Hi, i have a 2004 JCB TLB 4x4 with perkins engine. I am having a problem with the machine with overheating. The overheating only takes places when you go up hills. You can work the whole day trenching ( for 8 hours), but when i drive it back to the yard up a hill, it starts overheating ( heat gauage starts moving slowly up above the half way point to three quater level. if i remove one of the side panels by the engine compartment, engine starts cooloing instantly and i can continue to drive up the hill. I have replaced the radiator, themorstat, waterpump, coolant, the fan is working fine. I have redone the headgasket as well. Overheating only takes place on hills. Regards
does the coolant boil when climbing the hills?.............I think this problem you are worrying about is perfectly normal. only if it boils do you have a problem
Thanks for advise. While the machine is operating at normal temperature I can open coolant bottle and it does not boil. How do I check to see if it is boiling. Can I open the coolant (expansion) bottle slowly on the hill while engine is running or will I be able to see the coolant boiling through the expansion bottle. Are there other ways to check? Thx
If it is just getting hot and not overheating, you don't have a problem.
Check your cooler pack for dirt and debris in the fins. Look between the coolers for a packed mess of leaves, grass, etc that gets in there. Look for a greasy dirt film covering the area in front of the fan. Does the cooling fan push air forward or backward? If the fan pushes air forward through the grill, you are fighting the incoming air you get while roading the machine. This is a normal condition to have more heat generated this way. Still check your airflow through the coolers. Also check your air filters and turbo lines. Any restriction or loss of incoming air will cause your engine to run rich. With a diesel this amounts to black smoke and extra heat generated. Check the pressurized turbo air lines for leaks. Bleeding off boost will generate smoke and cause power issues.
I don't know if this could be related, but had an old diesel truck that would overheat going up hill, it would "lug" and overheat, I would have to gear down and bring the revs up to compensate for this.
How steep of a grade and how long. I agree with gearing down, if your roading in 4th drop to 3rd. One thing that won't hurt is a good power washing radiator , coolers and engine. I know that the torque holds the engine at load rpms when driving up a long hill and the engine would build a lot of heat. I have a steep hill down from me and have to drop to a lower gear or my machine slows considerably.
I really do not think there is a problem.If the temp guage stays away from the red and no steam, no problem
It may be worth checking your trans temp light is working, there may be a possibility your trans is getting hot and excessively heating your coolant. Check to see style of cooler, from memory trans cooler is located in front of radiator. Trans would have to be getting very hot for this to happen I imagine