Cub Cadet 4 x 4 Volunteer - Manual (Page 251)

Chapter 8 - Caterpillar Engine and Related Systems
247
8a. The system can be tested using a com-
mercially available tester and a 45mm
adaptor that also fits Toyota, Mitsubishi,
and Subaru cars as well as water-cooled
Honda motorcycles (eg. Stant TA 21)
8b. Apply 13-14 PSI (0.9 Bar.) using the test
kit and inspect the system for leaks.
8c. Repair any leaks before returning the vehi-
cle to service.
NOTE: If a tester is not immediately available,
confirm that the system is filled to capacity and
heat-soak the system.
CAUTION: A heat-soaked cooling system con-
tains hot coolant at maximum system pressure.
Direct contact with the coolant will cause severe
burns. Inspect the system from a safe distance
and do not open the system (by removing the
radiator cap, removing any plugs, or disconnect-
ing any fittings) until it has completely cooled.
8d. To heat soak the system, operate the vehi-
cle normally until the thermostat has
cycled open-and-closed once.
8e. Turn the engine off and let the vehicle rest
for 15 minutes. The warm engine will
continue to heat the coolant, but the water
pump will not circulate the coolant so heat
and pressure will build within the system.
8f. Safely inspect the system for leaks.
8g. Repair any leaks before returning the vehi-
cle to service.
9. Cooling system checking: Thermostat
See Figure 8.71.
Figure 8.71
Thermostat
housing
Exhaust
manifold
• The thermostat is referred-to in Caterpillar text
as a “water temperature regulator”. For the pur-
poses of this text, the two terms are used inter-
changeably.
• Caterpillar recommends replacing the thermo-
stat every 3,000 hrs. of operation or at 2-year
intervals.
• Caterpillar considers thermostat replacement to
be intrusive repair. Contact your partnering Cat-
erpillar dealer before replacing a thermostat.
• Do not operate the engine without a thermostat.
depending on the application it may run too hot
or it may run too cold. Both conditions will
adversely effect performance and engine lon-
gevity.
• If the thermostat housing is removed for any rea-
son, do not use liquid gasket sealant: it may foul
the thermostat
9a. It is possible to remove a thermostat and
test it by monitoring its operation in a pot
of heated water.
9b. To avoid removing the thermostat for test-
ing, us a non-contact thermometer. Infra-
red thermometers have become
commonly available at reasonable prices.
• The water in the to-radiator pipe should remain
near ambient temperature as the engine begins
to warm-up after a cold start.
• As the thermostat opens, the temperature of the
pipe should shift rapidly from near ambient tem-
perature to near coolant temperature.
NOTE: According to Caterpillar, typical water
jacket coolant temperature range is 160 to 205
deg.f. (71-96 deg.c.). With the cooling system
pressurized to 7psi (.48 Bar), maximum allow-
able coolant temperature is 217 deg.f. (103
deg.c.).