MF 165 cooling question

If you've got a diesel and it's not working much then it'll tend to run cool. Diesels running at low load tend to cool themselves because the air fuel ratio gets very lean. All that extra air is sort of like a fan running inside the engine. You can put your hand (carefully!) on the exhaust manifold of a diesel that's been idling for a while, for example. Such is not the case with a gas engine.

If your thermostat was open or if your engine was really loafing it would definitely run cool.

That's a peach of a tractor...you should spring for the operators' manual.

"The temp gauge didn�t work so I replaced it with one from an auto store � it barely comes off the 130-degree mark if it even moves at all"

Did you replace everything ? (Gauge and Sender and sending "cable" ?) If not, you may have a mismatched system... or ???

Either way, I'd pull it out and test it using the kitchen stove, a cooking thermometer and a pan of water. That way you'll have some confidence that what you're seeing on the dashboard is real.

If you haven't run them before, most diesels run VERY cool and effecient compared to a gasoline engine. You have to work 'em pretty good to get them hot. If the radiator has some hot water in it, I'd say you're getting flow from the engine ok. ...your engine may not even be breaking a sweat.

The manuals on this site are reproductions of the original 'factory' set. They've got all the detail you will ever need. I think the 'owners' manual is relatively inexpensive. If you have the $$$ at all, start there, then the service and the parts manuals in that order.

hope this helps. I've got a 165 that was purchased new on the ranch in 1964 and is still 'the man' here.

bb