# j.d. 955 overheating?



## StrmChzr (Sep 14, 2004)

when operating the roto-tiller, my 955 overheat light comes on after 15 - 20 minutes of continuous operation... i have been tilling my deer plots, kickin' up a lot of dust, and i wonder if i need to be "cleaning" out the tractor after each use... any idears








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## memmurphy (Sep 18, 2003)

Welcome to Tractorforum StrmChzr!:friends: 

I just have an LT150 myself. But I believe others here with a tractors like yours mentioned needing to clean off the air intakes fairly frequently in dusty conditions. They should be along shortly to help you out.

Mark


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## JimK (Jul 19, 2004)

I have a 955. Luckily I have not had any overheating problems, even with heavy use over several hours.

Remove the front grill and make sure it is clean. Check the screen that is in front of the radiator. It removes by pulling it up. Use compressed air or a garden hose to blow out debris that may be in the radiator (engine off of course!).

Start with the basics and then go from there. HTH.


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## StrmChzr (Sep 14, 2004)

thanks murph and jimk for the reply...you guys have a cool site!

how do i order an owner's manual and/or other useful maintenance books for my 955? 

here's a pic (6/26/04) i took of dad roto-tilling the duck marsh...

A _DUSTY_ ROW TO HOE


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Welcome to Tractor Forum StrmChzr! 
:friends: :cheers: As already mentioned; I would check the obvious stuff ASAP. I blow out the radiator with compressed air after each use and pressure wash it periodically to keep things clean and make sure everything is working correctly. I would not let the engine overheat again. This is extremely risky with a diesel and you can risk blowing a head gasket or worse. If cleaning the radiator does not solve this problem; check the thermostat and pressure test the cooling system. A blown head gasket will cause a gradual over heating as you mentioned. Is the engine consuming any coolant?


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## JimK (Jul 19, 2004)

StrmChzr,

There is a JD 955 Owner/User manual on Ebay right now. You can also order them from JD. Service manuals are available on CD or in paper form.

How many hours on the 955? How long have you had it?


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## StrmChzr (Sep 14, 2004)

fella's,

i cleaned a "mat" of debris outta' the area in front of the radiator....i ran the tractor hard this weekend w/ no warning light sightings (i watched it llke a hawk)...kinda' feel stupid for not thinking to check...

i don't know how many hours are on the j.d.. i forgot to check, but it was bought new the summer of '95.


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## JimK (Jul 19, 2004)

Congrats on the easy solution. Keep an eye on it and you should have no more issues.

And it reiterate Chief, welcome to the site! Come back and visit often. :cheers:


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

You can call JD Publications with your tractor's model number AND serial number at 1-800-522-7448 during normal business hours (Central time). I'm guessing an owner's manual in paper form will be around $25-30 and the service (shop) manual is probably over $100 in paper form. The CD-ROMs are a little cheaper. Getting one on ebay may be fine, but it also might be for a serial number range different than yours and not include stuff you need.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Glad the fix was cheap and easy like me!   Hopefully that will the end of any troubles. Don't be a stranger. :tractorsm


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## StrmChzr (Sep 14, 2004)

wow --- thanks for all the info! 955 has 315 hour on her...

i'm callin' j.d publication in the morning to get an owner's manual....the cd-rom service manual would be nice, maybe down the road......

is it safe to power wash the front end area?








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how about under the hood?








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oh yeah, i broke the ball-joint off the 3 point.!!! always something!!








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can i order this piece myself or do i need to call the local j.d. guys to order?

should look like this:








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looks like this:








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## JimK (Jul 19, 2004)

315 hours!?!?!?!?!  That thing is a baby. Hardly broken in. Mine is a 1990 and has 1420 hours, which is pretty low for it's age (or so I thought until you showed up). :winky: 

I would not power wash anything on or under the hood. Too much potential for collateral damage. Just use a regular garden hose with a spray nozzle and that should be plenty of pressure. The grass screen can be removed entirely for cleaning. Then wash out the radiator from the fan side to blow out any debris lodged in the fins. Make sure that oil cooler is clean too.

With respect to the lift arm strut upper link, you got lucky. Since it is the adjustable side, you should be able to just replace the upper end, rather than the whole strut. Check with your local TSC or implement dealer. Is it a JD part? If so, you should be able to get it through the local JD dealer. Be sure to lube all the ball joints on the TPL arms and the top link.


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Nice machine! You can't order Deere parts directly, must go through a dealer. You can go to Deere parts on line and get pricing and part numbers before you go to your dealer to avoid a surprise. You have to register to use it, but it is free and allws access to drawings of where parts go, and alerts you to parts that have been substituted. I wouldn't even use a garden hose under the hood. Try getting a reasonably stiff paint brush and using that to brush out the dirt. Water has a bad habit of finding places to go that it shouldn't.


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## JimK (Jul 19, 2004)

Joe is right. If you can avoid water altogether, that would be best. Make sure you dont get water in the distributor cap! :furious: 

Use compressed air to blow out the debris from the radiators if you have it available, as Chief mentioned earlier.


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