post at 06:12:59 10/13/14) Yeah it's a pain in the butt. I have a 240 Utility and it's similar.

BTW, here's the parts drawing:

http://partstore.caseih.com/us/LambWebsterNorthJava/parts-search.html#epc::mr61640ar298090

The radiator was blown on mine so I had everything off when I replaced that hose. Made things much easier.
 
When I restored my Farmall 240 which is probably very similar I added a longer drain pipe from the fitting between the two hoses which puts it below the front bolster. I now have an accessible surface to hold while I remove the drain cap which is below the front bolster and above the tires on my narrow front tractor. HTH, Hal.
 
Thanks. How fragile is the fitting? I have only tried to open by hand (no wrenches or vice grips) since I was afraid of permanently breaking it.


(quoted from post at 08:02:55 10/15/14) When I restored my Farmall 240 which is probably very similar I added a longer drain pipe from the fitting between the two hoses which puts it below the front bolster. I now have an accessible surface to hold while I remove the drain cap which is below the front bolster and above the tires on my narrow front tractor. HTH, Hal.
 
I don't believe you have an issue with the cast fitting but with the hose on each end. The hose between the fitting and the radiator might break the lower soldered piece off the radiator if too much force is applied and the hose didn't give first. Removing the radiator might be in your best interest as the hoses are probably ready for replacement along with the thermostat while you have everything opened up and easy to work with. I also replaced the water pump with a new CaseIH one after seeing the China made replacement which are very crudely cast. The CaseIH one was significantly better although twice the cost but of a much better quality and most likely made in this country or at least where some quality was required to meet their standards.
With the extended drain pipe I put in my 240 I now have room below the front bolster to grip the pipe with vice grips and turn off the cap on the bottom. Just extend that pipe enough to clear the bolster to grip it above the cap and not to far so that tire debris would hit it in use. Good luck and post back on what you eventually do to resolve your drain issue, Hal.
 
After reading these additional responses along with your additional information I would be removing the radiator and getting it taken care of while performing this task. I don't have a Farmall that even remotely gets near hot even working them all day doing hay and other light type duties. Plowing might be a different story about elevated temperatures but just normal to light work should never get one hot. I have never tried to put that lower 2" piece in with the radiator installed so don't know if it is possible or not but there is certainly no room to work in that small space and found just getting to those hose clamps is a real chore and leads to cut and banged up hands at a minimum, Hal.
 
Thanks for the help. As I might have said it overheats in 40 minutes of mowing. I wanted to do the simplest thing first, that was why I thought the radiator needs flushing. I was told the thermostat might have been removed by a previous owner. I agree getting the clamps off may be a bear as there is no room to work. I might try the drain using vise grips and pliers if I cannot disconnect the hose. It seems like removing the whole radiator will be a big job.
Thanks again

(quoted from post at 12:48:27 10/15/14) After reading these additional responses along with your additional information I would be removing the radiator and getting it taken care of while performing this task. I don't have a Farmall that even remotely gets near hot even working them all day doing hay and other light type duties. Plowing might be a different story about elevated temperatures but just normal to light work should never get one hot. I have never tried to put that lower 2" piece in with the radiator installed so don't know if it is possible or not but there is certainly no room to work in that small space and found just getting to those hose clamps is a real chore and leads to cut and banged up hands at a minimum, Hal.
 
Thanks for the advice. I don't know if I'm up for trying to get the whole radiator out. I might try vise grips and pliers on the wing nut if that might be the least dangerous way to go. I will also just try to loosen the bottom hose to see if it will budge without breaking anything. Is taking the whole cooling system out a big job? The fan seems to work fine and the water pump doesn't leak if that means anything. I was also told that the thermostat might have been removed as they are not very important or reliable in small tractors.
Thanks




 
When I drained my 240, the whole drain pipe came out of the elbow. Even though things looked crusty it still came apart without much of a fight. That's the advantage of tapered pipe threads.

My 240 was overheating too but it turned out to be a couple of bad exhaust valves.
 
Thanks. so you are saying I can apply a good bit of torqur on a wrench without worrying about breaking the pipe or the elbow? Also, where are the exhaust valves and how do you know if they are bad? Thanks again.

(quoted from post at 05:03:26 10/16/14) When I drained my 240, the whole drain pipe came out of the elbow. Even though things looked crusty it still came apart without much of a fight. That's the advantage of tapered pipe threads.

My 240 was overheating too but it turned out to be a couple of bad exhaust valves.
 
I can only relate to my experience on removing and reinstalling the radiator on a Farmall 240 but believe your tractor is very similar. An additional pair of hands and a helper are a big help when reinstalling the radiator for certain. Take notes or photos of the various supports for the radiator and the front grille items as they are removed on the stack-up of the various items and where the various hardware items install as they are removed. You might find placing labels on certain parts and placing the hardware items in small plastic sandwich bags labeled as to where they reinstall might be beneficial. A parts catalog or diagrams on the CaseIH site will prove very beneficial. It is not a big job at all to replace everything up front while the radiator is off the tractor. When reinstalling the radiator the extra pairs of hands are needed to make the hose connections (make sure the clamps are on the hoses first and rotated to a position so you can get too later to tighten them up) while the other person is supporting the radiator. Even though the radiator remove and replace is straight forward and not at all difficult it is not something I would want to do very often so I refreshed everything while I had it removed.
From what you indicated about the overheating issue you are experiencing it seems a radiator removal, clean, repair and reinstallation are also required at this point to resolve your combination of issues. Hope you find this information helpful in the solution to your situation, Hal.
 
Thanks--you have been a great help. The person who sold me the tractor and who is a great mechanic will help me with it this Fall. I appreciate your time and knowledge.
Andy


(quoted from post at 06:24:42 10/16/14) I can only relate to my experience on removing and reinstalling the radiator on a Farmall 240 but believe your tractor is very similar. An additional pair of hands and a helper are a big help when reinstalling the radiator for certain. Take notes or photos of the various supports for the radiator and the front grille items as they are removed on the stack-up of the various items and where the various hardware items install as they are removed. You might find placing labels on certain parts and placing the hardware items in small plastic sandwich bags labeled as to where they reinstall might be beneficial. A parts catalog or diagrams on the CaseIH site will prove very beneficial. It is not a big job at all to replace everything up front while the radiator is off the tractor. When reinstalling the radiator the extra pairs of hands are needed to make the hose connections (make sure the clamps are on the hoses first and rotated to a position so you can get too later to tighten them up) while the other person is supporting the radiator. Even though the radiator remove and replace is straight forward and not at all difficult it is not something I would want to do very often so I refreshed everything while I had it removed.
From what you indicated about the overheating issue you are experiencing it seems a radiator removal, clean, repair and reinstallation are also required at this point to resolve your combination of issues. Hope you find this information helpful in the solution to your situation, Hal.
 

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