JD 332/330/322 cab heater install

P218 John Deere 318 · Dec 28, 2014

coalminer16 can you do me a favor and take some pictures of your final product of your heater installed please. I have all of the parts now and am trying to find where I'd like to mount the heater.

I bought the heater with the 3" duct connectors with the intentions of running some duct work but I can't seem to find a good place to mount the heater. Here are two additional things to consider. I don't have a secondary alternator so I don't think I have enough amperage to run the PTO, the heater, lights and a secondary fan to move the air around all at the same time. Also, I was thinking I'd like to run the heater fan during the summer when I was mowing to pull more heat out of the motor since these tractors run so warm in the summer. I thought about cutting a section out of the roof and weld a raised box over the hole to cover the heater. Pros and cons I see of this is it would partially block the light but it would allow me to vent it outside in the summer. Thoughts or ideas?

Thanks,

P218

PA318Guy · Dec 28, 2014

In the wintertime you can take the belly screen off and then block all the intakes around the pedestal and still get plenty of airflow. Just remember to re-install it in the spring to keep the grass out!

coalminer16 · Dec 28, 2014

Unfortunately if your heater isn't exactly like mine your mounting will be a bit different. My inlet/outlet for the coolant on the heater is on the bottom, an external fan switch and I had 8 bolt holes factory in the heater core. So I bent some flat iron into an L to bolt both to the side of the cab and to the top of the heater core. The coolant lines being on the bottom had enough room for the hose connections in the front panel. The front panel and heater come off the tractor together when removing the cab since the lines are ran through it. I did cut down the faceplate on my heater to it was a smaller footprint to match the rest of the heater box and I notched out the sides some so it was blowing out the side/top as well as the front. I then basically raise the heater up as high as I could in the mount to where it didn't stick into the doorway and it was above my knee. As for ducting-I wouldn't go that route-cab is plenty small enough to not need that. But I do use the fan that came with the cozy cab to circulate the air sometimes and it does a nice job. I haven't blocked off the pedestal screens yet as even at -25 blowing snow it is plenty warm in there.

As for using to help cool in the summer-I wouldn't and here is why. You are taking some of the stream of coolant after the water pump and rather then send through the radiator which has a fan on all the time you are sending through a different radiator (the heater core) which then needs to have a fan turned on. Robbing Peter to pay Paul basically. I don't know if the heater core would cool better then the radiator. If there is cooling issues it is better to get the radiator cleaned (inside and out by a radiator shop) then to bandaid it. The heater core to cool it idea would work better if the heatercore matched the radiator size for flow AND it was hooked in series rather then parallel. In Parallel coolant takes the easiest path. There is a thermostat before the radiator-not before the heater core and if the radiator is plugged at all inside-the heater core will get more of the coolant but may not do as good of a job cooling.

Hope this helps. If you do need more pictures I can get you some if you say exactly which one you want. I did the alternator because you can only ask so much of the 20 amp charging system. I think 5 amps goes to the PTO so that REALLY limits the other things that can be added. With a 430-you have I think 40 amps so more room to play. The 332/322/330 charging system parts are too expensive (over $200 now for the the voltage regulator) so I figured use that useless thing on the rear (PTO) for something more then a tiller and use the spare parts I had laying around for once (I get made fun of for hording sometimes-but it comes in handy).

Good luck. Glade this helped some people out.

Also one thing to keep in mind-JD didn't allow Cozy cab to mount a cab on the 332/330/322 for possible overheat issues-even though JD put a soft side cab on with a cab heater option. When I called Cozy that is what they told me so they had no clue what heater parts would work-even though the Cozy cab guy knew me as I grew up in that town and was active in sports-just couldn't help me further. Almost had an internship/job even with Cozy cab if the recession hadn't hit in 08. They had a program through our highschool even to work study there.

P218 John Deere 318 · Jan 9, 2015

coalminer16 said:
Unfortunately if your heater isn't exactly like mine your mounting will be a bit different. My inlet/outlet for the coolant on the heater is on the bottom, an external fan switch and I had 8 bolt holes factory in the heater core. So I bent some flat iron into an L to bolt both to the side of the cab and to the top of the heater core. The coolant lines being on the bottom had enough room for the hose connections in the front panel. The front panel and heater come off the tractor together when removing the cab since the lines are ran through it. I did cut down the faceplate on my heater to it was a smaller footprint to match the rest of the heater box and I notched out the sides some so it was blowing out the side/top as well as the front. I then basically raise the heater up as high as I could in the mount to where it didn't stick into the doorway and it was above my knee. As for ducting-I wouldn't go that route-cab is plenty small enough to not need that. But I do use the fan that came with the cozy cab to circulate the air sometimes and it does a nice job. I haven't blocked off the pedestal screens yet as even at -25 blowing snow it is plenty warm in there.

