CIH 1660 - headed out to the field today!

Made it two miles, only 18 left to go. Drove in low range the first mile because the gravel road is narrow and hilly and going fast really not the wisest. Got to the main road and crossed it. Here is where I can put it in a higher range and I did so...but it didn't go any faster. In fact, it went the same slow speed no matter what range it was in. Having driven it 60 miles one fine Spring day I knew it could go faster. Not happy with this so my first hay field was a short ways up and I pulled in there. Seems to shift hard. Finally got it to go into mid range and it took off across the field pretty darn fast. Confused, I turned around and noticed what looked like smoke so I shut her down and headed for the rear. Has a new quarter inch crack in the top of the radiator. A regular geyser of steam pouring out of that crack. Radiator overflow is boiling like mad and the lid came off it. We had just topped off all the fluids, including the radiator. None of this seems related. I am scratching my head. At least it is in a safe spot, couple hundred feet off the road on the mowed field. I just keep telling myself, once you get past all the bugs things will smooth out some. Hard to fight new/old equipment and horrible weather in the same year.

Just curious... were the brakes locked on? I did some wheat one year and I smelled the brakes burning. was so excited to go, I forgot to take the parking brake off.



Other thing to consider. I don't know your temperature, but here in PA, we got some good ice on the ground. Do you think you have water in the oil of the transmission? Would be ice which might cause some strange things. Is this a hydrostat? I'm not familiar with the rotary red combines.

Crack in the radiator? Sounds like murphy's law at that point!

Crazy luck... or lack there-of

Sometimes these IH combines appear to be in one range and actually be in another. To be sure it is shifting you need to rock the combine slightly with the inching clutch to insure that it is shifting.

yes, we had to do some lubricating on some linkage to get that to work. In some cases where it looked to be in neutral it was still stuck in range. It is working better now...or it will be when we get the rest of it back together.

Spent a lot of time this afternoon pulling that rad out of the combine. It has leaks in a couple different spots and we will be having it boiled out while it is in being repaired. That was a hell of a thing to have to do instead of driving out to the corn field. Never did move it off the hayfield...it is still down there. Lucky thing I was going by one of my fields when I had trouble. We just took it apart there and will reassemble it the same way. Should be easier to get it back in than it was to get it out.

Yea, the weather and field and crop conditions are really making it tough for you! Trial by steam!

Last year was my first for the Gleaner M3, narrower rows, etc. corn all blew down, so I got to spend the first year with it not really seeng the corn snouts ever..... That was a little nerve wracking.

But you got it tough there with the conditions you get to experience this year!

Paul

Dave,

You certainly have been having some bad luck with your combine and the corn this year. Hopefully things will get better and you will get your corn off. Al

Thanks much! Not so bad. Weather is something that comes and goes. Old farm machinery is something that has to be worked a few times to get the bugs out. Once you have done it the problems subside and you can rely on it more. Just hoping they can fix this nice all copper radiator. Hate to drop a bundle on a new aluminum/plastic POS!

I figure if I make it thru this year and still plant the balance of my place in corn next year, then maybe, somewhere, a higher power will decide to give me a break. Sure enjoyed watching it grow this summer! Planting was a trial. Harvest? Well? 18 miles is the closest I have come to shelling any corn so far...LOL!

Paying some guy $25 per acre to harvest it should look like a bargain now???? LOL

I have had this type of trouble the first year with a lot of equipment. Some of it was brand new also. That is where it gets real frustrating.

Dave, if its going to take a new radiator, check with Shoup. I've gotten a couple tractor rads from them and were copper believe it or not! Last one saved a couple hundred over what local shop wanted to recore the old one. Needed a little fitting of the fan shroud for hose outlets but for the price difference was a small thing.

By the way went to check the corn fields I've got left to shell (had 1.5" rain Friday/Saturday) can't even walk across them, so wet. Took a couple ears for moisture tests anyway and was low 20's%. Never had corn standing this late before, 9 acres left out of about 30.

Regarding brakes on the 1660 CIH, I soon found out that they will stick and drag but you won't notice it at low speeds. Wait til you are on the road at higher speed and you will eventually notice the cloud of smoke coming off the brake drums and possible fire if there is chaff and dust. I did this twice before figuring it out. You have to manually pry the brake open right at the actuating cylinder to release it. Now I never use the brakes. Have not stepped on those pedals in years. I get by fine that way.

I drove it 60 miles across state on a warm summer day. Seller knew it had no brakes and that they were not stuck. I am pretty comfortable that is not an issue. I am the only one to drive it and I never step on the brakes for fear one might actually catch and I will end up on a spinning combine. I'm also very familiar with the smell of smoking brakes. Good thought, but got that one covered!

Yeah, I know. Been spoiled the last few years. I have all this old hay equipment and I have long since weeded out all the troublemakers and problem issues. Knock on wood, that stuff all runs thru the field like clockwork. Even if it does break I know exactly where to look. Gonna take some time, but I will get this new stuff under control in a year or two. Until then....one trial after another.

I'll check with Shoup if I have to go new. Got a fella here locally that repairs rads out of his barn. Even the dealership knows about him. Supposed to do good work. I'm hoping he does. It's not as old as some of the rads on my collector tractors and those are still going strong.

You are lucky to have that low moisture! The lowest I have heard of around here is 30% and that is way up in the center part of the state from a guy who sells me equipment from time to time. I wish you good luck with your last few acres. I am very grateful that I only planted one small field. Learned a lot.

Dave I don't like your comment about all the steam and blowing the top off the overflow.It has me kind of worried.If it is an older IH powered machine that has the original engine it kind of sounds like cavitation erosion which is holes in the sleeves pressurising your cooling system and finding the path of least resistance.

Gloomy thought! I think we know pretty quick. I got someone with experience coming to help me reinstall the rad and we will run it good and check to see if it gets hot or pressures up. Honestly, though, the last time I used it was in the height of summer and I drove it a full 60 miles at full throttle up and down hills. I have a hard time believing it went from 100% fine to ??? More likely it sat all summer and dripped coolant till it was low in the rad but not the reservoir and I didn't catch it. The fella coming out is an IH service guy who specializes in combines. He was here and we took the rad out. I am having him come back and we are going to put it back. I can't lift the darn thing up there alone.

there was a woman that repaired radiators in the county seat when my dad was a kid. her shop is still there, just a tin sheeted building with hand painted RADIATORS on the side. dad said she swore more than most men and had one cheek constantly filled with red man but could fix radiators better than anyone around

(quoted from post at 16:09:43 12/10/14) there was a woman that repaired radiators in the county seat when my dad was a kid. her shop is still there, just a tin sheeted building with hand painted RADIATORS on the side. dad said she swore more than most men and had one cheek constantly filled with red man but could fix radiators better than anyone around

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Sounds like a gal I dated once. I don't drink anymore!