John Deere 50 running very cool

Guy

Secondly, my 50 just putting around for 30 min
may not bring it up to 150 even in 90 degree weather. However, I do a lot of moderate to heavy bush hogging with mine and after about 30 - 45
of work at 3/4 throttle it hovers around 190-200
and stays there.

Remember, these tractors hold a lot of water (7 gal.?) and they were made to be started up and worked for hours on end.

I've got a '54 60 without shutters, when I first starting working it, my reaction was the same as yours.

Assuming you've checked out the shutter deal per G-Man's post and the thermostat is working OK; the idea of duct taping some heavy paper or card board or even trash bag plastic in front of the grille is a cheap and dirty fix.

Also, a few thoughts. My 60 has dramatically more coolant in its system than any 300 cu. in. car I know of. I think they weren't designed to run really hot -- more than 190 or so. A rich mixture can cool an engine. If you're seeing a fair amount of black smoke, you might try to lean it out a bit. Good motor oil does a better job of lubing and therefore the engine makes less friction and heat. I've seen a motor oil change drop the temp around 10 degrees on my 60. Same day, same ambient temperature.

best of luck

Steve

I have a 1953 50 also and it does not have a thermostat in the coolant pipe but instead a large 'stat mounted in the front of the lower rad tank that opens the radiator shutters.

If you don't have the thermostat (or it's no good, I don't think they are available any more), and no shutters, I would strongly recommend that you convert to a later design with the thermostat in the cooling pipes. Engine wear accelerates dramatically at operating temps below 160 degrees...

I can hit 180 with mine when bushhogging in heavy grass but have never worked it really hard to see how high it might go.