As for using to help cool in the summer-I wouldn't and here is why. You are taking some of the stream of coolant after the water pump and rather then send through the radiator which has a fan on all the time you are sending through a different radiator (the heater core) which then needs to have a fan turned on. Robbing Peter to pay Paul basically. I don't know if the heater core would cool better then the radiator. If there is cooling issues it is better to get the radiator cleaned (inside and out by a radiator shop) then to bandaid it. The heater core to cool it idea would work better if the heatercore matched the radiator size for flow AND it was hooked in series rather then parallel. In Parallel coolant takes the easiest path. There is a thermostat before the radiator-not before the heater core and if the radiator is plugged at all inside-the heater core will get more of the coolant but may not do as good of a job cooling.

Hope this helps. If you do need more pictures I can get you some if you say exactly which one you want. I did the alternator because you can only ask so much of the 20 amp charging system. I think 5 amps goes to the PTO so that REALLY limits the other things that can be added. With a 430-you have I think 40 amps so more room to play. The 332/322/330 charging system parts are too expensive (over $200 now for the the voltage regulator) so I figured use that useless thing on the rear (PTO) for something more then a tiller and use the spare parts I had laying around for once (I get made fun of for hording sometimes-but it comes in handy).

Good luck. Glade this helped some people out.

Also one thing to keep in mind-JD didn't allow Cozy cab to mount a cab on the 332/330/322 for possible overheat issues-even though JD put a soft side cab on with a cab heater option. When I called Cozy that is what they told me so they had no clue what heater parts would work-even though the Cozy cab guy knew me as I grew up in that town and was active in sports-just couldn't help me further. Almost had an internship/job even with Cozy cab if the recession hadn't hit in 08. They had a program through our highschool even to work study there.

Ok so I think I need some help. So here's the heater I had, or the same style at least.

And here's what I installed.

I installed the new heater with the same connections as you did coalminer16 and I have to say I'm pretty disappointed. It blows warm air but it is far from "hot". It will blow warmer air when I really work it or if I put a piece of cardboard in front of half of the radiator but I don't like that because when I really start working the engine it doesn't have the cooling capabilities. Here are some additional things that I have done.

New thermostat.
Confirmed the valve for the heater was opened completely using a,pair of pliers.
Switched the hoses going into and out of the heater core in the event they were backwards even though it does not say it matters on that model.
Taped over all of he tower vents to prevent it from pulling heated cab air out.

Today when I was blowing it was 7 deg F. with a -10 deg F. windchill and I couldn't keep the snow and ice off of the windows. Now I know that is cold but I'll be honest the old propane heater at 15,000 BTU's was warmer than this one. Any suggestions because I'm at a loss and really I'm vey disappointed with the performance of this heater at this point. I'll admit it is a lot safer than the propane one but I've got $300+ into this thing and it won't even melt the snow off of the windows.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

P218

P218 John Deere 318 · Jan 9, 2015

The only other things I was thinking I could add is some insulation on the heater hose as it exits the the bottom of the tractor and enters the cab. I wouldn't think it would make that much of a difference since it's only like 12 inches of hose but maybe I'm wrong. Also when I was tightening the valve down onto the aluminum piece that goes into the engine I had to tighten it down pretty hard to get it oriented correctly to get the hose on but I don't see how that would be an issue.

Anyway, thanks for the help,

P218

P218 John Deere 318 · Jan 9, 2015

One thing I didn't mention was the thermostat that I put in it was a 72 deg C or 162 deg F thermostat. I got it from Ma Deere so I didn't even think about the temp until I was talking to a friend. Can I put a 180 or 190 deg F thermostat in it or is that too hot? Vehicle thermostats are like 180 or 190 deg F so the 162 seems kind of low to me but I don't know if can switch it without damaging the motor. Would 20-30 deg F make that much of a difference?

Thanks,

P218

Rydplrs · Jan 10, 2015

I don't know about the thermostat, but you can block part of the radiator, the heater functions as one.

