Hi all,my first post since I finally hit a problem I can't figure out on my own. I've got a Kubota M7-172 with around 900 hours on it, and for the past week or so the temp gauge has been creeping up higher than normal whenever I'm running it hard, especially pulling my grain drill for more than an hour or two straight. it doesn't redline exactly, but it's noticeably closer to the top than it used to be and there's a faint smell like hot coolant after I shut it down. I already checked the radiator fins and they look clean, no obvious debris or chaff buildup, and the coolant reservoir is topped off with no signs of a leak underneath. I did notice the belt looks a little glazed/shiny when I inspected it... I've got a full week of tillage work lined up and don't want to push my luck, so has anyone run into this,, could it be a slipping belt, water pump starting to go, or something else worth ruling out before I call the dealer?
kubota acting up
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May not be the answer but easiest and cheapest to eliminate. Just because the radiator fins look clean doesn’t mean there isn’t dirt build up in them. Give them a good rinsing out (back to front) with water. I spray simply green on mine and let it set for 10 minutes or so and then rinse.
If you own, or have access to, an infrared thermometer check the engine block temp, upper radiator hose, and lower radiator hose. The temp differences may tell you if the radiator is blocked or if the pump may failing.
Russell King
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L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
One other easy to check thing is to verify that the actual radiator is full when the engine is cold.
The radiator may not be sucking coolant back in from the bottle???
The radiator may not be sucking coolant back in from the bottle???
Not to be a "catastrophist" (had to look that term up!), but you could be seeing signs of a leaking head gasket. Most important clue (to me) is the temperature rise during hard work.
I've suffered THREE catastrophic head gasket failures in modified Cummins engines in the last 10 years or so. The last happened to a fairly fresh motor, after a long steep climb at full throttle. What seemed to be happening is that the (ARP) head bolts were stretching, allowing the head to warp. It's all over at that point - runaway overheating. Modern metallurgy just ain't what it used to be. I've been on my current motor now for several years. We retorqued the head bolts TWICE after a few heat cycles shortly after it was built, and that seems to have been a lasting remedy...
-Paul
It's a long shot, but what do you see in the radiator neck when you run the motor with the radiator cap off? Hopefully, no foam or bubbles.
I've suffered THREE catastrophic head gasket failures in modified Cummins engines in the last 10 years or so. The last happened to a fairly fresh motor, after a long steep climb at full throttle. What seemed to be happening is that the (ARP) head bolts were stretching, allowing the head to warp. It's all over at that point - runaway overheating. Modern metallurgy just ain't what it used to be. I've been on my current motor now for several years. We retorqued the head bolts TWICE after a few heat cycles shortly after it was built, and that seems to have been a lasting remedy...
-Paul
It's a long shot, but what do you see in the radiator neck when you run the motor with the radiator cap off? Hopefully, no foam or bubbles.