The trucker that was going to pick up my '79 or '80 580c yesterday couldn't get it started (due to the 5 deg temps and probably #2 fuel) but also said the battery seems shot and the cables/terminals were in rough shape. Any suggestions on battery? Fleet Farm has "Farm Rated" batteries , and Menards (I can use my Menards card) has Exide batteries. I'll probably just replace the battery cables and terminals if I can get to everything easy enough. Oh, and do any of you guys use the Lucas Fuel treatment with upper cyl lube? I put it in my truck once in a while and figured it might clean out the 580. ?? Any other additives I should put in this machine to clean things out and freshen it up?
I run a little diesel additive now and then...not really necessary if you're putting hours on the machine and maintaining it. I've had real good luck with Autocraft Gold batteries in my heavy trucks. And if you don't have a block heater or circulating pump run a torpedo heater under the engine (with sheetrock, plywood or cardboard on the sides to contain the heat...just don't start a fire) to warm everything up (for easy starting). Fresh clean, un-gelled (and heated) fuel is more important than additives in this cold snap (subzero).
I've had good luck with the farm rated batteries, but it's kind of hard to condemn a battery at 5 degrees, especially if you don't know the condition of the cables, starter, or even the engine really. If you do replace the cables be sure to get ones as good and the same gauge as what came off, especially the positive cable, you can use two ground cables, one going to chassis and one to engine/trans. Adding some biodiesel does a good job of cleaning things up, and adds lubricity at the same time, just DON'T do it NOW, wait until it warms up AND you'll be using it regularly, you don't want to let biodiesel sit and brew on you.
A cheap and easy way to warm the oil is with a 500 watt halogen portable flood lamp. Set it so it shines pretty close to the oil pan, I usually use a milk crate to get it up there. You'd be surprised at the difference it makes.
HD Batteries are usually all reasonably close to same/same, just make sure you get enough cold crank amps to do the work, a 850-1000CCA battery should do fine. Heating the engine oil at 5 degrees is probably a must at this point to get it to flow enough to take the load off the starter.
Agreed on the batteries, except the really good ones will make a difference when you get out past 5 years. The Farm and Fleet 29h or 31s (post or stud) is $85/950cca and they've worked fine for me over the years. Disagreed that the oil is the oil pan is where you want to heat (unless that's the only or easiest option). Block heaters are the way to go, get the top of the cylinder and head warm, the only oil that matters is what's stuck to the bearings and cylinder walls and that will be the same temp as the block.
Thanks a lot for all the input guys. Much appreciated. The trucker was going to go out and try yo get the tractor running tonight so he could deliver it tomorrow as planned, but I called and told him to feel free to wait 2 days until it's 20 degrees warmer, and that I'd be fine waiting. He was really happy that I called! I didn't want the poor guy struggling in this weather (4 deg) then driving 4 hours in sub zero windchill. So I should have the 580 up here friday. Then I'll give it a good look over. It does have a good block heater, just needs winter fuel and a new battery I bet. And maybe new cables or leads. Do you guys ever pour seafoam in the oil and run it a bit to before a drain and fill? I just love my snake oil...lol.
seafoam is best put in fuel,,,in oil it may do some cleaning you don't want,,GL with ur machine
Ok, sounds good. Other than #1 winter fuel, is there anything to do to a tractor like this if it's just going to be used a little here and there during the winter? It'll probably just be running it for short periods of time once a week. For a few months anayway. Any recomendations on oil?
Buy a decent fuel conditioner from a reputable parts house, most are anti-gel formulas and help keep the supply system clean too. Can't remember what I bought last, use so little of it as a few ounces to 50gal. I just don't keep it around but at the farm. My diesel comes from MFA as a winter blend starting in November until March.
Also DO NOT!! Use these type clamps. If you don't have the tools to crimp them on find someone who does and also use some good heat shrink tubing with the glue inside to seal them up.
Oh, thanks. I probably would have. Not enough contact for good current flow? They heat up or cause strain on components?
Don't make a good connection as a crimped or soldered connection, usually splay the strands of the cable allowing even more corrosive effects and/or resistance to develop IN the cable itself, just a bad idea unless you need a few days/week temporary connection but are not a permanent use fix.
Any ideas why the tractor would start spewing coolant out of the radiator cap? At least I think it was coming from there. Cap seems fairly loose also.
How much spewing? for how long? 1) Bad radiator cap not sealing / holding pressure 2) Air lock in cooling system - caused by rapid filling & design of cooling system during service / refill 3) Combustion pressure entering the cooling system from leaking head gasket or cracks in cylinder head; block; or liner. Been following your story - for your sake I hope it's not - but my money is on the head gasket..........
4) overfilled radiator, if there's no overflow tank hooked to the tube that comes off just under the radiator cap, then the coolant should be an inch below the bottom of the filler neck. If it's filled to the top at 70 below and then you work the snot out of it and it gets up close to 100 degrees the coolant will overflow no matter how tight the cap is. You can always hope.
Thanks Delmer and Alrman. I think it's #4. (over filled radiator) I called and asked if the coolant was recently topped off, and it was. I guess it was just sitting idling on the trailer and it started to leak out the cap. I sure hope that's all it is! I can't afford any major repairs on this machine. Not for quite a while anyway. It's going to be delivered tomorrow morning unless anything else goes wrong... I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thank you again for the help and info!
Well the machine was delivered this morning. Unfortunately I have to go to work and can't tinker with it yet. It did leak more coolant from the rad cap when taking it off the trailer. After about 20 minutes I took off the radiator cap and the coolant level is about 4-5" down the tube under the cap. I can't see the radiator fins tho maybe it was just over filled? Also when cold it didn't wanna go forward, just backward.
Is it normal for these to not wana drive in forward while the trans is cold? Reverse was fine but forward, not so much. Also it seems the rear tires are at least 50% full of fluid if not more. Wondering if I should drain them? I see the advantage, but if it's going to be trailered a lot, is it worth the weight?
In the backhoe removal section of the 580C Operators Manual, it states "Warning: When backhoe is removed, always install rear 1400 pound rear counterweight or equivalent rear weighing. Failure to observe this warning could cause the machine to tip." Your filled rear tires are possibly the "equivalent rear weighing" Ive been letting mine run for 10 min or so with the transaxle in neutral and the shuttle in forward to warm the oils up a bit before driving it around. It does go into forward or reverse right away though. The only time it took a little more effort to move forward was when I forgot to raise the loader bucket off the ground (oops) when it wont move forward does the engine rpms flare up like its in neutral? If it sat for a while before you got it, Maybee you need a fluid change and some run time to get the seals used to moving?
Thanks jackleg. I guess I'll leave the fluid in there for now until I can afford to swap it for some newer fluid like that Rimguard. As for the cold machine not going forward, the RPMs went up but that's all that happened. Like I was anchored to a tree. I'm going to change all the fluids before I run it any more. It had been sitting for quite a while. I was crawling around it today pumping grease in the zerks and saw that the diff lock linkage (button by the gas, not brake, which is diff right?) was disconnected so I hooked it back up. Not sure why they would have done that. If feels ok. Moves.... Hope it doesn't grind when I try it under power!