Insulating the input hose will probably help too. 7 is not that cold for the ranges these tractors see -40 is.

coalminer16 · Jan 10, 2015

Any chance you can explain or take pictures of your exact setup on where it tied into the tractor? Did you put the flow for the hot going into the heater core coming from where the temp switch was/is on the tractor? Did you tie into the other return hose coming on the left side of the tractor for the return on the heater core? Did you check the thermostat with a pot of water bringing to boiling and cooling down checking it is opening at the right temp? Seems like the heatercore isn't getting enough flow. Also-have you burped the system of air after hooking things up? The heater core will take coolant and it might need some adding bit by bit to get the air out. It now is the highest point in the system and air likes to rise. Let me know those and I can point to more once I know that. You can block the radiator-but I did that my first time out-over heated REALLY fast. I have plenty of extra heat in my cab and almost never run on high.

P218 John Deere 318 · Jan 10, 2015

coalminer16 said:
Any chance you can explain or take pictures of your exact setup on where it tied into the tractor? Did you put the flow for the hot going into the heater core coming from where the temp switch was/is on the tractor? Did you tie into the other return hose coming on the left side of the tractor for the return on the heater core? Did you check the thermostat with a pot of water bringing to boiling and cooling down checking it is opening at the right temp? Seems like the heatercore isn't getting enough flow. Also-have you burped the system of air after hooking things up? The heater core will take coolant and it might need some adding bit by bit to get the air out. It now is the highest point in the system and air likes to rise. Let me know those and I can point to more once I know that. You can block the radiator-but I did that my first time out-over heated REALLY fast. I have plenty of extra heat in my cab and almost never run on high.

These are the best photos of the hook up without taking the kick plates and side panels off.

The return hose I used the "Tee" in the photo below and installed it on the left side (as you sit on the tractor) radiator return hose between where it comes front the bottom of the radiator to the top of the engine by the thermostat.

I installed it with the heater core return line facing up if that makes sense. I guess now that I say it that could be an issue since the coolant would have to make a near 180 deg turn when it returns from the heater core to the water pump. I mean it would take away from the flow some I would think. Possible culprit? I can take a photo of it if it is necessary, I was just trying to avoid taking the panels off unless I had to.

I did not check the thermostat with boiling water because it was brand new OEM thermostat I got from Ma Deere. Isn't 162 deg F kind of cold for an engine to run? I can't say I've "burped" the system but I have topped it off with coolant to the point it does not seem to take anymore. Also, the way I have my heater installed it sits below the radiator cap not above.

Thanks again for the thoughts

dlandsv · Jan 10, 2015

Don't know if what I suggest will help or not so you might want to get a second opinion on the T stat.

IMO your 162 thermostat isn't high enough for the engine block to heat the coolant in the block to make any heat for the heater as it exits the engine.

With your 162 T stat as soon as the coolant in the engine block reaches 162 degrees the thermostat opens and circulates the hot coolant into the radiator. I would run whatever JD specifies for your engine. I think an optional thermostat is 187.

With the 187 T stat the engine block coolant will heat to 187 before it opens and allows the engine coolant in the block to circulate with coolant in the radiator. As the T stat opens and closes engine coolant will remain a constant 187 degrees. I doubt your engine will overheat this winter with a 187 T stat.

With your 162 T stat the coolant temp is no more than 162 degrees. Most people heat and drink their coffee between 155°F to 175°F. Many people will prefer it at the higher end of the temperature spectrum, which would be 175°F.

As a result I don't think you are transferring enough heat out of the coolant which is only at it's highest temp of 162 degrees. Once the T stat opens the coolant temps will be even lower because it is mixing with cooler coolant in the radiator.

There is a difference in your heater compared to Coalminers. His heater has what looks like at least 8 tubes meaning it navigates through the heater core through 8 loops before it exits the core and returns to the engine block.

In the specs for your heater it doesn't mention tubes but it does say that it has built in flow restrictors. These restrictors slow down the coolant as it loops through the heater core allowing the heat to be sluffed of into the aluminum fins attached to the tubes. The longer it takes for the coolant to make its way through the core the more heat is transferred from water to air. The fan creates the transfer of heat from water to air as it blows cooler air across the fins again drawing heat out of the fins and finally as heat into your cab.

