farmall H overheat after rebuild?

Anonymous-0 · Apr 29, 2014

mmmkay....my H heat temp gauge pegs at "hot".

I purchased it used, but running in Oct 13. I pulled ALL the hardware, and replaced everything, including installing a 180 thermostat (which was missing) and a new waterpump. Carb rebuild, new radiator, hoses, air handling, wires, plugs, battery, etc., and flushed the system and a lot of grit came out, but it flushed o.k.

Added new antifreeze, pushed the starter and she fired up same as the day I bought it.

but..run in for 10 minutes, and the gauge pegs far right, way past "hot", and it boils a lot of antifreeze out of the overflow hose at the top of the radiator. When I pulled the temp sensor, the head has my new antifreeze...????

So....I'm thinking that the water pump isn't functioning correctly, unless someone here tells me I should go look elsewhere?

Not sure where to start. I'm thinking that since the head has antifreeze, but the radiator fluid level is well below the cap (so..lower than the head), it must be plugged somewhere?

Anyone else encounter this? The radiator / waterpump install was pretty simple, but maybe I'm missing something?

Can anyone help?

da.bees · Apr 29, 2014

It's simple and inexpensive to check coolant for combustion gases entering coolant. NAPA and other good parts houses have a chemical kit to drop into coolant.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 29, 2014

Did you buy a thermostat specific to the tractor? Could it be in backwards or just faulty from new?

redforlife · Apr 30, 2014

I have a question. Did the tractor overheat before you started working on it?? If it did not overheat before, than it is overheating because of something you did to it. Probly something not right with the thermostat (most likely) or the water pump. If it did overheat bofore, then what you have done so far hasn't fixed it. Timeing being off can cause an overheating problem, but would more likely take alot longer than 10 minutes to overheat if that was the case. Investigate, maybe post some feed back.

TractormanNC · Apr 30, 2014

Did you put on the "water pump driver" that goes in front of the fan? Wouldn't be the first time it was left off.

John M · Apr 30, 2014

Um, theres suppose to be coolant there, that's what the temp sensor uses to detect the temp. Id have to agree with Tractorman, did you put the shaft driver back on? Regardless, 10 minutes of running and its hot enough to boil over, you got another problem.

El Toro · Apr 30, 2014

When the engine gets hot touch the bottom hose lightly to see if it's hot. If it's just warm you're not getting coolant circulation. Make sure you have the thermostat installed correctly.
I would remove the thermostat to eliminate it. If it still overheats that leaves the water pump.
Hal

David G · Apr 30, 2014

I would agree with the others, if it did not overheat before something changed, probably water pump driver missing, if it overheated before there is something else major wrong.

The Farmall's run really cool.

Oregon Tractor Jack · Apr 30, 2014

There is one other thing to check. On the Farmall H motor there is a stamped metal cover plate located under the manifold. This cover is supposed to have a sheet metal "coolant water channel" spot welded on it. This channel causes the water from the water pump to be forced to the back of the engine and cool the rear cylinders. With out it, the water just flows around the front cylinder an out of the engine. Every one I have pulled off no longer had the water channel, it had long rusted off. I have replaced this cover on all of my H/M's. I would spend the extra money and get this from the Case/IH dealer. Some of the covers sold else where are really cheap and are hard to seal up when you in stall them.

Good Luck

Steve Mesia · Apr 30, 2014

o.k...this I did not know. I transferred the fan drive mechanism (two posts with cam bolt) from my old water pump to the new one, and verified that the internal water pump fins were spinning when I spun the fan, so I know this is right.

I, too, felt like the water just isn"t circulating around the head, because when it"s indicating "overheat", the block is relatively cool to the touch.

Can you please give me a bit more info as to WHERE this particular plate is? Are you talking about a head gasket, or on the side of the block, under the head itself? What do you mean by "under the manifold"...?

Steve Mesia · Apr 30, 2014

Yeah, this is easy, and I think I'll start there. It was NOT overheating when I bought it, but it was also missing the thermostat, and wouldn't reach the "run" indicator on the heat dial, even after an hour of operation.

This tells me that it's probably the thermostat I installed.

JRSutton · Apr 30, 2014

Some good answers but this got me thinking.

I've never converted a tractor from 6v to 12v.

Would doing so peg the temp gauge, as it's now working at twice the voltage?

I would assume so.

So - not saying this is your problem, but you said you replaced a bunch of stuff - wondering if one item was the gauge, and maybe you're at 12v with a 6v gauge and the temp isn't really "pegged".

Again - more of a question for anybody who's done a 12v conversion.

Steve Mesia · Apr 30, 2014

Good questions, but not my issue...I kept the original 6V system. This is all happening AFTER I replaced components, none of which was a voltage conversion.

My plan: Pull the thermostat, and see if it runs cool again...that'll tell me if it was faulty or not.

After that, I'll probably pull drain the radiator and see if any stays in the head...that'll tell me if I have a plug somewhere (unlikely, but...).

I'll update this probably later this weekend.

Thanks to all for the help so far. Hopefully, I won't need more.

Rollie NE PA · Apr 30, 2014

I agree with stick welding, thermostat in backwards.

Voltage does not have anything to do with the gauge. They are mechanical.

rustred · Apr 30, 2014

you are causing engine damage if its just rebuilt. pistons will be getting scored if it getting that hot. once your piston expansion is used up the skirts will rub cyl. walls and make there own grooves. once that happens its overhaul time again. it does not heal itself. better check your thermostat! is my bet,and make sure water pump is turning.

Steve Mesia · May 1, 2014

Not my first overahaul RustRed....I shut'r down the very moment I saw this happening. In any case, I didn't rebuild the mechanical, just pulled and replaced accessories that were showing all 68 years, plus replaced some of the old leather lip seals with new.

Water pump is turning...verified that before I put it in.

Didn't think it was possible to install the thermostat backwards, but I'll check.

Appreciate everyone's comments...thanks for the input.

NNP · May 1, 2014

another vote for a backwards thermostat or one stuck closed right out of the new box.

If you do the test with no thermostat at all, look in there right after you start it. with no thermostat, circulation from the pump will be obvious, and with a new pump...violent

I have old tractors with the water pump impellers worn away to almost nothing. Coolant barely moving even with no thermostat.
But with the 'thermosiphon effect', pump or no pump, they still don't overheat when just putt'in around.

farmall H overheat after rebuild?

Anonymous-0

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da.bees

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redforlife

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