Plug your Orifices!

[dcotant]

So I tore down my 49 some 10 years ago, bought a 52 parts truck about 5 years ago and started driving it about a week after I bought it until about 6 months ago when I started transferring parts from the 52 to the 49. Always decisions to be made on which part to use and of course I wanted to use the best parts with a tie breaker being original 49 parts getting preference.

 

When it came to the radiator, the 49 was in much better shape and slightly different ( bigger top tank with baffles, larger opening and cap ). As I mentioned it had been in "storage" in my barn for about 10 years but seemed good, flushed clean, so I painted and installed it.

 

First few trips on the road, no problem.  First actual drive was on father's day this year, no drivers door, no windshield, no box, no floor boards, no front clip or fenders but at least I had a milk crate for a seat. About a month ago I had it "street legal enuff" and started longer runs to test everything out. Then finally a run to town to get lumber for a project. I am one of those guys that works their truck. Well that run to town is when the trouble started and the engine overheated.

 

As most of you know how disappointing it can be to think you had that work already done, and of course after having this truck for 45 years I am well aware that you are never really done, there is always something that needs fixing, but it was a bit devastating.

 

Well digging into the problem I found a bit of something in the top tank of the radiator that looked like mouse nest. Near as I can tell a mouse family moved into the top tank and the nest they built didn't cause any problems in the beginning ( must have been bunched up at one end ) but when it began to disintegrate it plugged all the tubes enough that the coolant could not get to the bottom tank to feed the water pump.

 

End of story I am running the 52 radiator and happily back on the road.  Hauled a load of elm yesterday that would have brought my 1/2 ton 52 to its knees but the 3/4 ton 49 didn't even notice.

 

Moral of story is to plug those orifices on the parts you store. I am not unfamiliar with mud wasps filling every hole they can fill and mice doing what mice do, but I just wasn't thinking they would move into that upper tank. To add insult to injury I am pretty sure they used the cotton from my seat to build that nest.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Once a mouse makes a nest in a radiator....good luck flushing it out.

Mice get into everything and ruin anything they get into.

Yes you better plug anything they might try to get into. They will ruin it if you don't.

I have a running big dodge air brake truck sits outside. Just a parts truck really but keep it running and drivable.

A week ago I started it up with the rear end up in the air with the rear duallies spinning ...

I saw mice jumping out of the rt rear backing plates! What the......?

Ended up pulling the backing plates off and using the big cutting torch to burn the nest and stink out of the drum and shoes...damn mice really really piss me off!

They get into everything.?

[RobertKB]

10 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Once a mouse makes a nest in a radiator....good luck flushing it out.

Mice get into everything and ruin anything they get into.

Yes you better plug anything they might try to get into. They will ruin it if you don't.

I have a running big dodge air brake truck sits outside. Just a parts truck really but keep it running and drivable.

A week ago I started it up with the rear end up in the air with the rear duallies spinning ...

I saw mice jumping out of the rt rear backing plates! What the......?

Ended up pulling the backing plates off and using the big cutting torch to burn the nest and stink out of the drum and shoes...damn mice really really piss me off!

They get into everything.?

 

Poor little mice are just doing what they have to do to survive........................................just yanking your chain!

 

I have mouse traps set up in my garage and always plug any orifices on spare engines and other parts. If you have ever smelled a mouse infested car, you will never forget the smell. I had a chance once to buy a low mile Chrysler from the 70's but it had been left in a quonset and was full of mice. Great runner but I couldn't even drive it because of the smell. Car ended up going to the crusher thanks to the mice. 

Edited November 25, 2020 by RobertKB

[kencombs]

Reminds me of a similar happening.  Back in the early 70s I sold a used Ford engine to a guy. He had started a rebuild and found much more damage that he expected.  I took his old engine in exchange.  Mostly junk, but the heads had been done and the intake vatted.  Put them on the shelf for future use.  A year or so later I bought a nice 66 2d HT Galaxy with a 302.  Ran well except for a burned valve.  Retrieved the heads and manifold from storage, bought some gaskets and had a nice running car in an afternoon.

 

But, when driving on the highway above 50 or so it would overheat.  Checked all the normal stuff, over and over.  Finally I removed the thermostat housing and was running water into the radiator while watching it bubble out.  Pecans began to appear.  Apparently mice or rats had deposited the winter food supply in the interior of either the heads or manifold.  Once those where gone so were my heating problems.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Frickin mice!