So - it's possible your hot side from the engine is attached to the cold inlet on heater core. I would think that the restrictors would work the best just one way. Or maybe the core is effective and efficient both ways. I would check it and see.

You can also count the tubes and compare to coalminers. The fewer the tubes, all things considered, the less efficient the heater or radiator core.

My suggestion would be to get a cheap thermal temp gun (Harbor Freight - about $20). I would use it to read the temp of the hot side hose coming from the engine, going into the hot side inlet of the heater core, the outlet side of the heater core, and the inlet side of return point where the cold side goes back into the engine.

Just point it and shoot. No - it won't read the coolant temp but it will still give you temps to compare the hot side to the cold side.

I would also read the temp at the exit point of the heater itself. If it's only 110 degrees then something is wrong.

It appears after looking at many examples on this forum that the diesel guys hook up their systems differently than the gas engines.

What I have noticed is that on my gas engine the loop into the heater core is simply a very long bypass tube which essentially allows the engine to flow engine coolant in a closed loop from the top of the engine into the heater core and then back to the engine to the water pump and back into the lower side of the engine.

The top head side of the engine is always the hottest and lower part of the block is always the coolest. The reason for the closed loop is to circulate coolant from top to bottom until the engine reaches the desired temp of the T stat. Once the coolant reaches the T stat temp, the T stat opens allowing hot coolant into the radiator where it is cooled and then out of the radiator back to the lower part of the engine - the water pump and into the engine.

The difference I notice with the diesel engine is that you say you run your return line from the heater core back to the radiator hose and then into the engine. It appears from your pics and explanation that there is no external bypass hose for the diesel engine so the only alternative is to run the return line from the heater core into the bottom radiator hose.

Yes - I know mine is a different engine and different design but the coolant pathway is engine to engine (with an extension to the heater core) bypassing the radiator hose when it comes back to the engine.

See pics below. First pic is stock. Second pic is adding the heater core into the loop with the return line going back into the inlet side where it was originally in the first pic.

Note that the bypass hose is above the T stat. The T stat might be open or it might be closed. If closed it's a closed loop from top of engine to bottom of engine with water pump doing the work for the circulation. The coolant never makes it to the radiator until the T stat opens.

You might also check this link. The poster explains that the T connection in the pics restricts the coolant going to the heater core down to 1/4 inch.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=480226&highlight=curtis+cab

In order for your heater to provide 28000 BTU's as described it needs enough hot water from the engine to extract 28000 BTU's. I'm not sure if only 1/4 inch of flow would be enough coolant flow.

BTW - if you are overheating in the summer and your cooling system is up to specs - radiator is squeaky clean. You might try Water Wetter or similar products. It's not a gimmick. It does allow the coolant to transfer more heat from the head area. It also reduces hot steam pockets as a result of hot spots at the hottest points inside the head area.

You can also reduce the coolant mix from 50/50 down to 50/20 for example. Pure water transfers more heat than a 50/50 mix of coolant. That said the boiling point is also lower but you can control that with the radiator cap.

I run less coolant in my Z28 because it runs so hot in the summer. In the fall I bring the mix up to 50/50 again.

coalminer16 · Jan 11, 2015

dlandsv has a lot of good tips to go with and I agree with them. I did try my heater on high-the air itself isn't as hot as medium. Too much air-heat can't transfer as well so that could be one issue. The thermostat is adding to the issue as well as mentioned-less heat in the system to give off to the heater core. How hot does the input and output lines feel on the heater core? There is the coolant temps and then there is the heat transfer from the heatercore to the air that both can be the issues.

Also-remove the belly screen and block off the pedistel screens. The radiator fan pulls a lot of air out of the cab. I haven't blocked mine off yet-but I am thinking of it. My feet don't get much of the heat since it is pulled through the screens before it gets there. But when I run the cab fan it spreads the heat around pretty good.

It won't be as hot as a car. But it should be comfortable.

JohnDeere318Guy · Jan 11, 2015

coalminer16 said:
dlandsv has a lot of good tips to go with and I agree with them. I did try my heater on high-the air itself isn't as hot as medium. Too much air-heat can't transfer as well so that could be one issue. The thermostat is adding to the issue as well as mentioned-less heat in the system to give off to the heater core. How hot does the input and output lines feel on the heater core? There is the coolant temps and then there is the heat transfer from the heatercore to the air that both can be the issues.

