Mice nest in radiator

RedJD · Feb 14, 2019

I have a 51 JD model A that set in shop with bottom water pipe off for several months due to illness. The top of radiator has mice nest of insulation in it.Radiator cap was on, so are there side tanks where they could go in the bottom and get to the top. The sheet metal is still on, but I can't see any other way for this to happen .

matthies · Feb 14, 2019

They crawled in the lower water port of the head, to the block up around the cylinders and up the top pipe to the radiator.

MSD · Feb 14, 2019

Had a 720 diesel I overhauled one time. Radiator sat in the shop while I worked on it. Had it running and it overheated. Changed thermostat, no change. No thermostat, no change.
Finally pulled radiator and found the mouse nest and it's remnant had plugged the cores pretty good. I seal all the openings now if they sit around.

RedJD · Feb 15, 2019

The head was off because of a blown head gasket

RedJD · Feb 15, 2019

Good idea, I should have done the same

Mike M · Feb 15, 2019

Sounds like a mess to get cleaned up ? You might want to remove the top pipe so you can get more access to clean it out of the top rad. and block. I'd suck out all I could with a vacuum cleaner and then try back flushing it with water hose and maybe add an air blast with the water.

DIRKB37 · Feb 15, 2019

The EXACT same thing happened to me with my 51A. I ended up putting a new core in the radiator because it was completely plugged up.
I actually didn't realize it was mice until i took the top tank off and found the nests. When I bought the tractor I was told the
head was off for a long time and only put back together to sell. So it was just assembled, not checked. It was not until later that
I discovered more mouse nests in the block around the water jackets when I was overhauling it a year later. It never ran hot but it
was not clean either.

RedJD · Feb 15, 2019

Probably what I will have to do.
I?m gonna try compressed air in bottom and vacuum in the top like one of the other people who replied suggested.
How hard was it to remove the tanks from the old core?

RedJD · Feb 15, 2019

Thanks, gonna try that today.

RedJD · Feb 15, 2019

Put the exhaust from my shop vac in bottom of the
radiator and other side in the top, sucked out a big
handful of insulation. Didn?t work at first, had to stick
a bolt in overflow opening, ran water in the top and
got some rust out , after that clear water ran out the
radiator and block. Hope I got it all out.

Richard in Bee · Feb 15, 2019

You should do what I did. Not notice it and fill it up with water. Then run the tractor a little and let it sit in the sun for a couple of weeks. Then drain it. blaaaa

Mice nest in radiator

RedJD

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matthies

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MSD

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RedJD

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Mike M

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DIRKB37

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RedJD

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Richard in Bee

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