[Brent B3B]

55 minutes ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Frickin mice!

[PT81PlymouthPickup]

Yep! I've had my share of mice problems too. Them little buggers are hard workers and have done lots of damage when I let my guard down. I don't like killing them, but when they mess with my truck it's time to go hunting. Lols!  Living near the Delaware river, other critters have given me considerable grief too. Took the truck out for a spin first time last year and every time I stepped on the gas pedal it would almost die. After several hours of trying to figure it out, I determined a spider had built a nest in my carburetor which completely blocked the accelerator pump from working. I've also battled with mud wasps, which around here want to seal any small hole they find. An open fuel or brake line during the summer months will be plugged with mud in just a day or two. Geez! Most of the other creatures don't mess with my truck, but do mess with my shop. You name it! Squirrels, Bats, Groundhogs, Raccoon, Skunk, Fox, Rats, Mice, Woodpeckers, Ants, All sorts of bees and wasps, even snakes and toads.

[JBNeal]

my '49 spent many years as a feline sanctuary in The Panhandle before I dragged it home...haven't had a mouse problem for going on 20 years of being parked between a cornfield and a hay pasture...the others in the fleet have not fared so well ?

[Dodgeb4ya]

2 hours ago, Brent B3B said:

I had two of those for 10/12 Years or so..

There were so many mice they gave up and died.

At least the mice don't get in the shop or home.

I'm praying for "Mice Covid 2021"

.

[Tooljunkie]

I did some repair on fargo, panel that visors mount to. Was rusted out due to them critters. So, removed cab,pressure washed everything with some strong detergent,washed chassis and everything i could. 
Brought it into quonset and the next day, i find mouse droppings on cab floor. Piss me off. Well,move on and get to assembling truck and its back to its near complete state. Trying to trap whatever is causing my anxiety with mixed success. Built a bucket trap, caught 3 in my shop and only one in quonset. 
this last one cleaned up the bait,and is nowhere to be seen. 
Would fall into bucket and jump out i presume. Or maybe i need a bigger trap?  

[DJ194950]

A garage cat, not fed often and leave no matches or flammables out in the open! ? ?

 

DJ

[wallytoo]

the only good rodent is a dead rodent.  i do a lot of mouse improvement.  smashed one on my kitchen counter last week, and improved several more via the snap traps in the basement and garage.  they've also been improving themselves via the bait stations in said basement and garage.  i put cayenne and dryer sheets in my vehicles to keep them from homing there.

 

the non-bait improved mice go out on a guardrail post for the crows.  they enjoy them, and visit daily to check on supply.

[Jeff Balazs]

Geez.........guess I have been lucky so far. The only pests I have had in my 52 has been the occaisional bee that have made it into the cab when I am driving down the road. Dodge should have made a screen for the cab vent scoop......

Jeff

[Tooljunkie]

Well, a little liquid seemed to have worked. 1” in the bottom and mickey couldnt make the leap. Reset and see what happens i guess. 

[Tooljunkie]

Place where i used to work, had a shop cat. Was awesome, but he always wanted praise before he would devour his bounty. Something i couldnt bear to watch. Then the other killer cat i knew would leave them on the doorstep. Buddy stepped on more than one mouse,sometimes barefoot. 

[ggdad1951]

shop cats!  

 

 

[Brent B3B]

LOL, You need to fire your cat

 

[DJ194950]

The laptop must be a warm spot!

 

Or,  is going to get attention one way or another.

 

DJ

[ggdad1951]

15 hours ago, Brent B3B said:

LOL, You need to fire your cat

 

 

it was dead, she left it for me as a present!

 

[ggdad1951]

13 hours ago, DJ194950 said:

The laptop must be a warm spot!

 

Or,  is going to get attention one way or another.

 

DJ

 

I literally got up to water a tree for 2 mins and came back and she was curled up on the warm laptop!

[RobertKB]

18 hours ago, ggdad1951 said:

shop cats!  

 

 

 

Love the picture! It clearly shows the difference between cats and dogs. A dog would have followed you out but a cat will take advantage to find comfort. Personally, I prefer cats. They are their own beings and we are there to serve them.