Also-remove the belly screen and block off the pedistel screens. The radiator fan pulls a lot of air out of the cab. I haven't blocked mine off yet-but I am thinking of it. My feet don't get much of the heat since it is pulled through the screens before it gets there. But when I run the cab fan it spreads the heat around pretty good.

It won't be as hot as a car. But it should be comfortable.

Have you ever thought about installing a 430 fan or electric fan as a pusher to push warmer air across the radiator into the cab? The 430 fan would need to be cut down a few inches but that would give you some additional heat and not pull warm air out of the cab.

dlandsv · Jan 11, 2015

I've given thought to the same thing for my x485. On the X485 an electric pusher fan would push hot air into the cab for winter use. In the summer one would have to remove the electric pusher fan and reinstall the mechanical puller fan blade, or reverse the fan blade on the pusher fan making it into a puller fan. You wouldn't want to leave the fan blowing into the cab or seat area in the summer. Would get way too hot on your legs.

The problem with the electric pusher fan in the winter is that there would be no way to control the heat into the cab. An electric pusher fan pushing hot air into the cab can't be turned off like a heater control fan because it's likely the engine would overheat if you turned off the electric fan which is also cooling the coolant in the radiator.

At least that's they way it would be on the gas X700 series.

I'm not exactly sure where the radiator is on the 332.

I also thought it might be possible to reverse the fan blade or adapt it so it could be turned into a pusher fan. But you still wouldn't be able to stop it if the cab got too hot inside or wanted to control heat into the cab.

A pusher fan certainly would push a lot of hot air into the cab - just no way I have thought of to control it or turn it off.

P218 John Deere 318 · Jan 11, 2015

dlandsv said:
Don't know if what I suggest will help or not so you might want to get a second opinion on the T stat.

IMO your 162 thermostat isn't high enough for the engine block to heat the coolant in the block to make any heat for the heater as it exits the engine.

With your 162 T stat as soon as the coolant in the engine block reaches 162 degrees the thermostat opens and circulates the hot coolant into the radiator. I would run whatever JD specifies for your engine. I think an optional thermostat is 187.

With the 187 T stat the engine block coolant will heat to 187 before it opens and allows the engine coolant in the block to circulate with coolant in the radiator. As the T stat opens and closes engine coolant will remain a constant 187 degrees. I doubt your engine will overheat this winter with a 187 T stat.

With your 162 T stat the coolant temp is no more than 162 degrees. Most people heat and drink their coffee between 155°F to 175°F. Many people will prefer it at the higher end of the temperature spectrum, which would be 175°F.

As a result I don't think you are transferring enough heat out of the coolant which is only at it's highest temp of 162 degrees. Once the T stat opens the coolant temps will be even lower because it is mixing with cooler coolant in the radiator.

There is a difference in your heater compared to Coalminers. His heater has what looks like at least 8 tubes meaning it navigates through the heater core through 8 loops before it exits the core and returns to the engine block.

In the specs for your heater it doesn't mention tubes but it does say that it has built in flow restrictors. These restrictors slow down the coolant as it loops through the heater core allowing the heat to be sluffed of into the aluminum fins attached to the tubes. The longer it takes for the coolant to make its way through the core the more heat is transferred from water to air. The fan creates the transfer of heat from water to air as it blows cooler air across the fins again drawing heat out of the fins and finally as heat into your cab.

So - it's possible your hot side from the engine is attached to the cold inlet on heater core. I would think that the restrictors would work the best just one way. Or maybe the core is effective and efficient both ways. I would check it and see.

You can also count the tubes and compare to coalminers. The fewer the tubes, all things considered, the less efficient the heater or radiator core.

My suggestion would be to get a cheap thermal temp gun (Harbor Freight - about $20). I would use it to read the temp of the hot side hose coming from the engine, going into the hot side inlet of the heater core, the outlet side of the heater core, and the inlet side of return point where the cold side goes back into the engine.

Just point it and shoot. No - it won't read the coolant temp but it will still give you temps to compare the hot side to the cold side.

I would also read the temp at the exit point of the heater itself. If it's only 110 degrees then something is wrong.

It appears after looking at many examples on this forum that the diesel guys hook up their systems differently than the gas engines.

What I have noticed is that on my gas engine the loop into the heater core is simply a very long bypass tube which essentially allows the engine to flow engine coolant in a closed loop from the top of the engine into the heater core and then back to the engine to the water pump and back into the lower side of the engine.

