OK, so I almost burned my 400 to the ground

Maj_hazard · Post by **Maj_hazard** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:27 pm

Funny story, well sort of..

My JD 400 kinda let me down last winter and died on the road. So I was mad and dragged it into the garage at the cottage and left it. I was guilty of doing nothing all spring and summer and didn't even drain the gas.

Last weekend I was up at the cottage with my 5 year old. I figured I'd try and start the old girl. I gave it a short shot of ether and she started with the second pull. Kinda smokie but she was running. Took her out and went for a short run . I don't remember it running this good. After pulling back into the cottage smoke starts pouring out from under the hood. Shut her down and open the cowling to find flaming materal falling from the back of the engine. After a short heart attach and several snowballs aimed at the engine the fire was out.

Seems a mouse built a nest on the exhaust manifold during the last year and that's what was burning. I guess I learned a lesson .. Just have to figure out what that lesson was ..

Cheers

Hazard

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Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:49 pm

You got lucky. This happened to my neighbors tractor. It was flaming pretty good.

S_Kyle · Post by **S_Kyle** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:03 pm

My cousin toastd a T cat this winter, he was not happy. He only got 40 miles after he bought it.

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:44 am

Mice are a problem. They love to eat seat foam, use your carb as a comode and fill your exhaust with seeds.

Through a stray cat in your storage shed and all it does is sharpen ii's claws on your seats.

What to do.....

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:57 am

I bought some rodecide called TomCat. Now I have dead mice all over in that barn.

big danno 1970 · Post by **big danno 1970** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:16 am

I just throw a few moth balls under the hood and on the running boards,then I sprinkle the floor with lye and I have not had a problem since.The little buggers dont like the smell of moth balls and the lye burns the pads on their feet so they stay away.
I tried the moth balls in the house once to...it got ride of the rodents but the smell was bad enough that it almost got rid of me and the wife too

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:57 pm

What is Lye again?? I know what it is but cant place it.

JDT · Post by **JDT** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:56 pm

You are to young to have seen this Bob, but back in the good old days when you would drive around the countryside you could not help but notice all the holes in underwear that hung on what was called a clothes line. Those were caused by lye. Or is that a lie?

400brian · Post by **400brian** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:13 pm

That would be a lie!

Lye (also known as caustic soda) is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly, sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes.

Solid dry lye is commonly available as flakes, pellets, microbeads, and coarse powder. It is also available as solution, often dissolved in water. Lye is valued for its use in food preparation, soap making, biodiesel production, and household uses, such as oven cleaner and drain opener.

It is also used to make lutefisk ( "cod soaked in plutonium" ).

traildeere · Post by **traildeere** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:19 pm

Something I learned (by mistakes made by some friends) do not put a cover on your sled
when storing for the off season if at all possible. Mice love to crawl under the cover. I guess they think they are safer???
It's easier to remove pigeon droppings than to recover your seat.

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:12 pm

I take the seat off and the windshield and tarp it.