Strong Suggestion for Idled Trucks - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

m139h2otruck · 05-07-2007, 14:27

I have what I think is a good suggestion for trucks that have been idle for an extended period (learned the hard way!).

As we all know, insects and rodents seem to gravitate towards the green iron, and will take up residence within minutes (it appears) of shut down. The new tractor had obviously sat for a period of time (unknown) at the shop of the person I bought it from. It started and ran sort of OK, but didn't have any power and acted like bad fuel/injectors/etc. running around the yard in low range 4th and 5th. Drained the fuel from one tank, changed both filters and still ran funny. Had already looked in the air filter can for visitors, and saw none. Still ran funny. Removed air filter end and element and over one half of the inside of the element was full of hardened mouse nest. No debris in piping to turbo, but still ran funny! Finally, took intake piping apart inside engine compartment, and in the inlet of the turbo stuck to the turbine were two dried up mouse bodies, nearly blocking the air flow and keeping the impeller wedged tight to the housing. No idea how they got in, as all hoses were on and had clamps on them. Its no wonder that the engine acted choked! Bodies of the visitors were very dried out and hard, and had been in there for a while. Now engine acts like it's got 6 cylinders and a good turbo whine like a Mack should have. No harm to anything that I can see or hear.

So, check for visitors if there is any doubt!!

maddawg308 · 05-07-2007, 14:32

I hear that - when I got my -725 I noticed a lot of mouse droppings and mud dauber nests everywhere on the truck. Still removing them from weird places, and hope that when it finally fires up that there aren't any REALLY hidden ones in the cylinders that would screw everything up. Daily or bi-daily use of your MV will prevent this build-up, it seems, as use seems to scare away the critters. Fresh oil and the smell of humans is not very friendly to animals, and once a vehicle is left to sit, the invitation opens up to the critters to come back in.

steelsoldiers · 05-07-2007, 14:37

Dang, I've had my share of mouse nests in parked vehicles, but never dead vermin in the turbo inlet! My neighbor shaved his cat with the fan on his 460 once. Dang thing ran around half naked for a few weeks, but was lucky to be alive. So, cats may keep the mice away, but they also like warm engine blocks

yorkgulch2 · 05-07-2007, 16:10

I had problems with mice eating civilian wiring and living under the hood of my m37. A friend told me to try fabric softener sheets and they are working so far (2 years)

cranetruck · 05-07-2007, 16:22

Today I was working the crane for the first time in a week or so and when I moved the boom a couple of small bird eggs fell out.
After I was done, all openings got some duct tape to keep nesting birdies out.

poppop · 05-07-2007, 19:52

I have cranked tractors that had sat for a couple weeks and blown bird nests out of the exhaust pipe.

pa.rich · 05-07-2007, 20:43

The mice took pink insulatiion and made a nest in the intake of my wifes Ford Explorer, twice.

rmgill · 05-07-2007, 21:03

Funniest thing I've heard of is an engine that'd sat for a while in a vehicle that would NOT turn over by hand or with the starter. The head was finally pulled in disgust by the new owner who found one of the cylinders was FULL of acorns. The valve was open and some mouse that had gotten through the exhaust manifold had used the cylinder in question as a grain silo.

OPCOM · 05-07-2007, 23:25

I had a big fat possum sleeping on top of the engine for a while. After rudely awakening it with the startup procedure a few times, it decided to find other day accomodations. Apparently it is fond of the swedish meatballs and other tidbits meant for my porch cats. It's really kind of cute with its beady little eyes. Wonder how many teeth that thing has..

ida34 · 05-07-2007, 23:44

Ivory soap in the cab will work to keep out rodents also. I have Ivory all over the place in my travel trailer and no rodents have infiltrated yet.