How hot should my Kubota L245DT run?

[LT1Pat]

I was working it hard today moving dirt with a box blade that's probably a bit too big (6') and it worked its way all the way up to 210*F after an hour or so. Is this too hot for these tractors? Maybe the radiator needs replacing? It has fresh coolant from the motor rebuild and the waterpump felt good when I had it apart.

The ambient temperature outside is 59*F.

 

[MagKarl]

Hard to say, no guages on mine. Someday I'll add a set. When I work mine hard I'll start to get a bit of coolant drip from the overflow line. Mine's got a whistle on the end of it and a decal that says refill the coolant when the whistle starts to blow like a tea kettle. Pretty well built machine if it can handle blowing all the coolant out.

 

[LT1Pat]

These tractors have a .9bar cap (13psi or so) so that would mean that your tractor heated up to 263*F to boil the water, does that seem right?

I can't find much online since all these gauges don't have actual numbers. I think 190-230 might be an acceptable range for operating but I'm not sure.

Hard to say, no guages on mine. Someday I'll add a set. When I work mine hard I'll start to get a bit of coolant drip from the overflow line. Mine's got a whistle on the end of it and a decal that says refill the coolant when the whistle starts to blow like a tea kettle. Pretty well built machine if it can handle blowing all the coolant out.

 

[bruceatlam]

I can tell you that I run at 190 pretty much all the time assuming that the radiator and screen are clean. I shut it off and clean if I see the temp getting above 210.

 

[fj40dave]

Agreed......190-210 range seems good.....these diesels do well closer to boiling than to the <180 range.....more efficient burning of the fuel.

 

[peacemakerpete]

Agreed......190-210 range seems good.....these diesels do well closer to boiling than to the <180 range.....more efficient burning of the fuel.

For your information, when I removed my thermostat to check it, it was

marked with a Celsius equivalent of 200degrees Fahrenheit.

Guess it needs the higher temps (Higher than a gasoline car of 165 or 180)

to burn that diesel fuel.

That is for an old 1993 L 2350 4 Wheel Drive



Peeacemakerpete

 

[kuboman]

For your information, when I removed my thermostat to check it, it was

marked with a Celsius equivalent of 200degrees Fahrenheit.

Guess it needs the higher temps (Higher than a gasoline car of 165 or 180)

to burn that diesel fuel.

That is for an old 1993 L 2350 4 Wheel Drive



Peeacemakerpete

I doubt this tractor was born with that hot a thermostat! 180* is standard for and older diesel some even less than that. 210* I would consider too hot.

 

[LT1Pat]

Even though the radiator looked clean I decided to blow it out anyways and a ton of dust came out. I guess even though it looks clean there can still be a lot of pollen and dust stuck in there. It's winter now and the temps really don't get hot at all especially with the radiator cleaned out. I'll know in the summer if there's a problem.