The top head side of the engine is always the hottest and lower part of the block is always the coolest. The reason for the closed loop is to circulate coolant from top to bottom until the engine reaches the desired temp of the T stat. Once the coolant reaches the T stat temp, the T stat opens allowing hot coolant into the radiator where it is cooled and then out of the radiator back to the lower part of the engine - the water pump and into the engine.

The difference I notice with the diesel engine is that you say you run your return line from the heater core back to the radiator hose and then into the engine. It appears from your pics and explanation that there is no external bypass hose for the diesel engine so the only alternative is to run the return line from the heater core into the bottom radiator hose.

Yes - I know mine is a different engine and different design but the coolant pathway is engine to engine (with an extension to the heater core) bypassing the radiator hose when it comes back to the engine.

See pics below. First pic is stock. Second pic is adding the heater core into the loop with the return line going back into the inlet side where it was originally in the first pic.

Note that the bypass hose is above the T stat. The T stat might be open or it might be closed. If closed it's a closed loop from top of engine to bottom of engine with water pump doing the work for the circulation. The coolant never makes it to the radiator until the T stat opens.

You might also check this link. The poster explains that the T connection in the pics restricts the coolant going to the heater core down to 1/4 inch.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=480226&highlight=curtis+cab

In order for your heater to provide 28000 BTU's as described it needs enough hot water from the engine to extract 28000 BTU's. I'm not sure if only 1/4 inch of flow would be enough coolant flow.

BTW - if you are overheating in the summer and your cooling system is up to specs - radiator is squeaky clean. You might try Water Wetter or similar products. It's not a gimmick. It does allow the coolant to transfer more heat from the head area. It also reduces hot steam pockets as a result of hot spots at the hottest points inside the head area.

You can also reduce the coolant mix from 50/50 down to 50/20 for example. Pure water transfers more heat than a 50/50 mix of coolant. That said the boiling point is also lower but you can control that with the radiator cap.

I run less coolant in my Z28 because it runs so hot in the summer. In the fall I bring the mix up to 50/50 again.

I would have to agree that the more research that I do the more I think that the 162 thermostat is too low or at least low for heating coolant for a heater core. Or at least it is compared to other set ups. I mean lets be honest if it is leaving the engine at 162 deg (at best) then by the time it goes over the top of the engine, under the engine, outside for 12-18" then into the heater core it can't be much above 150 deg. That sure doesn't seem like much. My only concern is that I bought the thermostat from the dealer, I just told them I need a new thermostat, so I am pretty sure it is correct. I did find through my research though that Deere has the 162 deg thermostat listed as standard and a 182 deg thermostat listed for the tractor as optional. My only concern was that the higher temp would be hard on the engine as it seems that a lot of these older diesels tend to run cooler. With that being said when I mow in the summer I know it gets way hotter than 162 deg because when I open the hood right after mowing I can't hold my hand on the top of the radiator for more a second or two. I agree that I need to buy a thermal temp gun, I just haven't made it to town to do so yet.

I looked at the link you attached and agree that the fittings will most likely restrict the flow but I was just hoping for more than I'm getting. Without taking the front cover off of the heater face I don't know how many tubes or loops it has in it. I guess I would assume that if coalminer's is rated at 26,000 btu's and mine is rated at 28,000 btu's with more cfm's they would at least be comparable, no matter how many times the pipes loop back and forth. I understand that they probably over rate these heaters and in a perfect world they could reach that amount of heat but I'd be happy with 1/2 of the max performance since my 15,000 btu propane heater was sufficient. Hopefully this set up just needs some fine tuning. Also, I looked it up and it does not say there is an in and out on my heater, only the 16" model. I even switched the lines around on the core to see if it made a difference and it didn't seem to.

The getting warm in the summer issue is hopefully going to be dealt with this coming week when I have the radiator re-cored. I've noticed that the coolant level has slowly been going down and ever since I got the tractor I noticed some pretty bad scaling inside the radiator. When I got the side panels off for this project I noticed it had coolant standing in the bottom of the radiator fins, not good. I called the repair shop and they said they could do it in 3 days so now that I have a break in the snow I'm going to pull the trigger.

