To-30 Overheating - Fan Shroud?

JasonKS

Member
My To-30 overheats after about 45 minutes of brush hogging. I've flushed the radiator and replaced the coolant (50/50 antifreeze and water). I've felt the top and bottom hoses and they're both hot, so water is circulating. Radiator is blown out from the Fan side. Doesn't matter.

One thing that is practically missing is the Fan shroud, which someone cut away before I got the tractor. I am wondering if the fan's operation is totally inefficient without the shroud, causing overheating. Thing is, if I mow in grass where I can get some chaff and seed airborne, the radiator will get a mat of chaff on it, indicating that air is flowing over the radiator. So, it's not clear what is causing this problem. Any ideas?
 
I have a front grill screen covering the front of the tractor, it keeps the radiator
clean.

The fan shroud directs the air through the radiator, otherwise without a fan shroud the
air is going to take the easy route and bypass to the sides of the radiator.

I think, if the water pump is working properly, using 50/50 coolant mixture,
If you install a fan shroud and a front grill screen you will solve you cooling
problems.

I also do not tighten the radiator cap, leave it loose so no pressure builds up on that
old costly radiator.

Did you flush the radiator or have a radiator shop flush it to insure its fully open.
Most times the old radiators will flow some coolant on the sides, but the center of the
radiator can be stopped up.
Best way to check is with one of those hand held temperature guns, when motor is good
and hot, shoot a beam at the center of radiator and at the sides of the radiator, if the
same temp or close you should be good.

Do not let that little motor get hot, motor will start using oil and will be ruined.

Big time cost to repair, far more than a fan shroud and front radiator screen.

Just my humble opinion!
 
Also check your fan belt. It may be turning everything just fine at idle but slipping a bit under load as the generator starts charging and that can slow the fan just enough to overheat the engine. Since you will have the fan shroud off to replace it, that would be a good time to replace the belt too.
 
(quoted from post at 03:28:57 10/22/15) I have a front grill screen covering the front of the tractor, it keeps the radiator
clean.

The fan shroud directs the air through the radiator, otherwise without a fan shroud the
air is going to take the easy route and bypass to the sides of the radiator.

I think, if the water pump is working properly, using 50/50 coolant mixture,
If you install a fan shroud and a front grill screen you will solve you cooling
problems.

I also do not tighten the radiator cap, leave it loose so no pressure builds up on that
old costly radiator.

Did you flush the radiator or have a radiator shop flush it to insure its fully open.
Most times the old radiators will flow some coolant on the sides, but the center of the
radiator can be stopped up.
Best way to check is with one of those hand held temperature guns, when motor is good
and hot, shoot a beam at the center of radiator and at the sides of the radiator, if the
same temp or close you should be good.

Do not let that little motor get hot, motor will start using oil and will be ruined.

Big time cost to repair, far more than a fan shroud and front radiator screen.

Just my humble opinion!

Good ideas. I took the screen off to make sure it wasn't causing the heating, so I'll put it back on now that I know it isn't.

I flushed the radiator myself by disconnecting the lower hose, draining the fluid, running water through the radiator and letting it drain out. Then I reattached the lower hose and filled with 50/50 to just above the top of the core.

Your idea of using a temperature gun is good. I may pick one up for that purpose.

Thanks for the help.
 

There is apparently a thermostat in the upper hose, and I tried to remove this little hose, but it is on so tight between the radiator and engine that I can't budge it. I will need to take the radiator entirely off to remove it. I know there's coolant flowing through it, though. I suppose it could be restricting flow, though.
 
One other shroud question. Getting a shroud for a To-30 is apparently not so easy. Will the Ford 8n shroud fit the To-30, or come close enough that it can easily be modified?
 
this is the type front radiator grill screen I am talking about, is this what you are thinking.

but it will only work if you have the fan shroud in place, the shroud is there to insure the fan is pulling air through the radiator.

otherwise the fan is just stirring up the air as you drive down the field, I do not know what percentage of air volume loss you have by not having the fan shroud, but I would suspect you are losing over 50% of the cooling air volume.

these tractors have a small radiator and every thing must work together to keep them cool.
****the blocks will not stand too much overheating****.

check on the cost to overhaul one of these motors, I think you will become highly motivated to fine these parts.

do you know someone who has a tractor like yours, if his has the fan shroud, maybe you could take pictures and dimensions of the shroud, maybe a sheet metal shop could build you one????
a203906.jpg
 

My money is on partially plugged radiator. Flushing with water often won't clear tubes of long time deposits. Radiator shop can disassemble radiator by removing top tank and rod out small tubes, or what a shop calls "boil radiator out" a method I not clear on how it is performed.

Another reason for over heating is build up of corrosion on surfaces of water jacket causing local hot spots that produce bubbles of steam preventing effective heat transfer to coolant. Fix for this is to have head's water jacket cleaned, or clean it your self by removing head, plugging all bit one opening to jacket and acid cleaning it. These localized hot spots stress the casting and probably over time will cause a crack.



Thirdly leaving radiator cap lose lowers boiling point of coolant, which will promote local boiling areas as listed above. This local boiling is reduced when pressure is introduced to cooling system, or rather, boiling point of coolant is raised. So preventing local boiling on surface of water jacket allows for more btu's transferred to coolant, and a clean free flowing radiator will cast off more btu's.

