Mouse, rat, rodent prevention - Intake hose cover

[High Top]

I got a liquifire home that I bought on auction a few weeks ago and was unpleasantly surprised to see eyeballs looking back at me when I pulled the air box hose off. More to come on that in another post. Ran to the hardware store today for some odds and ends and took the intake hose along to see if I could find a decent cover. Was thinking pvc cap but came across a nice rubber cap with clamp that just fit “real nice” as cousin Eddy would say. All my machines have one installed now. Found some plastic flat doughnut rings from something in the junk pile and scribbled “take off the intake cover, you dummy” and put them over the handle bars as a reminder. Anyone else have any tricks to keeping them out? I’m wondering if they can get into exhaust pipe and do any damage?? Haven’t seen evidence yet on mine but has this happened to anyone else?

Fernco QC-102 that is a 2 inch pipe cover.

[400brian]

The early sleds had a screen over the air intake. I have improved on that on my sleds. I put a short section of thin wall conduit inside the hose, and clamp a 1/4" screen over top. Mice in the air box? all the time. I sucked a mouse nest into an early 340, and it didn't end well.

[High Top]

I think a couple of my machines had something similar but not nearly as clean looking as that. I’d considered screen but in my shed wasps and other crawly things seem to always be present so wanted something solid especially for the summer. I’d say most all mine have had evidence of mice in the air box but hadn’t cause damage yet. The exhaust hasn’t shown evidence of them but it seems like they could get in there potentially.