Coolant.

Having had the trattor for a year now it was time for a service last week.
When I first picked it up the coolant (probably just water) was orange. Completely red rusty. So as one duz I flushed out the lot and re filled with a diluted mixture of blue coolant and water. Within a month or so it was orange again so I threw that away and gave it another good flush out but this time refilled with pure blue coolant. no added water at all.
Over the next few months it went completely orange again and remained that way until last week when all was replaced. Its going orange again within a week.

Is that just what happens or am I missing something.

Don't think you're supposed to use undiluted coolant but I can't remember the reason. I tried flushing and changing a number of time, even tried this stuff
http://www.frost.co.uk/frost-stay-cool-1-litre.html

Still filthy. Recently I rebuilt my engine by mistake and the coolant passages were almost full of sludge and rust. Am now trying waterless coolant which I'm sure will be exellent should the engine ever run.

When you flushed it did you take the thermostat out? There's plenty of places for the rusty muck to sit and it's quite often mixed in with oil and grease so resists attempts to flush with cold water.

Thats really fast if its only 1 month or weeks. no scale came out that you noticed?

CakeBandit said:

Thats really fast if its only 1 month or weeks. no scale came out that you noticed?

Click to expand...

Nothing came out other that rusty water. It looked quite clean when I replaced the water pump. I was expecting it to look quite nasty inside. I might replace the radiator when Im next in there as the one thats in is looking a bit old and knackered. The fins have started rotting in places so its probably time.

I changed the radiator in the spring. Out came the same orange water. Now with the new radiator it's nice and clear. This is another OP Mr Stickle. Your smokin this week. Have you taken a landy repair holiday staycation

John S said:

I changed the radiator in the spring. Out came the same orange water. Now with the new radiator it's nice and clear. This is another OP Mr Stickle. Your smokin this week. Have you taken a landy repair holiday staycation

Click to expand...

That's cos it was "spring water"

Boom boom!

I just thought it was the eggs I had put in.

both my s3 and s1 turn blue to brown, thought it was normal

Bobsticle said:

Having had the trattor for a year now it was time for a service last week.
When I first picked it up the coolant (probably just water) was orange. Completely red rusty. So as one duz I flushed out the lot and re filled with a diluted mixture of blue coolant and water. Within a month or so it was orange again so I threw that away and gave it another good flush out but this time refilled with pure blue coolant. no added water at all.
Over the next few months it went completely orange again and remained that way until last week when all was replaced. Its going orange again within a week.

Is that just what happens or am I missing something.

Click to expand...

maybe a weeping head gasket

jamesmartin said:

maybe a weeping head gasket

Click to expand...

The way it blows the oil filler cap off when I top up I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't more than that.

I am thinking about using waterless coolant when I get mine back together. Less stress on the cooling system as it doesn't pressurise and it doesn't bubble on the cylinder walls like water based can.

never heard of this waterless stuff till now, is evans the only stuff?

looks worth it to me

Evans is the only one I know about, opinion is divided on its worth. Two definite facts are its expensive (but claimed to last forever) and has a lower specific heat capacity than water.

LordOWar said:

I am thinking about using waterless coolant when I get mine back together. Less stress on the cooling system as it doesn't pressurise and it doesn't bubble on the cylinder walls like water based can.

Click to expand...

At sixty quid a pop Id rather use dog pizz.

Bobsticle said:

At sixty quid a pop Id rather use dog pizz.

Click to expand...

that's not waterless though

honolulujoe said:

that's not waterless though

Click to expand...

I might just fill it with diesel then. How wrong can it go?

For what it's worth, when we had a Series Forward Control back in the 1980s with a 2 1/4 litre petrol engine, the coolant turned orange more or less immediately. I didn't think anything of it at the time. The pre-rusted iron ingot engines of the 1950s and 1960s seemed to do that a lot. The castings were quite generous so you very rarely had a problem with them corroding through.

Bobsticle said:

At sixty quid a pop Id rather use dog pizz.

Click to expand...

Then you doomed to pass orangey water for the rest of your life. The waterless stuff is an attractive green colour.

Your idea about diesel though, why couldn't you just use a thin engine oil? Should be corrosion free and not boil over too readily.

SpringDon said:

Then you doomed to pass orangey water for the rest of your life. The waterless stuff is an attractive green colour.

Your idea about diesel though, why couldn't you just use a thin engine oil? Should be corrosion free and not boil over too readily.

Click to expand...

How much is a gallon of 3in1