My tractor started overheating.Its a early 70's massey ferguson 150.Would this tractor have a thermastat and could that be the problem?

-- Joe A Adams (bm3666@aol.com), July 02, 2001

Answers

Joe, look for the obivous things first: 1. loose fan belt 2. look in the radiator when you first start the tractor, is the water moving or setting still? Leave the cap off and let it run about 20 minutes, now is the water moving or still? Still at start up is normal, still after 20 minutes could be thermostat. 3. Collapased radiator hose? 4. Gasoline engine? Could be ignition timing got bumped around (distrubetor). 5. Cloged radiator fins? Leaves, seeds, oily build up preventing heat escape? 6. Does the tractor have a manual timming advance lever, is it hooked up and working? 7. Check fluid in transmission and rear end, if their low there is going to be more friction. 8. Are the brakes releasing correctly? 9 When it overheated was the load unusually large? 10. Is the exhaust normal colored? 11. Is there a possiability that there is a vacuum leak allowing the timming to be off? 12. Any thing out of the ordinary on the dip stick? Water droplets or burnt smell? Carbarator adjustments if tampered with can cause overheating. Check these and let us know and is it gas or diesel?

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), July 02, 2001.

First check to make sure all your belts are still there and not slipping. You can check the thermostat by removing it... if the tractor still overheats without the thermostat it may be the water pump. Remember... the water is EXTREMELY HOT AND UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE, so be SAFE !!!!.

cheers,

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), July 02, 2001.

I hope it is something simple and inexpensive, but dont forget also that it is possible its a plugged radiator. If nothing simple fixes it, might remove radiator and take it to radiator shop to be rodded out. Tractors, and especially tractors not used regularly get neglected when it comes to mainetence. Bet antifreeze hasnt been changed in years. Well this allows buildup of gunk plugging radiator. Remember this is a 30 year old tractor.

-- HermitJohn (Hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), July 03, 2001.

Hi Joe, our 1972 Ford 4000 started overheating last summer on us occasionally, no radiator problem, replaced the thermostat, checked everthing obvious, was the waterpump starting to go out, still worked, just not efficiently enough under a heavy load! Well, due to the slight and occasional overheating last summer and this spring, the head gasket failed, leaking water into the head, busting a valve seat, requiring the head to be re-worked, new valve seats, new piston in the failed cylinder, all new rings, about 400 dollars all together, and WE did the work!!!

Check the waterpump, if any doubt, replace it, it cost us 139 dollars, wish we had done it SOONER !!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), July 07, 2001.