Tractor thermostat

[Anonymous]

Mines shot. How vital is it to have a thermostat in place on a diesel tractor in a warm climate ?

 

[snake67]

Mines shot. How vital is it to have a thermostat in place on a diesel tractor in a warm climate ?

They are cheap and fairly easy to replace - why would you pull it out and not put another in?

Bez

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I would replace it if it was mine.

 

[Anonymous]

I pulled it to verify it was useless. It is. Best price I can find on a replacement is 54 plus shipping. For a darn t stat!

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Check some parts stores that sell parts for big trucks.

 

[Anonymous]

Ill try that. Thanks

 

[skyhightree1]

Brother hook i asked my mechanic he said would you rather spend 100 or a few grand so guessing you need to replace it. Ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure is what he said.

 

[B&M Farms]

The faster you get an engine to operating temperature the longer it will last. Even in a hot climate. I would not run long without one.

 

[dun]

Neighber had issues with the one in his big tractor so he took it out. Not much of a problem in the summer but in the winter he has to keep all of grills closed off with bags so the tractor will heat up enough to run decent.

 

[wbvs58]

They need to run at an optimum temp and the thermostat is what keeps them there. Not too hot and not too cold even in a hot climate under most operating conditions the thermostat will be partially closed to keep temp right. I would never run without one but if you have to, pull the diaphragm part out of it and put it back in so that it mimmicks full open position but you have the restriction to full flow from the body of the thermostat.
Ken

 

[John SD]

Agree you need a T-stat. An engine that doesn't get up to operating temp in a timely fashion and stay there contaminates the oil pretty fast with fuel dilution along with poor fuel economy.

Better for a T-stat to stick open rather than closed. On a non-pressurized system I always used Dad's old trick and drilled a hole in a new thermostat at installation with the smallest drill bit I had (1/16" or 1/8") as a bypass not there from the factory.

If the thermostat would suddenly stick shut, there would be some pressure relief to possibly avoid a blown head gasket, or worse.

 

[Anonymous]

It stuck shut but there was a small hole for bypass. I took the guts out and out it back in for now. Until I find a replacement.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Don't know why but a T-stat that is stuck OPEN will make an engine overheat in the summer time as well as not letting one heat up properly in the cold
I have had this happen on a couple of tractors as recently as last yr

 

[greybeard]

Don't know why but a T-stat that is stuck OPEN will make an engine overheat in the summer time as well as not letting one heat up properly in the cold
I have had this happen on a couple of tractors as recently as last yr

It's because the flow of coolant is greater with a T-stat stuck in the fully open position. On an older machine, you probably won't notice because most old radiators are partially plugged, but on a new machine or one with the entire cooling system in very good condition, the t-stat works more as a regulator or throttle valve--not just full open or full closed, and you will see an undesirable coolant temperature, usually on the higher end of the gauge.
Full open, with a good clean radiator and a good high volume water pump, the coolant simply passes thru the radiator too quickly for an efficient liquid to air heat exchange to take place.

The oil contamination mentioned in another reply is in reference to acids that are formed at low oil temperatures for extended periods of operation--especially true in diesels but also in gasoline engines. Major culprit is sulfuric acid --all fuels contain some sulfur--even low sulfur diesel. The acid is in a vapor form and condenses on any cooler surface. BAD for bearings and soft metallic bushings and is the leading contributor of premature cam bearing failure.
The other down side to low coolant temps is that modern "anti-freeze" isn't just antifreeze--it's a mixture of different things to keep the coolant system clean and also provides "some" lubricating quality to the coolant. They are chemically designed to work best within a certain engine temp operating range. Go way above or run way below that range and they don't work as well, and will break down sooner.
:tiphat:

 

[Black and Good]

I've Seen engines that will run hotter when you take it out cause the water flows to fast to get cooled down. I had a Ford truck with a in-line six cylinder that was like that. Get a new one and put it in . JMHO. B&G

 

[dieselbeef]

just paint it bro...u know what i mean

 

[loyal.uvf]

Change it.. Christmas Eve our 80x30 shed with 3 tractors, spreader, snowblower etc burned down. Don`t know what caused it. Keep everything in check..