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John Deere skid steer one of the two radiators always clogged

MATTL

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
5
Location
ontario
Hi.

For our recycling plant, we just bought two brand new JD skid steer loaders.

After about two weeks use, they both started overheating, and are now almost always in the red.

There are two radiators, forming a V shape, at the back of the machine. As the title implies, one of them is pristine clean, and the other one is completely clogged up. No doubt the cause of the overheating is the clogged radiator, but the mystery is why is it always clogged?

3 different mechanics from John Deere came over to try to figure it out. It`s the right-side radiator that is clogged. The mechanic tried to make a modification, making large holes in a plate that holds some kind of filter in front of the radiator, to have a better air flow. It didn`t change anything.

It is a conception flaw for sure, because both of our machines have the exact same thing happening.

Now, from the pictures, does anyone have a guess of what could be the problem? It seems like something is creating some kind of humidity on the right-side radiator. But what? Even is diesel was being dropped by operators when they refuel, there is a border that would not let it spill onto the radiator.

We are just all puzzled and really scratcing our heads with this one. Any help would be appreciated.

f3dfrn.jpg

1127tqs.jpg

20frp0n.jpg

2n83zo.jpg




It might not be visible, but the left radiator (where there is the hydraulic oil reservoir with the orange cap) is pristine clean inside, and the right one is completely clogged. Same on both machines.

Links to the same images in case you can zoom better with them:

1 http://i66.tinypic.com/f3dfrn.jpg
2 http://i64.tinypic.com/1127tqs.jpg
3 http://i67.tinypic.com/20frp0n.jpg
4 http://i68.tinypic.com/2n83zo.jpg

We would all say that it has to do with airflow, but literally every single hole in the right radiator is clogged with dust that seems very slightly humid, and every single hole in the left one is clean. So can`t just be an airflow problem....

Yes there is a lot of dust in this work environment but we`ve never had this problem before (used to own Bobcat brand loaders).


Thanks

MATTL
 

hosspuller

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
1,879
Location
North Carolina
How have you cleaned the clogged radiator ? Air ? Water ? Could radiator have a oil film from manufacturing ? Condensate from air conditioner ? Overflow from coolant tank ? Where is the cooling air intake located? What is the dust clogging radiator ? paper, dirt ?
A model number may help get you better suggestions.
 

MATTL

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
5
Location
ontario
Thank you for the answer. For now we have only been using compressed air to clean the radiators. Of course if we can find the underlying cause of this phenomenon, we will do a more thorough cleaning. There is no air conditioner installed on this model. The coolant tank has not overflown. The dust is mostly fiber dust. Paper dust. Cardboard dust. The cooling air intake is the black cylinder on the top.

Every work shift cleans their machine at least once with compressed air, so that`s three times a day. There is no water in the compressed air.

I don`t have the model number on me right now unfortunately
 

alrman

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2009
Messages
3,495
Location
SE QLD Australia
Occupation
Diesel Fitter;Small Business Owner;Cleaner
Whenever I have seen a radiator look like this, there is usually something mixing in the air like fuel or oil - but a new machine shouldn't have this issue.....:rolleyes:

Were other machines you used in the past configured like this, with the fan sucking air through the radiators? Or more traditional pushing air through them?
 

MATTL

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
5
Location
ontario
On the Bobcat models the fan was horizontal, pushing air upwards through horizontal radiators.

This model has a reversible fan, which is currently set to 10 minutes. Nothing humid gets pushed inside the machine though so the humidity definitely comes from some phenomenon near the radiator..
 

MATTL

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
5
Location
ontario
I am not well mechanically versed, so wouldn`t know precisely what to call it, but on the last picutre, the device that is belt driven, behind what i believe would be a fuel filter, has the same kind of layering of damp caked-up dust.
 

jacobd

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2017
Messages
147
Location
North carolina
That would be the alternator. It makes electricity. And it shouldn't be damp either. I would try to collect as much of the dust as I could and squeeze some of the liquid out of it. Is it slippery like fuel? Thick like oil? Sticky like coolant? Is the machine loosing any fluids it shouldn't be? The fuel filter being right there does make me suspicious.
 

mg2361

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Jul 5, 2016
Messages
6,796
Location
Pennsylvania
Occupation
Equipment Mechanic
Looks like an "E" series? Does the fan turn at full speed when hot? As a test, you can unplug the coolant sensor and the fan should go to full speed. Does your machine have the auto reversing fan option? Is it enabled? In a trash application a reversing fan is a must. I would wash everything real good and make sure there are no leaks from anywhere that could be getting onto the radiator. Any dampness on the fins will be a dust magnet.
 

JD8875

Senior Member
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Apr 8, 2010
Messages
314
Location
Harrisonville, Missouri
Which side is the crankcase vent on? Wouldn't take much steamed oil sucked through a radiator to collect a lot of paper dust. I had a JD 8875 that vented along the block. It was horrible about plugging the radiator til I stretched the vent hose out beyond the radiator.

