Planning: Easy Start for Winter
Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:02 am
Yesterday put the heater element for water into the water inlet elbow with the heater being sideways for ease of water flow. All bolted and cinched down. Dumped about 2 gals. of old and yukky looking coolant (saved for recycle guys...I hope they take it), and refilled. My book says the Cub takes 9 3/4 qts. I put in 2 gals. with a bit coming out of the overflow tube. Washed down ground so cat won't be tempted to lick that poisonous sweet smelling stuff. Replaced those old hose clamps with stainless steel hose clamps because I wasn't too sure the old clamps would do the job...but I've saved them because the look kind of interesting--anyone reuse them?--I'd like to maybe reuse them someday.
Now I want to soon plug the heater element into the barn electrical circuit and check for heating potential. At the 2 gal. +/- level, I cannot see any fluid at the refill cap, and I used to always think that I had to see something there to make sure it wasn't running out of fluid. What do you guys do about that? Then I want to plug in, check water temp. at, I guess, the refill cap every hour just to see if it is heating. Would be better to measure temp. on engine block, but not sure how to do that. Ideas? And, is there a usual, optimal operating temp. for the water?
I'm guessing the snow plow will go on soon.
DickB
Now I want to soon plug the heater element into the barn electrical circuit and check for heating potential. At the 2 gal. +/- level, I cannot see any fluid at the refill cap, and I used to always think that I had to see something there to make sure it wasn't running out of fluid. What do you guys do about that? Then I want to plug in, check water temp. at, I guess, the refill cap every hour just to see if it is heating. Would be better to measure temp. on engine block, but not sure how to do that. Ideas? And, is there a usual, optimal operating temp. for the water?
I'm guessing the snow plow will go on soon.
DickB