Thank you for the ideas and comments, I really appreciate all of the time and effort.

coalminer16 said:
dlandsv has a lot of good tips to go with and I agree with them. I did try my heater on high-the air itself isn't as hot as medium. Too much air-heat can't transfer as well so that could be one issue. The thermostat is adding to the issue as well as mentioned-less heat in the system to give off to the heater core. How hot does the input and output lines feel on the heater core? There is the coolant temps and then there is the heat transfer from the heatercore to the air that both can be the issues.

Also-remove the belly screen and block off the pedistel screens. The radiator fan pulls a lot of air out of the cab. I haven't blocked mine off yet-but I am thinking of it. My feet don't get much of the heat since it is pulled through the screens before it gets there. But when I run the cab fan it spreads the heat around pretty good.

It won't be as hot as a car. But it should be comfortable.

I am thinking of going to the 182 deg thermostat unless you or someone can tell me why not to. The input and output lines don't seem to be overly hot when I grab them, close to the heater core that is. I did take the belly screen off and have already taped off the pedestal screens. I also switched that return hose around so it faces the other way now.

Maybe my expectations are too high but I know it isn't as much as the 15000 btu propane heater I had in it and I was at least expecting that much out of a 28000 btu rated heater. Anyway, like I said I think I'm going to try the higher thermostat unless someone says that's a bad idea.

Thanks for the help.

JohnDeere318Guy said:
Have you ever thought about installing a 430 fan or electric fan as a pusher to push warmer air across the radiator into the cab? The 430 fan would need to be cut down a few inches but that would give you some additional heat and not pull warm air out of the cab.

I thought about that but there would be no way to regulate the amount of heat. I think it would cook you out of the cab. On top of that the fan would be a pain to change in the summer and I'm just too deep into this now, it is going to work.

Thanks for the idea though and thank you all again for the comments.

P218

coalminer16 · Jan 11, 2015

When you grab the hose going to the heater core is it very hot? Mine are pretty hot. There is always the change the water pump is not pumping as good as it should too so the flow rate may not be as good.

I used what ever the standard thermostat is-I didn't go with any optional temps. Can't remember what that is but it was just the standard.

As far as a new OEM thermostat failing-it can happen. That is why there is warranties. In my line of work (maintenance) all things have a failure rate and some of the highest failures is new-then end of life, then middle of life if abused. That is why I take a few minutes to test the parts I can vs assume they work.

Case in point-bought a new radiator for my VW rabbit diesel car. I had overheating issues for a year. It was a horizontal pass radiator with a baffle in the center-so it first passes through the top-then the end tank and back through the bottom. I even added a fan switch so I could manually activate the fan. Fan switch was on the other side of the radiator. After a year I took it to a radiator shop after changing out the engine (to a more powerful turbo one) as it was even worse with over heating and it was confirmed it wasn't the new head I had installed that was giving other issues. The baffle in the radiator-not there. So shop ordering me a new radiator (first from carquest-got my money back a year later). The one from the radiator shop was a different brand with metal vs plastic end tanks. I brought back a day later-still over heating. Shop didn't think it was possible and pointed the engine must be bad. I have a second VW rabbit diesel truck (same from the doors forward). I swapped out the radiators that night and drove the car back with the other radiator in it no longer overheating and gave him the radiator. They pulled the end tank off-no baffle on my second new radiator. They fixed for me. So moral of the story-I had two new but defective parts from two different companies-so test/inspect if possible. Thermostats are easy. Put into a pot and bring up to temp and back down.

As far as how you hooked into the system-seems good.

With a 430 fan to push into the cab. I know one person with a 322 that has that. He only uses for plowing (in the field-molboard) and snow blowing. That is fine. For grass mowing-bad deal. Fast way to plug the radiator since there isn't a good way to screen the radiator from debre. OEM design has screens on the belly and pedistle and blocks the rear of the hydro pump and foam on the fender deck area so it is all "filtered" and then it goes through another screen right at the radiator. Reversing-all raw air. And changing a fan for summer/winter-not going to happen as it isn't an easy thing to do. I have looked at and have a fan from work I thought about making work but gave up that you can loosen the hub and spin the fan blades. But the inner hub won't fit-so I gave up. That would be ideal. A two part hub with the fan blades on a round stub to turn then. If someone is board-they could make a few for use.

P218 John Deere 318 · Jan 23, 2015

coalminer16 said:
When you grab the hose going to the heater core is it very hot? Mine are pretty hot. There is always the change the water pump is not pumping as good as it should too so the flow rate may not be as good.

I used what ever the standard thermostat is-I didn't go with any optional temps. Can't remember what that is but it was just the standard.