John
 

KSSS

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Idaho
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excavation
Interesting problem. Since you had three mechanics out there, I would assume if the issue was easy it would be solved by now. Here is an idea. Power wash the machine and get it clean and DRY. Get powder dry dirt and take a blower fan like you would see to dry out a house out or blow smoke from a house fire and start the fan, "dump the dry as flour" dirt in front of the fan and into the area that the radiator takes in air. Run the SSL at full RPM, dump and repeat. Shut it down and look at what the dry dirt sticks to. If there is a leak somewhere the dry dirt should make that apparent.
 

MATTL

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
5
Location
ontario
Thank you for all the suggestions. Sorry it took a while to reply.

To answer the questions:
Yes the fan runs full speed
Yes the fan is reversible and I have set it at an interval of 10 minutes (the fan reverses for 15 seconds, then goes back to its original direction). 10 minutes is the minimum.
There really are no apparent leaks at all on any of the machines.

The theory that I find interesting is JD8875`s, especially since it happened on a machine of his. It seems to make a lot of sense.
Any possibility to go into more details on that crankcase vent potential problem? Where would the steamed oil come out from? Is it visible on the pictures I have posted?

The model is either 320G or 324G.

It`s really a fantastic machine and it operates very well. We just want to find the cause of this particular issue.
 

JD8875

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Apr 8, 2010
Messages
314
Location
Harrisonville, Missouri
On my machine it was a rubber hose from the valve cover down the left side of the engine. It appeared to run under the engine but stopped just short of the bottom of the oil pan. Not sure how the newer machines are set up, mine was a 95 model 8875. It caused me more than a few headaches before I found what was causing my issue. I looked in your photos but couldn't see anything I could positively ID as a vent hose.

John
 

Delmer

Senior Member
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Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,923
Location
WI
Can anyone confirm these are both cooling system radiators? I would expect one to be a turbo intercooler, or transmission oil cooler, and to be a different fin spacing than the engine antifreeze radiator.

Otherwise the crankcase vent is a good place to check. If it vents to the atmosphere, then it will usually be about 3/4" and hang down the side of the engine, look underneath and it should be coated with oily paper fuzz. If it feeds into the air intake, for emissions reasons, then it wouldn't be causing a problem.

Either way, this should be a dealer problem on a new machine IMHO.
 

mg2361

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Pennsylvania
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That engine has a closed crankcase system. The vent hose runs from the valve cover to the intake. I'll double check when I get to work since I am working on one right now. Radiator is on the right side of the machine with the oil cooler on the left side. If it had AC (which I don't see in the picture) the condenser would be on the engine side of the cooler.
 

mg2361

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Here are some pictures of the crankcase ventilation on a 329E with an iT4 Yanmar. Your "G" would be the same. I attached a parts page from a non turbo Yanmar showing the closed crankcase ventilation. Also the "E" I am working on has debris stuck in the radiator as you can see. 329E YANMAR BREATHER.jpg 329E YANMAR BREATHER 2.jpg 329E RADIATOR.JPG
 

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TheOrchard

New Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2021
Messages
1
Location
TN
I realize this is an old post. I am having the same issue running my 2018 John Deere 331G. It’s a great machine but it runs hot after 2-3 hours of farm work with the smooth or grapple bucket. We clean the radiator daily with a pressure washer. Most weeks we use the machine less than 10 hours but it gets annoying when we need to use it for 8 hours in a day. If anyone knows of a flaw that’s causing the radiator to constantly clog, please share.
 

mg2361

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Welcome to HEF Orchard;)!

First thing to check if a thorough cleaning doesn't solve your issue is the fan speed. We would need to establish that it is reaching full speed. Unplugging the fan speed control solenoid and measuring fan speed with a photo tach is how to check it.

What is your serial number? Do you have the reversing fan option?
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2021
Messages
7
Location
Florida
Looks like an "E" series? Does the fan turn at full speed when hot? As a test, you can unplug the coolant sensor and the fan should go to full speed. Does your machine have the auto reversing fan option? Is it enabled? In a trash application a reversing fan is a must. I would wash everything real good and make sure there are no leaks from anywhere that could be getting onto the radiator. Any dampness on the fins will be a dust magnet.
Welcome to HEF Orchard;)!

First thing to check if a thorough cleaning doesn't solve your issue is the fan speed. We would need to establish that it is reaching full speed. Unplugging the fan speed control solenoid and measuring fan speed with a photo tach is how to check it.

What is your serial number? Do you have the reversing fan option?
I have a 331g with same issue I live in Florida so it's mostly sand, it just started happening but the display with say "stop engine overheat", I do have the reversing fan option. I pressed the fan switch but nothing happened, so I'm trying to figure out if maybe something might be wrong with the fan, its a 2019 331g with AC
 

mg2361

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Welcome to HEF JD331G;)!

Need a serial number. Year means nothing in the equipment world.

You said the reversing fan is not working? Is the fan turning when idling? Also look at post #17.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2021
Messages
7
Location
Florida
1T0331GKCKF348943

I'm not completely sure the reverse in not working I leave it on auto but when I pressed the switch down nothing happened when i hopped out but apparently you have to hold it for 10s.

The fan is turning when Idle and I get about an hours worth of work before engine temp gets to about 215 and then i park it before I get the alarm.

Not much dirt on the radiator at all, it has 1088h. I blew out the radiator then washed them with garden hose but didnt seem to help.

Ill check the fan speed, how fast should i be measuring?
 
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