Go Bottom2000 Acgracat 254 running hot - HELP
 | jbgleg
Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 3 East Texas 
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2012-08-04 184540
I recently purchased a 2000 year model Agracat 254. The previous owner did not have any manuals for this tractor. It recently started to run hot within about 20 minutes of starting to work it.
It acts like the radiator is pressurizing like it has a cracked head or head gasket, but there is no indication of water in the oil.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what to check next?
Also what manuals do I need to order for this tractor, ie. repair manual, parts manual, operating manual. I did not know if you could order all of these or if they are sold separately.
Thanks for your help.
JBG
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| richwaugh
Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 96
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2012-08-05 184552
There are four manuals available- Tractor Owner's Manual, Parts Manual, Engine Owner's Manual and Engine Parts Manual - you really need all four to be able to successfully work on these tractors. I don't know what they cost, but whatever it is, it's money well spent.
As to the overheating, one of the most common causes of overheating on these Chinese tractors is a dirty radiator = both inside and outside. Start by thoroughly cleaning the radiator's outsides - blow the chaff out of the fins with a leaf blower or some such, or compressed air, but be careful not to damage the fragile fins. If you can't see light through the radiator it isn't clean enough. In that case you'll need to wash it, again being careful not to damage the fins. If need be, you may have to remove the radiator from the tractor to get it really clean.
There should be a chaff screen in front of the radiator itself, to catch grass and debris. When I'm mowing high weeds, I often need to stop every hour or so and clear the chaff screen or the tractor will overheat. If your tractor doesn't have one, I'd suggest, after you get the problem resolved, that you add one. A simple piece of 1/4" mesh hardware cloth will work fine and it can be retained in place with a neodymium magnet at each corner. Makes it easy to pull it and clear it.
The inside of the radiator and cooling system should be flushed with a good quality flushing mix and refilled with Final Charge or equivalent diesel coolant with Supplemental Cooling Additives (SCAs). DO NOT use automotive coolant! That will cause cavitation and destroy the wet liner seals on the cylinders.
If, after you have thoroughly cleaned the system inside and out, and checked for simple things like a loose fan belt, it is still overheating, then you'll need to do a leak-down test to see if you perhaps have a bad head gasket. You say there is no evidence of water in the oil, but is acts like it is being pressurized - what makes you think that? Is the coolant being blown out of the radiator? Almost any leakage at all from a cylinder will blow all the coolant out in very short order. If you're not losing coolant, then I'd doubt a cylinder leak. You could have a failing water pump and that would cause overheating - but start with the simple, inexpensive fixes first.
These tractors tend to lose a bit of coolant due to expansion from heating, so I'd recommend adding a coolant recovery system. Just a bottle to catch the escaping coolant and allow it to be sucked back into the radiator when it cools down. Even a one liter pop bottle will do the trick. Just be sure to mount it where it doesn't interfere with airflow through the radiator. On that same subject, where is your battery located? On some of the older Chinese tractors, the battery was mounted unfortunately high in front of the radiator, significantly blocking air flow. Changing to a new-style battery tray will lower the battery significantly and improve air flow.
Let us know if this helps. ....
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| jbgleg
Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 3 East Texas
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2012-08-05 184568
Rick,
Thanks for your response.
I will try to find those manuals online and get them purchased. We will start with the simple things. I guess the reason I thought it maight be a head gasket problem is that it is loosing some coolant and it has some leaking from the radiator cap. However, I have not put a pressure gauge on it to determine if this is happening. I will clean everything and see if that helps the problem. Again, thanks for the help.
JBG ....
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 | candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota 
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2012-08-05 184569
Jbgleg,
You might want to see if the radiator cap is correct. A cap with an improper pressure rating will cause overheating.
Radiator coolant will boil out rapidly if not under pressure. A proper radiator cap is necessary to keep the system pressurized, which prevents the coolant from boiling.
Many people replace a radiator cap with one that simply fits.......but the pressure ratings are just as important.
I agree with the other responses, however. A good radiator cleaning is a very necessary part of proper maintenance; as is using the proper coolant, formulated for use in diesel engines.
Joel ....
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 | greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky
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2012-08-06 184574
Word of caution regarding radiator caps on this tractor. It's actually a very low pressure system; about 4 psi. If your OE cap has a .3 or a 0.3 stamped on it, that's the metric pressure rating in Bar or Atmosphere - which converts to 4.3 psi. Owners unaware of this fact often make things worse by installing a standard auto cap, typically 15 psi. Pretty soon coolant is weeping everywhere it can find a way out.
4 psi aftermarket caps are hard to find. But 7 psi caps are not. If you replace the cap, my recommendation is to fit one that is rated at 7 psi or less. ....
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