As far as a new OEM thermostat failing-it can happen. That is why there is warranties. In my line of work (maintenance) all things have a failure rate and some of the highest failures is new-then end of life, then middle of life if abused. That is why I take a few minutes to test the parts I can vs assume they work.

Case in point-bought a new radiator for my VW rabbit diesel car. I had overheating issues for a year. It was a horizontal pass radiator with a baffle in the center-so it first passes through the top-then the end tank and back through the bottom. I even added a fan switch so I could manually activate the fan. Fan switch was on the other side of the radiator. After a year I took it to a radiator shop after changing out the engine (to a more powerful turbo one) as it was even worse with over heating and it was confirmed it wasn't the new head I had installed that was giving other issues. The baffle in the radiator-not there. So shop ordering me a new radiator (first from carquest-got my money back a year later). The one from the radiator shop was a different brand with metal vs plastic end tanks. I brought back a day later-still over heating. Shop didn't think it was possible and pointed the engine must be bad. I have a second VW rabbit diesel truck (same from the doors forward). I swapped out the radiators that night and drove the car back with the other radiator in it no longer overheating and gave him the radiator. They pulled the end tank off-no baffle on my second new radiator. They fixed for me. So moral of the story-I had two new but defective parts from two different companies-so test/inspect if possible. Thermostats are easy. Put into a pot and bring up to temp and back down.

As far as how you hooked into the system-seems good.

With a 430 fan to push into the cab. I know one person with a 322 that has that. He only uses for plowing (in the field-molboard) and snow blowing. That is fine. For grass mowing-bad deal. Fast way to plug the radiator since there isn't a good way to screen the radiator from debre. OEM design has screens on the belly and pedistle and blocks the rear of the hydro pump and foam on the fender deck area so it is all "filtered" and then it goes through another screen right at the radiator. Reversing-all raw air. And changing a fan for summer/winter-not going to happen as it isn't an easy thing to do. I have looked at and have a fan from work I thought about making work but gave up that you can loosen the hub and spin the fan blades. But the inner hub won't fit-so I gave up. That would be ideal. A two part hub with the fan blades on a round stub to turn then. If someone is board-they could make a few for use.

Ok so I got the higher temp thermostat, tested and installed it. There is a noticeable difference and I'm pretty sure it'll be sufficient. It's hard to tell because when I originally had it installed and used it the temp was in the single digits. When I installed the new thermostat (the second new one that is) and used it was int the 20's. It does seem to blow warmer air than before when not working the engine so I know it is an improvement. I won't say that I'm sold on it but I'm pretty happy with it. Another thing I did was cut some 1/2" stall matting for floor mats. They seem to help with the cold coming up from the floor.

One last thing coalminer, can you get a reading of the air temp coming out of your heater sometime please. The only thing that I am wondering is if this Summit heater vs your Maradyne heater has a worse heat exchange rate.

Thanks again for all of your help.

P218

coalminer16 · Jan 23, 2015

I will take the temp-but I also will need to take the inlet temp before the heater. It is the temp change that needs to be had. Someday we need snow first before I can even use it. Been a few weeks. And the snow we have gotten-I haven't got to really hog into some deep snow.

P218 John Deere 318 · Jan 24, 2015

coalminer16 said:
I will take the temp-but I also will need to take the inlet temp before the heater. It is the temp change that needs to be had. Someday we need snow first before I can even use it. Been a few weeks. And the snow we have gotten-I haven't got to really hog into some deep snow.

Thank you, that'd be great. That's the same issue I'm having. We haven't gotten a real snow and cold temps to give it an accurate evaluation.

Thanks,

P218

coalminer16 · Jan 29, 2015

Got some temps for you. I took the top of the black dash for a reference point on the temp of the cab. The cab fan was also circulating-which actually cools the cab down some since it blows on the window melting the snow. The hotter heater temps were with the fan on low. The cooler-on high which makes sense. The inlet/outlet hoses are around 15 degree's difference in temp no matter the fan speed. Makes me think that the heat released into the air is the same then. This was at the end of blowing snow and engine wide open. Blower was at 33 degree's. Since I was there I took the top of the radiator best I could (since the top won't have coolant) and the brass part of the shutoff valve feeding the heater core hose which both were at 141. The aluminum was less-to be expected so I didn't bother.

coalminer16 · Jan 29, 2015

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