Fixing the Cooling SystemI'd had the tractor for years before I realized that it was abnormal for the temperature gage to stay at the "stone-cold" level unless I was working it very hard. Obviously, the thermostat was stuck open, and had been when I bought the tractor. Replacing it was a bit of an adventure. The thermostat itself is an ordinary Ford thermostat, and while Napa didn't have a gasket for my tractor, the guy at the store gave me some gasket material gratis, and I cut a new one, using the thermostat housing as a pattern. The problem was that the housing, gasket, and thermostat refused to stay aligned while put the assembly back into the engine. In the end, I glued it all together with silicone sealant, waited for it to try, and had no difficulty putting the now-monolithic unit back on the tractor. I also replaced the radiator cap on spec. this turned out to be a mistake. As often happens with older machinery, one problem masks another, and a working radiator cap meant that the cooling system could build up pressure, and this in turn cause water to leak out of the weak seals on the water pump. The right thing to do would be to replace the water pump, but leaving the radiator cap loose prevents any leakage. So far, the loss from water steaming off hasn't been noticeable. Replacing the thermostat was a good idea, though. The engine now gets up to temperature even at idle, and it runs better. The higher engine temperature means that the oil gets up to temperature, which will boil any water from the oil and extend the life of both the oil and the engine. I once backed my Isuzu Trooper into the tractor and damaged the radiator. The radiator shop in town had no trouble repairing it very reasonably, which is worth knowing. New radiators are also available.
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