Washing out JD Swather Radiator

Bobl1958 · Jun 15, 2018

Just wondering if any of you ever run water through the backside of a radiator instead of compressed air. I have a JD 3340 swather that seems to want to run a little warm. I blow the radiator out with compressed air, which blows dirt and looks pretty good by sight, but it still wants to run warm, especially going down the road.
I have a blower that you screw onto a garden hose and it has a bent end on it. It came in a kit from TSC or somewhere and is made for using on radiators. Just wondering if anyone has done this with water? It would just be well water at well pressure that would run from the motor side through to the back side of the radiator. This is done while the radiator is still in place, you don't remove it or anything. Just runs through the fins. No added compressed air.

Also, I have installed an new sending unit and new belt on the fan drive. Thanks in advance - Bob

old · Jun 15, 2018

I've washed out radiator many time that way. Air work ok but it does not get the stuck on dirt that a hose will

el6147 · Jun 15, 2018

My thoughts are if you have cleaned it with compressed air and are still having an issue then you have an inside radiator issue.

I have never used water until all the dirt is remove with compressed air, I will use compressed air and any small tool that I can get in between the fins with, takes patience.

water creates mud, the tool that you are referring to I have never used can'
t comment on its performance.

jacksun65 · Jun 15, 2018

They do it all the time on big trucks. Some don't use the bug screens and air alone will not blow them out. Seen them use a pressure washer with some sort of attachment.

fixerupper · Jun 15, 2018

A swather radiator will probably have more sappy sticky crud in it than a tractor radiator that sucks in dry dust. Compressed air is the first defense, then soapy water using a heavier oil removing type detergent. Some of those detergents are hard on paint so you have to be careful. A garden pump sprayer will do the job but anything that sprays the detergent way into the core works. Let the detergent soak, spray detergent again, let it soak, then start the water-compressed air regimen until all suds and junk are gone. It might take awhile. If you do it on a cement floor you can keep track of how much is coming out by how much of the junk that came out is on the floor. After all this if it still heats the radiator might need to be cored out but on the good side, the radiator shop will comment on how clean the outside fins of the core are!

SVcummins · Jun 15, 2018

I have a tool called the radiator genie it has a wash wand and a air wand wash it first then blow it dry it works great
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JD Seller · Jun 15, 2018

I like to blow them out with compressed air and then wet the radiator down with water. I then spray it with a 50/50 mixture of cheap dish soap and water. Wet the radiator down and let it set. I then wash it out with my hot water pressure washer. My wand has the side handle that you can adjust the pressure down with. So I just wash the radiator out with 200-300 PSI hot water. Hot water out of your water heater would work too. The hot water and soap with clean any oil/fuel/dirt film off the radiator fins. If the cores are not plugged your radiator will cool as good as it can when cleaned this way.

Bobl1958 · Jun 15, 2018

That is what I have SV

Bobl1958 · Jun 15, 2018

Thanks for the good advice guys. I'll work her over tonight.

T.R.K. · Jun 15, 2018

Used a tool on the water hose to clean the Kubota radiator in a Grasshopper mower once. I removed the radiator, was amazed at how much dirt was between the rows of cores.

Washing out JD Swather Radiator

Bobl1958

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old

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el6147

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jacksun65

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fixerupper

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SVcummins

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JD Seller

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Bobl1958

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Bobl1958

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T.R.K.

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