Tank heaters again

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Mar 7, 2021

• #1

Lets see how you have your tank heaters plumbed
in ? Do I need to move mine from the right to the left
side

 

J

jd2cylman

Member

• Mar 7, 2021

• #1

Ours are mounted on the RH side in front of the injection pump, behind the oil cooler. Bottom hose goes around in front of the engine to the port that was the block drain. The other is in a port on the cylinder head. I think. I'm doing this all from memory. I can take a picture Tuesday if you need.

 

S

SHALER

Member

• Mar 7, 2021

• #1

KATS 1500W units are on left side ahead of starter on JD 3010D and JD 3020D. Some of the best money ive ever spent to help tired old diesels start on zero degree mornings. Its not unusual to see JD factory tank heater units mounted on the right side. Dont exactly know why and dont care.

 

D

David from Kansas

Well-known Member

• Mar 7, 2021

• #1

Mine is on the right side.

 

OP

OP

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Mar 7, 2021

• #1

The water doesnt gurgle and circulate like it does on my 3020 .

I want to tee into the line coming off the water pump And then run it up to the head and not tee into the oil cooler .

 

OP

OP

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

Maybe I need to reroute the hose ?

 

wore out

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

There's no reason that shouldn't work, what is going on, does the heater get HOT with no circulation of water, then trip it's internal limit switch? Or?

One problem I've seen is debris from the coolant area in the block plugging the nipple or fitting at the former block drain location.

If you had installed a "T" instead of an elbow there you could have put the block drain back in and also there'd be an access port to make it easy to verify the 1/4" nipple going into the block is not clogged.

I have a similar heater on a gas 4020 (which, of course doesn't have an oil cooler) installed just like yours and it works fine.

My heater is mounted a little lower, with a longer hose above it, though.

 

B

Bill(Wis)

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

We bought those tank heaters back in the day of much simpler tractors. Every one I ever saw was plumbed to take coolant in from the block drain port to the bottom of the tank heater. The top outlet hose of the heater went to the top radiator hose of the tractor. The heaters came with a tee fitting so it was really simple to cut the top radiator hose and clamp the tee fitting in. Worked like a charm.

 

J

Jim.ME

Well-known Member

Location

central ME

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

Assuming the heater is working right, I would get the oil cooler plumbing out of the heater circuit (like you did your 3020). The parts book looks like the 4020 lower cooler port was tubed to the water pump. The upper port went to the head. I would run from the block drain to the lower heater port and the top heater port to a different head port than the one the oil cooler uses.

As for the idea of tee-ing into the top radiator hose, which would be above the thermostat, I see that just warming the radiator; if it even did that. (Yes, it might circulate through the block if there was no thermostat, but how many run with no thermostat.) My thoughts based on my understanding and experience with thermosyphon systems.

Some auto and truck engines use this type tank heater. They pull from the block drain and return heated coolant to the intake manifold port, the upper heater hose is connected to, via the wye fitting (come in the kit), which gets installed into that hose, as it runs up to the block.

 

C

coonie minnie

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

This may sound stupid, but switch the heaters from tractor to tractor and see what happens. I had difficulty with a heater like you have on the 4020, and if memory serves it had some sort of check valve on it???

There should be nothing wrong with your plumbing provided nothing is plugged or pinched.

 

B

Bob Harvey

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

Is the block port lower than the bottom of the heater ? If so, I would reroute the hose to a lower position. HTH

 

OP

OP

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SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

Not the top radiator hose I want to tee into the line
coming from the bottom of water pump like the 3020
but not tee into the oil cooler . I didnt put the one on
the 3020 it was on it when I bought it everyone said
its wrong but it works

 

rustred

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

i would mount it on the left side close to the outlet from block then once heating it can push the coolant to the head. believe i said something to this effect, couple months ago that the outlet hose was too high.

 

OP

OP

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2021

• #1

The hole in the block isnt plugged and its 5/8

 

OP

OP

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2021

• #1

Maybe a longer hose and run it up by the fan shroud

 

OP

OP

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2021

• #1

Do you think the hoses look routed ok?

 

C

coonie minnie

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2021

• #1

I have several tractors routed like that... and like your 3020. None had issues EXCEPT when I put on a heater like the one you had on your 4020. The rest have been plumbed that way since forever... that's the way Deere did them.

 

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IowaJohn

Member

• Mar 9, 2021

• #1

My '65 is like the 3rd photo, plumbed in front of the oil cooler. I'm not sure it makes any difference in front or behind the cooler still goes in the head

 

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coonie minnie

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2021

• #1

SV, I knew I had issues with one like you have on the 4020, and checked just now as to how I fixed it. Seems I replaced it with one like you have on your 3020. For whatever reason, the style you have on your 4020 didn't work for me either in the same application.