Had some problems with my tractor today :(

[JohnnyBM931A2]

John my truck will not reach heater temp until I drive about a mile or two then it will run you out of truck.
1. Are the vents open
2. Is the blower working can you feel difference between high and low
3. Have you touched heater hoses to see if they are hot.
4. Are you sure valves coming off engine are totally open.

1. Yes.
2. Both speeds work. You can even hear the difference from the drivers seat.
3. Haven't done that yet. However, the temp gauge does not move until I am already at work. At that point if I turn the heater on you can start to feel warm air blow out.
4. Haven't verified that they are open 100%.. Hadn't thought about that. However, as I said above I do start to get some heat once the gauge goes up.

I'm really starting to think that I have a thermostat issue. That might explain why running the block heater for 9 hours didn't seem to have any effect.

 

[The HUlk]

When my PPV stuck causing the same overpressure issue, I removed it to inspect. It looked new inside so I put a little ATF in the fitting and used a small diameter steel rod to action the valve & spring working the oil into it. Haven't had any trouble with it since and that was months ago.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Do you have a temp gun you can shoot some temps with? "Warm" is a very broad range of temps. I also wouldn't use the stock temp gauge during troubleshooting.

To check if the thermostat is stuck open, run the block heater for a couple hours and then check the radiator for temp increase. If the thermostat is open you'll lose heat through the radiator. A slight increase, maybe 10°, is normal due to radiant heat from the block with the hood closed.

Shoot the temp of the block at the location of the heater. It doesn't need to be a precise measurement, just consistent, and will give you a base line to work from. Measure that same spot each time when checking. Then check temps at the heater hoses, around the block and on the other coolant hoses to see where the heat travels. The temp at the heater location will also give you an idea of whether it's working properly.

Some numeric values would be beneficial here.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

Yeah.. I will go buy an IR temp gun tomorrow.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

Temp readings are as follows:

Area directly around block heater is 96 degrees
Radiator temp is 34
Upper hose for cab heater is about 70
Lower hose is 57

I should point out for reference purposes that I had the heater plugged in for 5 hours. I meant to do it for 3 hours, but I ended up going out to lunch with some family members. Outside temp when I turned it on at 8am was in the 20's. When I tested it half an hour ago at 1:00 the outside temp was 47.

On a slightly odd note... When I lifted up the hood to read the temps, I could hear what sounded like an air leak. Kind of a hissing sound. On a hunch, I unplugged the block heater and the sound went away within 5-10 seconds. Is something wrong, or is that normal as the heater heats the coolant? I don't recall hearing that before, but this is the first time that I have popped the hood after running the block heater for hours.

 

[wrenchturner6238]

That noise is normal. It is the coolant being heated.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

Thank you