3CX overheat :(

[Jeremy Rowland]

Okay Seamus, always a pleasure to try and help, these things are just part of sods law and we all live and learn.
At least you have a starting point now so I hope its all okay for you, if not you know where to look.

Jeremy

[McSpud]

Yeah Jeremy, but why is it always me that has to do the learning! hah!!
Anyway, I'll see can I get a headgasket kit for this beast and consider if I'll make a stab myself or pay some other lad through the nose to do it. My thinking is to tackle it myself, I might as well learn something from my hardship I suppose!

Seamus

[diggerjones]

hi mcspud,
i am only a digger driver who does basic spannering on my machines but i think you have got to much to worry about, them engines will take a lot of pain and by the sound of it i doubt you ever push it to the max. years ago i was driving a 3cx same as yours about a e reg, that boiled i remember because i did the classic and took the cap off and burnt my arm slightly. cant remember what was wrong, perhaps fan belt brake, but no harm done. whats the heater like if i remember the heater rad is under cab perhaps check this out. as for doing a head gasket if you have to i would'nt think it was to far from your caplebilities. i would'nt worry to much either way, i would however take the others advise and put it under some heavy work because it needs to be tested also check the rad cap just bought one for mine £4.25. good look

[McSpud]

Hey Dylan,
yeah I'm hoping I might get by at least until the autumn with it, I've just too much on right now to tackle something like this. I will check out the cab heater, I'm not sure exactly where that is, I can't remember the last time I used the heater even! hah!!
Seamus

[Neversweat]

What sort of fan arrangement does a 3cx have ??
Is it fixed or a viscous type arrangement ?

Steve

[McSpud]

Umm, I'm not sure what you're asking me Steve, the fan is driven by a fan belt at the front it's not electric.
Am I answering the right question?
Seamus..

[Neversweat]

A viscous fan has a hub - so if you got hold of the blades they would spin freely - the hub locks in and out as needed to cool the engine - i don't know a great deal about plant applications so i don't know if this type of fan is used

Steve

[McSpud]

No Steve, with the engine off, the fan is locked solid, looks like it's mounted on a hub alright, but I rekon its all the pulley, directly driven from the fan belt. I've never seen the fan not running anyways.

I'm slowly coming to terms with the job that lies ahead, but I think I'll wait till it shows a sign of heating up once more, just so that I'll be more confident taking the head off, that I'm doing the right thing..

[Hugh Jaleak]

I've known a few 3C's boil up, one occasion was with 2 people driving it, one on front bucket one on back trying to get her out of a bit of a sticky situation. Dont think it was so much over revving the engine, more the load the hydraulics were putting on the engine.

In the end she was left to cool and got dragged out with the Akerman.....

[McSpud]

Hugh, in that case you describe, did the head gasked need replacing afterwards?
S