520H Hydro Fan Alternatives (Too many broken blades)

[56servi 64]

The snow has finally melted here in SE Michigan.  laying in the drive were several pieces of white plastic that were from the hydro fan.  These were caused by in inside links of the tire chain that I didn't have secured well enough.  Over the years I have broken blades in the summer also because of mud & junk collecting on the inside of the tire. 

Tired of spending $30 for a new fan every year and looking for other ways to provide cooling for the hydro.  I don't cut grass with the 520.  It is only used for occasional moving of dirt with the blade and pulling my lawn aerator.

What parts of the hydro need to be cooled by the fan (oil, mechanical parts or?)

If its just the oil, I am thinking about relocating the oil filter and adding a small oil cooler radiator.  

I have an old B&S Vanguard remote oil filter kit I could use.

 

 

[WHX?? 54,830]

1 hour ago, 56servi said:

Tired of spending $30

Holy crap You ain't kidding did they go up!!! I used to get them for 10 bucks. Might be able to find a cheaper suitable replacement. 

I don't think relocating the filter isn't going to do much. A oil cooler yes but worth the effort? I would be tempted to just run it without and monitor especially in heavy use in really hot weather.  Keep the fins clean.   

Edited 22 hours ago by WHX??

[ebinmaine 77,235]

34 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Holy crap You ain't kidding did they go up!!! I used to get them for 10 bucks. Might be able to find a cheaper suitable replacement. 

I don't think relocating the filter is going to do much. A oil cooler yes but worth the effort? I would be tempted to just run it without and monitor especially in heavy use in really hot weather.  Keep the fins clean.   

 

 

As a person trained in hydraulic systems I'm not sure I'd advise NO fan. 

 

Heat is a huge problem for the internals. Orifice sizes change. O rings get too hot. Different metals and other materials change size at different rates. 

 

Fix the issues. 

Get a new fan. 

Get a wheel spacer. 

 

Perhaps a metal replacement is available? 

 

 

 

[Ed Kennell 44,788]

53 minutes ago, 56servi said:

caused by in inside links of the tire chain that I didn't have secured well enough.

I  always cut the inside chains to the correct length then connect them with one of these.

 

[wallfish 19,228]

First instinct is to replace the fan blade and stop whatever is breaking them from happening again. Like a well placed guard or 2 maybe? Cage? 

But an oil cooler would work too. Probably need a small 12v fan to run air through a small radiator. All of that stuff is available on amz but it seems like a lot more work and effort involved vs just protecting the fan blade IMO

[WHX?? 54,830]

16 minutes ago, wallfish said:

more work and effort involved vs just protecting the fan blade IMO

Yep nailed it.

A cheaper alternative?

 

https://ebay.us/m/DHkbBh

 

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

I'm not sure I'd advise NO fan. 

I've done it ...  never had the Hydro temp light come on and never seemed to get really hot. I keep my fins spotless tho. 

'Fish still nailed it. 

 

Just happened to have one laying here... 

Edited 23 hours ago by WHX??

[ri702bill 11,225]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Heat is a huge problem for the internals. Orifice sizes change. O rings get too hot.

Buna-N is NOT a good choice for the O-ring material then. See if you can find the size in HNBR - that is a high temp material - and is brown in color.

[Handy Don 15,863]

To be extremely clear (and warned), the Eaton charge pump oil flow (i.e. that which runs through the filter and which a cooler would cool) does not run through the motion pump/motor and is (IMHO) quite unlikely to have a significant impact on cooling. The motion pump and motor mostly circulate the same oil internally. Yes, there is a small “bypass” amount that flows into the transaxle sump and is made up from the charge pump low pressure line, but it is only a tiny fraction of the total involved for motion. As @ebinmaine notes, excess heat in hydraulic pumps and motors will damage them.

I conçur, heartily, with the “replace and protect the fan" recommendations. 

 

[kpinnc 17,116]

The Eaton 1100 transmission is by far the most expensive part of your tractor. Used, about $400 and well over $2000 new if you can find one. 

 

Not only would I pay $30 for a fan, I'd buy two to make sure I had a spare. 

 

Heat and contaminants are the worst enemy of these transmissions. The ball ports have .0005 (5/ ten-thousanths) clearances, and the smallest grit will destroy them. Since heat breaks down the qualities of the oil, you're gonna soon after have contaminants circulating anyway. Better off just paying silly money for a fan... 

[56servi 64]

Based on all the reply's I am going to do the following

1. Buy a new (highly over priced ) fan for the summer

2. Cut the extra inside links off my tire chains.

     (I put the chains on in January and it was cold in garage)

3. Remove the fan during the winter

4. Might try and fab a wire cage for around the fan

I bought the tractor last summer, and it needed a lot of work to get it ready for snow removal.  I was the only one on our street that was happy to see all the snow we got this year.

Thanks

 

[WHX?? 54,830]

4 hours ago, kpinnc said:

Used, about $400

Geez wished you'd told me that before I gave one away. Flea market once and a guy had the whole NOS rear end for 100. Had a couple of them.  Less the pump tho. 

[Handy Don 15,863]

7 hours ago, 56servi said:

3. Remove the fan during the winter

Lots and lots of folks run chains and a fan without interference. There must be a way.

IMHO, it is a poor bet that a cold ambient temperature will somehow offset not having a fan during a plowing/blowing session which has a lot of direction changes and forces the Eaton to work hard. It is no accident that WH added a transaxle high temp warning light to higher horsepower models. 

[WHX?? 54,830]

18 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

run chains and a fan without interference. There must be a way.

Absolutely Don like Ed Dog posted. .. I run some pretty rad chains but have everything nipped in the bud. Coupled of machines I simply have them loose ends tie wrapped/wired out of harm's way. No fan blades have been harmed in my tractors. 

Stole that fine fine SG club sticker Don  Looks good on you 

[lynnmor 8,600]

I had the rear get very hot while mowing with a 520H because the fan was slipping.  Until that happened I didn’t know how much the fan was needed.  Use threadlocker on the fan bolt because you can’t make it extremely tight without damaging the plastic.  

[squonk 45,444]

Eaton's are usually pretty cheap at the show. The cost climbs with the hot dogs and root beer floats you have top buy for the help you need moving and loading them. Things are freakin heavy! 

[JCM 10,756]

9 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Absolutely Don like Ed Dog posted. .. I run some pretty rad chains but have everything nipped in the bud. Coupled of machines I simply have them loose ends tie wrapped/wired out of harm's way. No fan blades have been harmed in my tractors. 

9 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Lots and lots of folks run chains and a fan without interference. There must be a way.

IMHO, it is a poor bet that a cold ambient temperature will somehow offset not having a fan during a plowing/blowing session which has a lot of direction changes and forces the Eaton to work hard. It is no accident that WH added a transaxle high temp warning light to higher horsepower models. 

 

24 years on a 91  520-H. Still on the original fan. With a spare in stock just in case.

[lynnmor 8,600]

1 hour ago, JCM said:

24 years on a 91  520-H. Still on the original fan. With a spare in stock just in case.

I had two develop fatigue cracks at the base of the blades but never had damage from other sources.