Have owned 1990 John Deere 310C for a month now and have noticed that each time I check the machine prior to use for day I am having to add a little less than a gallon of coolant in order to get the level to the top of the filler neck. Then as I operate the machine in the first hour or so I watch the radiator puke out all of the coolant I just added via the overflow tube (no overflow tank). At $10 per gallon of coolant this could become a bit pricey over time. The coolant capacity of the machine as outfitted is 14 quarts (3.5 gallons) and I am having to add at least 3 to 3.5 quarts each time I use it. There is no coolant in the engine oil so I believe the system is purging all of the added out onto the ground. Anyone else had a similar experience? I have replaced radiator cap with NOS JD part (7 PSI). I am going to add a temp gauge and see how she runs being down 3 quarts and if she runs in an acceptable temp range then maybe that is the level that the machine "wants" to be at. Thanks
The radiator doesn't have an overflow tank, so you don't fill it all the way to the top or else... you know what happens. Try this, check the coolant before you start it each time, but don't add any unless you can see the tops of the tubes with no coolant above them. If it keeps dropping below about an inch lower than the bottom of the filler neck, then you have something else going on. If the level stabilizes there then it was just heating up and puking out the way it will if it's overfilled (full).
I appreciate the response and I will try your recommendation. Do you have a suggestion where I might tap into the coolant system to install an aftermarket temp gauge at? I have noticed a small pipe plug on the top of the water pump which would be convenient but I don't know if that would be a good spot? How about running a T fitting into the block where the drainage petcock is located and getting the temp there?
Don't use the water pump, that sucks cold water from the radiator, you want to measure the temp at the top of the engine. The petcock would be better but not the best. Does the engine have a vertical plug on the top on the top of the head in the back left corner? Isn't there a stock temperature gauge on it?
Where does the oem sender install, Many aftermarket gages have an adapter to 1/2 pipe and many oem senders use that thread also. I don't know JD but I think you would be better served if you put the sender into the top of the engine near the front, can you locate any plugs near the thermostat housing? Putting the sender low at a block drain would not give an accurate reading in my opinion. There are JD people here who will give accurate locations for sender install.
vertical plug on the top on the top of the head in the back left corner, that's where it is in a 276 in the 410 etc, I think the 310 is a 239, so maybe it's similar.
OK, the manual shows a plug in the back left corner. After a quick peek in the snow, the sender on mine is on the thermostat housing as Melben said. It does have the back left plug, which feels just like a head bolt but from the side you can see it obviously doesn't go through. Couldn't see from the top. I'd guess either one will work fine, just don't use the petcock at the bottom of the engine.
OK, finally figured it out I think. The C's have idiot lights but no gauge, right? Then hopefully you have a plug you can use at the other location, Tstat or back of head. To be clear, I don't have a 310C or manual for one.
You are right, the 310C has idiot lights with the exception of the fuel gauge and hours meter. I plan on buying this http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-g2973-v/overview/ and installing on ROPS underneath the canopy to keep water out. I figured that I can just replace the factory sending units/switches and replace them with the sending units for the coolant temp and oil pressure gauges. Shouldn't be a big deal at all. I'll post some pics when it is done. I'll take a peek tonight when I get home and see if I can locate the factory coolant temp sending unit's location.
If your "logic box" and alarm still work then you could use a tee at the oil pressure sender, and use an alternate location for the temperature sender, then you still have the alarm if something happens fast (oil pressure drops or fan belt breaks etc) I tee'd into the oil with a 1/8" NPT nipple and tee, and just use a non contact thermometer to check if I'm ever concerned it's running hot (on the block if I'm real worried or the heater core if I'm feeling lazy, thinking I should silicone a cooking thermometer to the heater core and see how well it matches the block temp)
Head gasket, there are tester's for that, they snap over your rad cap.
Remove the rad cap and check for bubbles when the engine is running.That and white smoke coming from the exhaust would indicate a head gasket. Also check the water pump tell tale hole(on the bottom under the pulley)or just grab the fan and wiggle .Any lateral movement means the bearing is bad and needs a rebuild. Are there any puddles on the ground where you park it ?
Can't believe no one has suggested a new cap. Maybe the cap is no longer able to hold pressure. You can test the cap (and cooling system) to make sure. My experience with head gaskets or cracked heads is it will continue to push coolant until there's none left. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003V...SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=41DxAzRrkZL&ref=plSrch
You are correct. Installed oil pressure, water temp and voltage gauges yesterday. Brief video below showing what radiator filler neck looks like at cold start up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCo8ZAn8yFw&feature=youtu.be I understand that the video would support the theory that the head gasket is compromised which is allowing compression into the coolant passages which is pushing out the coolant. Is there any other cause that anyone can think of that would cause this, because once the initial 3/4 gallon of coolant is done purging the rest of the coolant stays in the cooling system and the machine runs at cool temperatures and doesn't lose any more coolant?
That video sure looks like a leaking head gasket to me, or even worse a cracked head. But did you fill the radiator all the way to the top before starting the video? Don't do that, keep the level 1" BELOW the BOTTOM of the filler neck, that's the precisely engineered way to fill an old fashioned radiator. There are ways to tell for sure if the combustion gas is leaking into the cooling system, but if the overflow tube continues to leak gas with the coolant at the correct level, then you might as well pull it apart or live with it. Keep a CLOSE eye on the dipstick and oil, if any coolant goes into the oil bad things happen. Watch for any condensation, milky or muddy oil on the top of the dipstick. And get an SOS oil test done to see if there's already glycol in the oil.
The oil test sounds like the ticket. The coolant video was after I filled the radiator completely up to the top of the filler neck. I am mechanically inclined and have done several head/cam/intake swaps on my 5.0 mustangs. Is the head gasket something I can do myself? Which repair manual do I need to buy?
Napa sells testers that "sniff' for combustion in the rad. The kit is around 50 bucks, I believe.
JonnyRed, Your trying too hard to find something wrong. The air bubbles in the video are from air trapped between the filler spout edge and the top of the radiator each time the coolant drops below the spout. If it levels off to 1" below the spout edge and stays there, your engine is good. Just enjoy your Deere.
Ran the backhoe for about 5 hours today. Dug out two huge stumps and worked on clearing a fence row on property perimeter. Hottest the gauge saw was 220* after running the hoe at WOT for 15 minutes or so. I noticed that if I idle it down it'll start cooling off right away. What is the highest "safe" temps that I should operate the machine at? I took a shot of the gauges when I idled it down after getting to 220*. [URL=http://s1004.photobucket.com/user/Nevz97Bird/media/IMG_0514_zpsotcrrhe8.jpg.html] [/URL]
The bigger question is what was the level in the radiator after it cooled down? If it's 1" down like it should be, then you have other cooling system problems, it shouldn't get that hot in cool temps unless you're driving uphill. Assuming the thermostat is 180 or 190 (what it cools down to if it idles long enough, and the hottest it gets if it idles from cold), then 220 is pushing your luck a little bit at this point. If you were working in hot temps and knew it didn't use any antifreeze then it would be fine to run it hot. When it's hot take the rubber tube attached to the overflow and run it into a jar of water, if it keeps bubbling as it cools down then you have a problem. There might even be a spec for how many bubbles are OK.
Maybe check if there is a thermostat in it.