# vermeer bc1000xl overheating?



## imagineero (Jan 22, 2011)

hi all,
this probably ought to be in the equipment forums but thought I'd post here as hopefully someone has experience with this. Our chipper keeps overheating, its only been doing it the last few weeks. It is summer in aus now. The tmep gauge gets up to about 90 deg celsius then the radiator starts leaving and bubbling out the overflow, boiling. 

I'm thinking maybe a bad radiator cap or thermostat, or possibly the cooling system needs to be burped? Any advice appreciated!

Shaun


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## ducaticorse (Jan 22, 2011)

imagineero said:


> hi all,
> this probably ought to be in the equipment forums but thought I'd post here as hopefully someone has experience with this. Our chipper keeps overheating, its only been doing it the last few weeks. It is summer in aus now. The tmep gauge gets up to about 90 deg celsius then the radiator starts leaving and bubbling out the overflow, boiling.
> 
> I'm thinking maybe a bad radiator cap or thermostat, or possibly the cooling system needs to be burped? Any advice appreciated!
> ...



Rad cap shouldn't cause overheating. Flush your system,see if the coolant is flowing properly, test the tstat,and make sure it's activating the fan if it's electrical, and not mechanical. Also, check yer motor oil.


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## Curbside (Jan 23, 2011)

How old is your machine? Check your rad. Often they fill up with wood dust and sap and need a major cleaning.


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## capetrees (Jan 23, 2011)

How old is the machine? As I remember from my old sh%t boxes I used to drive, the thermostat is the first place to look. If it stays closed, the water isn't circulating and thus overheats. Cheap fix. 

As mentioned, clean the exterior fins of the radiator for optimal performance. I blow mine out with an air compressor first then flush it with a hose. I prefer not to use pressure washers because the pressure bends and distorts the fins.

Check the radiator fluid also. Old fluid isn't going to do the job it's supposed to.

The only way the cap would be an issue is if it wasn't sealing the fill hole. Maybe the gasket is gone? A new cap could be needed but this wouldn't cause an overheat, just a release spot.


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## Mikecutstrees (Jan 23, 2011)

Iv'e had mine overheat once or twice. The radiator fins were clogged up with crap. As said, blow them out. Problem fixed. And I try not to chip big nasty stuff for long periods of time when it is the hottest part of the day. Good luck

Mike


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## randyg (Jan 24, 2011)

A proper mix of antifreeze will raise the boiling point, but more than the 50/50 mix does not transfer heat as well though. 
Some chips get drawn in through vent in top of hood and then propelled into the radiator by the fan blade at a high rate of speed, bending cooling fins over. After cleaning rad., you might be able to straighten some of these bent over fins very carefully with small bent ice pick type tool? 

Please share the fix with us?
Thanks
randy


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## ropensaddle (Jan 24, 2011)

Many things can cause heating. The cleaning of fins is a great low cost and likely culprit. Restriction of flow is another if the fins don't appear clogged drain radiator and take to a radiator shop and have it flow checked, replace thermostat check water pump for leaks. That should do it if it is not some weird head restriction.


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## Capt. Blye (Jan 30, 2011)

If the oil is good (no antifreeze ie blown head gasket), start with the simple/inexpensive stuff.

Even though the radiator is black and looks clean, chances are it ain't. Steam clean it for a half hour at a radiator shop and you'll see what I mean.
Change the termostat. They go bad occasionally. again they're cheap
If the machine blows out coolant all the time then a gasket in the head is shot.
The head could also be cracked, but this is unlikely.
***Make dam sure the oil doesn't have any antifreeze or water in it or you'll wreck the engine.
I suppose if the engine had a tubo on it and it was failing , that would cause overheating as well. Diesels need a crazy amount of air to run properly, so, make sure your air filter is clean. This also causes over heating.
Should be one of these, though, there are more. 
I would recomend contacting your nearest cat or john deere dealer, but your kinda shaking the dice with diesel mechanics these days. Good luck


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## no tree to big (Jan 30, 2011)

if the thing starts "boiling over" at 90°C (194°F) its not really overheating, the system is not containing the pressure (cooling systems are designed to run at a certain pressure which intern raises the boiling point of the coolant) or to much pressure from a head gasket failure is present. the normal cause of this is simply a worn out radiator cap the spring just looses its strength and can't hold the proper pressure. I'd bet on just a bad rad cap if the head gasket is still intact.


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## imagineero (Jan 31, 2011)

thanks for all the advice and help guys,
Ended up removing the radiator for a really good look at the back and found that some of the fins were bent over and those that were bent were clogged. Straightened all the bent fins out, blew out the dust and gave the radiator a flush. It's running very nicely now! temp sits at a steady 180F all day long no matter how much I load it up. 

Shaun


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