[4310]

Going to put a block heater in my tractor but I need to move a "Suction Tube Manifold" hose before i can get to the drain plug to remove it.

Here is a pic of said hose, has anyone ever taken one off before? What should I expect as far as fluid loss......or any other surprises that i may not be aware of. Thanks

 

[robertg]

I did mine a few months ago. I don't remember lots of hydraulic fluid loss, but the coolant came pouring out pretty fast when I pulled out the plug. I would drain the coolant first, or change it if your tractor is old. I remember having a hard time getting the spring clamps on and I also broke a few extensions and a breaker bar taking out the plug.

 

[Kennyd]

Since that is the suction side hose, and above the sump IIRC then you won't get much hydro fluid out, but as said above you should drain the coolant. Be sure to inspect that hose/manifold carefully, they are well know for getting brittle and cracking, thus alowing the hydraulic system to suck air causing other potentially major issues. If any doubt about it, replace it. Any 4x00 or 4x10 owner should be inspecting that part carefully.

 

[Super55]

4310 can you take some snapshots of the progress as you go through this. I'm thinking about putting a block heater on my 4310 as well and this would be a great thread to come back to reference if possible.

 

[4310]

Thanks!

I do plan on draining the coolant first and changing/flushing it out. The tractor was used when I got it a year ago and I'm not sure what was in it to begin with. Ive read that Im supposed to use a diesel specific antifreeze so Im gonna change it out with coolgard to be on the safe side.

Also thanks for the heads up on the manifold tube cracking. I've been reading these forums daily since before getting the tractor and this is the first that I've heard of this. Mine is starting to show some exterior cracks and I might go ahead and change it out.

Now that I know that I'm not going to suck 6 gallons of hydraulic fluid out onto the floor when I take the manifold off I can worry about getting the plug out of the engine block. I plan on heating it up a little with a propane torch and then using a breaker bar. Maybe even a few taps with the impact wrench. Hopefully I can get it done without cracking the block.

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[4310]

4310 can you take some snapshots of the progress as you go through this. I'm thinking about putting a block heater on my 4310 as well and this would be a great thread to come back to reference if possible.

I sure will.

 

[4310]

Just checked the price of the manifold at green farm parts.......only $17!! I'd be crazy not to replace it.

Still havent figured out the way JD prices parts. When I expect it to be relatively cheap it will be astronomical, when I prepare myself to take out a loan it will be pocket change.

 

[4310]

Ok I got it put in today.

It was fairly straightforward with no real surprises.

I first drained the antifreeze out of the radiator and out of the block. In case you don't know (I didn't until I was reading through my owners manual the other day) there is a drain for the block on the right hand side of the engine a few inches below the fuel filter.

I then took off the suction manifold. I was a little worried about this because I didn't know how hard it would be to get off and put (a new one) back on and I wasn't sure if I would end up with 6 gallons of hydraulic fluid on the floor.

Turns out they come off and go back on really easy. There is also very little hydraulic fluid in them when you have the tractor shut off. I think I ended up losing maybe a few tablespoons full. The manifold has a spring inside of it to keep the hose from collapsing. I was not aware of this but it was easy to take out of the old one and put in the new one.

I then prepared for the worst when getting the plug out of the block. My tractor is 10 years old and had 2000 hours on it.

I didn't have any trouble. I used a 2 foot long breaker bar and a 6 inch 1/2" drive extension. I used moderate pressure and the plug popped loose.

I then put Teflon tape on the heater threads and put it in the hole. I noticed that the heater was made in the USA. EVEN BETTER!!

The only trouble I had was trying to get the heater tightened into the hole. I used a channel lock wrench perpendicular to the bolt part of the heater to get it tight. There's no room to use a wrench properly. It doesn't leak (I drove it around the yard to test it) but I would like to get it about a half turn tighter. I'm going to buy a claw foot wrench to get it taken care of.

Here's what the final result looks like. It took me about an hour from start to finish. I plugged it in to test it and after about 10 minutes the plug was too hot to touch, so it's doing something. I guess I'll find out how it does this winter.

 

[4310]

Just noticed a few of these pics are upside down. Sorry

I guess I should mention that I got the heater from here http://www.autopartsandstuff.com/zerostart-zro-310-0003-engineheater.aspx
Shipping was $13 but it was still cheaper than through JD.

 

[Super55]

Thanks for following up with the pics and walkthrough. It definitely looks easier than what I was figuring. I was fully expecting to have to pop out a freeze plug with a punch and than wiggle it out and put a compression type coupling in. The fact that the block is already threaded makes it a pretty fast and simple project.


Im still on the fence as to whether put one of these coolant heaters on or one of the magnetic oil pan heaters. Been trying to do research to try and find out which is better but haven't really found much. I did find they make battery heaters which I will most definitely be picking up before the extreme cold temps set in.

 

[dieselshadow]

Thanks for following up with the pics and walkthrough. It definitely looks easier than what I was figuring. I was fully expecting to have to pop out a freeze plug with a punch and than wiggle it out and put a compression type coupling in. The fact that the block is already threaded makes it a pretty fast and simple project.


Im still on the fence as to whether put one of these coolant heaters on or one of the magnetic oil pan heaters. Been trying to do research to try and find out which is better but haven't really found much. I did find they make battery heaters which I will most definitely be picking up before the extreme cold temps set in.

I'd stay away from a battery heater. In my experience it was way better to mount an onboard trickle charger than a battery heater. A fully charged battery won't freeze, but a discharged one will.

As far as an oil pan heater vs. a block heater? I prefer both. Warm oil circulates faster and makes the engine much easier to turn over. A block heater makes the engine start much quicker, but does virtually nothing for the oil. They work well hand in hand with each other.

My truck still has the block heater, two oil pan heaters, a transmission oil pan heater, and an onboard trickle chargers for both batteries. Standard affair for a middle-Alaskan winter.

 

[4310]

Found a crowfoot wrench. It takes an 1 3/8"