Temperature gauge reading low?

Okay, I got in a used temperature gauge that was in really good shape and swapped it out last night. Like an idiot I didn't test it before I put it in. I started the tractor up and ran it for about 15 minutes and it didn't even get up into the "cold" range. Outside temperature was about 60 degrees. I turned it off and fluid boiled up out of the radiator cap. :-/

Well, coolant has been coming out of the radiator cap off and on and that is why I wanted to get a working temperature gauge installed. I kept feeling the engine block and it was warm to the touch, but I could hold my hand on it and it actually felt good, I could have kept my hand on it all day long. I took the cap off the radiator and carefully stuck my finger in the coolant. It was fairly hot but I doubt it was over 120 degrees, about the temperature of what you would drink coffee at.

So I took the gauge out and put the old one back in. I heated up some water in the microwave and put the new gauge sensor in it. It went up to the very bottom of the run gauge. The boiling point of water at my elevation is 205 degrees. I'm sure that it cooled down some by the time I got back out to the tractor (I left the gauge in the bracket) so I'm guessing it was between 190 and 200 degrees. Does that sound right for the gauge to read at the bottom of the "run" level?

Lastly I bought some blank gaskets and cut one to fit the radiator cap. I'm hoping this will solve the coolant spilling out when I shut the tractor off. Should I replace the entire cap or will using the 1/32" gasket solve my problem?

Thanks for reading my long winded posts and any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Nathan

I think you creating problems for yourself that aren't really there.

These old tractors have a huge cooling capacity built in. Therefore, your running the tractor for 15 minutes and it just gets 'warm' is totally normal.

Heck, an engine isn't even considered "hot" til it is up around 250 degrees, so your gauge readings sound okay to me.

Likewise, you can't fill that radiator to the brim, it will just overflow right back out. Keep the level down about 1 1/2" above the core, which is way down from the cap.

I really don't think you have a problem at all.

Allan

As far as the coolant level the manual says it should be 2 1/2" inches from the top of the cap. Mine was at the right level until I changed the temperature gauge out and now it is probably 3" from the top of the cap.

I thought that you needed a gasket since these are pressure type cooling systems? I'm not worried about the tractor overheating but it does make a mess when the coolant overflows everytime you shut the tractor off and sometimes while it is running for a couple hours straight. Right now antifreeze is not cheap.

That's why I'm wondering about replacing the cap. Hopefully the gasket will solve the overflowing problem.

Thanks, Nathan

There's no way that little motor can keep all that fluid hot unless it is really workin' hard.

Back in those days, they built 'em tough; almost to the point of overkill.

Allan

The engine will heat up if the thermostat is working, but will run cold forever if not. It should run at the proper temperature, cold isn't good.