If the upper hose is old and stiff, cutting it off my be the only way to access thermostat which will require a new upper hose. It is important to test thermostat's operation, and easily accomplished by placing in a pan of 160 degree water, and increasing temperature of water while observing opening action. Thermostat should be full open by 195 degrees, and begin to open between 155 and 165 degrees; in other words it throttles coolant flow rate as needed to maintain correct operating temperature.
 
(quoted from post at 08:49:59 10/22/15) One other shroud question. Getting a shroud for a To-30 is apparently not so easy. Will the Ford 8n shroud fit the To-30, or come close enough that it can easily be modified?
Jason, there would be a lot of differences between an 8N and TO-30 shroud - it might be easier to start from scratch. I'd be glad to measure and photograph my TO-20 shroud, if that would help.

Also, to take off that upper hose, it helps if you remove the support rod that runs between the radiator and the engine, and GENTLY tilt the radiator forward. It will be easier if you loosen the radiator mounting bolts - which may be another challenge entirely. Squirt some WD-40 or similar inside the hose at the radiator and gooseneck, to help the hose break loose.

Cutting the hose off will work, too, and that 1 1/2 x 6 inch piece of hose won't set you back much, BUT: you'll still need to lean the radiator forward to get the shiny new hose and thermostat back on.
 
These radiator caps came from the factory tight. There was a reason to keep them tight and partially the reason was to get the engine hot enough to keep the moisture out of the oil. If you have to loosen the cap to keep the temperature down then I can conclude moisture (water) could get in the oil and stay there. I would take the radiator to a good radiator repair shop and have them do a good cleaning and tell them what your temp. gauge is doing. Of course it is your equipment and you can do as you please.
 
ok I have to ask a general question about the fan shroud. I always thought it was a safety item. I have no shroud on two of my 35's and neither one over heats.
 
(quoted from post at 16:37:37 10/22/15) ok I have to ask a general question about the fan shroud. I always thought it was a safety item. I have no shroud on two of my 35's and neither one over heats.

Very interesting. Maybe the radiator is bigger or more efficient in the To-35. If it isn't the shroud causing this on my tractor, that seems to indicate a problem with either the radiator itself, the fan belt, or maybe the thermostat, or a combination.
 
so what your saying is if I put of piece cardboard on the front of a radiator that has no shroud then said cardboard would not stick to said radiator ???
 
maybe you do not have to have a fan shroud on a TO30

my friend has an old TO30 that runs good, but looks like you rolled it off a tall hill about 3 times.

do not know if his tractor has a fan shroud, but it does not have a heat shield over the exhaust manifold, the gas boils in the tank,

I would not like that, but the old tractor runs on with no problems.

so maybe during the late years of TO30 and first years of TO35 they were making changes for long life motors and transmissions.

all I know is that his old TO30 starts and runs great, set outside all the time, in fact you cannot even see a barn from where his tractor sets.

he raises the best garden and truck patch around with that old tractor, he has helped me more than once, find solutions to problems with my old TO35.

I guess you just have to find out what works for your tractor and your situation.
 
I had two of the TO-30 radiator shrouds recently both of them were in very good shape. I am attaching a picture so that you have it to aide in your search for the correct part.
DSC00002_zpsjaqyn0dq.jpg
 
The efficiency of the cooling system is greatly reduced without a fan shroud in place. In agriculture equipment the fan pulls air through the radiator and in construction equipment the air is pushed through the radiator. If the shroud is not in place the fan is not able to move as much air as was intended by the designer of the equipment. This is not to say that the tractor will not run, however with the know weak point of Continental Engines cracking blocks due to extreme heat it would make sense to have a shroud. The cost of shroud is small in comparison to repairing or buying a replacement engine block.
 
(quoted from post at 03:23:07 10/23/15) I had two of the TO-30 radiator shrouds recently both of them were in very good shape. I am attaching a picture so that you have it to aide in your search for the correct part.
DSC00002_zpsjaqyn0dq.jpg

Thanks for the picture. I wish you still had one to sell.
 
The fan shroud is often missing on English made TE20 tractors here in Australia . Our temperatures are obviously high and these tractors do suffer as a consequence .
You then have to ask why they are removed in the first place and there are two simple and very practical reasons .
Firstly some of them can be a real pain when having to replace the fan belt ,though this alone doesn't warrant discarding them . The other far more compelling reason is that the clearance between the tips of the fan blades and shroud body is minimal . With age , a few knocks and bends from use and the odd distortion from fan belt changes, the fan then clatters against the shroud sides . I can testify that this is enough to wake the dead! Really annoying as well , so it is no wonder many have earned a place hanging on a nail in the back shed .
 
you said you have blown out the radiator but i will bet you radiator is still pluged with dirt it takes a lot of air to blow the dirt out or your thermostat is not working i use a pressure washer to blow the radiator out DO NOT HOLD IT TO CLOSE
 
Like someone else said, flushing with water will [b:a1c1dd6f4f][i:a1c1dd6f4f]not[/i:a1c1dd6f4f][/b:a1c1dd6f4f] clear out deposits that have built up in the radiator and the engine.

My suggestion would be to put some radiator flush in there and run it a couple of hours. Then drain it, fill it with water, run it, and drain it again. Do that a couple of times before you put antifreeze back in.

My MF-35 was overheating, and that helped it quite a bit.
 
The fan shroud is important because of the tip losses on an un-shrouded fan. It will hardly pump anything near the tips unless shrouded. That"s why they are OEM.
 

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