skidder fires

[pigpen]

Looking for anyone that has had issues in dry weather with sparks from the exhaust?  (the only thing we can figure that was starting them) I have a 353 in a C5D and we are cutting oak with under story of scrub oak. Wondering if there is any screens or piece of catalytic converter to put into the end of the pipe? Just seeing if this is common or I'm just "that lucky"! Had 2 fires within an hour! Then we quit and are finishing this am while the dew is on. Thanks! Stay safe!

[Logger RK]

I've had that problem before. Especially if muffler is not to good of shape. Hot rust pieces & built up carbon can blow out. Especially under a heavy load. I'll wrap steel or nonplastic screen over the ends of mufflers in fire danger times. Also on my Deitriot's that the exhaust manifold goes straight up through the hood,make sure to keep it clean by the head. Had a couple fires on machines there.  Now I put that heat tape on the hood & around the exhaust pipe so there's not much room for debris to fall down there. But some still does & it'll get hot enough to light it on fire. Lucky I've  caught it in time to get it out. I've got extinguishers in all machine also. Also I have battle master switches on all. Also in fire risk time it don't hurt to hang around the job site awhile after Eq been shutoff.

[treeslayer2003]

what he said^^^ also, it should have a spark arrester type muffler. but most skidder fires can be traced to electrical or trash build up around mannifold.
master disconnect is a must.

[oldseabee]

 skidders should all have spark arresters installed at the factory before the muffler especially non turbo machines, if it's not there put one on. 3&453 engines were bad to get trash build up between the exhaust manifold and the head, only takes one little spark whipped around by the fan and blown out to start a little ground fire that can grow slowly before it is seen. Some of the loggers down here pack some red clay mud in that area, the heat off the manifold will bake it hard.

[Logger RK]

That last message was supposed to say battery master switch. Speaking of that,last winter me & The Boys were making a new landing. My One Son tried getting a large rock out with my C5 with the grapple. I told him its not worth breaking something. So he gets his C5 & hits it with the blade a few times & also figures it's a very big rock & gives up.He parks his farther away from the landing because we wouldn't be using it for awhile. After shutting machines off we were talking for half hour or so & starting to get dark out,we happened to walk over by my Sons 5 to look down the woods line. My other Son hears a sound coming from the Skidder. By the time we ran up to it flames were coming out engine compartment. Lucky we got it out. We did figure out what happened. When he rammed the big rock it broke the main hot wire off the alternator & must've got it started smoldering. Having shut his master switch off when he shut motor off it was a good thing we were there or we would've thought it was vandalism probably. We hung around the landing a extra hour that night.

[WildlandFirefighter912]

We respond to many logging fires.

I know my D5H dozer i operate catches on fire easily if i dont keep debris off.

But the thing too if you build a cage around something..more liable to have debris getting caught in it thus burning more easily.

Main thing just keep it clean.

At my job many dozers have been burned up cause people dont keep their bellypans clean. Some people are using porch screen in some places..it helps some. But keeping debris off is priority.

[thecfarm]

I have heard of someone with a dozer and they kept getting the grass on fire. They had no idea why. Than they was working and it got dark and then they found out why the grass fires. The muffler was coming apart and the inners was coming out of the stack and starting the fires. Could not be seen during daylight hours.

[pigpen]

I clean the manifold out almost every day due to the design,  never thought of putting clay in there and baking it hard like the one post said, good idea! But yeah I've talked with a couple old timers that said the 353s are known for blowing sparks out. My muffler is only couple years old so not sure if that's the issue, it looks new yet? (And it wasn't a cheap one ither)  But will be installing the spark arrestor as soon as I can. We finished the job with no more issues. I pulled smaller drags and kept the rpms down a bit to help with the problem to finish and get out of there while things weren't burnt! Lol I will call the part store today to see if I can get one there or if I have to go to an implement dealer.... Thank you to all for your help!

[MattR]

I had a Cat D7 start on fire when a spark out of the stack get sucked into the air cleaner. One doesn't realize how many sparks actually come out of exhaust systems. Operating at night really surprised me. You don't see them during the day, but they're there.

[treeslayer2003]

I clean the manifold out almost every day due to the design,  never thought of putting clay in there and baking it hard like the one post said, good idea! But yeah I've talked with a couple old timers that said the 353s are known for blowing sparks out. My muffler is only couple years old so not sure if that's the issue, it looks new yet? (And it wasn't a cheap one ither)  But will be installing the spark arrestor as soon as I can. We finished the job with no more issues. I pulled smaller drags and kept the rpms down a bit to help with the problem to finish and get out of there while things weren't burnt! Lol I will call the part store today to see if I can get one there or if I have to go to an implement dealer.... Thank you to all for your help!

if you can see through the muffler, its not a spark arrester.

[petefrom bearswamp]

A  little off subject but I started some grass on fire under my ATV a few years ago while resting and enjoying an adult beverage.
I t has been very dry here in central NY this spring.

[pigpen]

Treeslayer, that's the first thing I did is look into it cause it said muffler on the box, it looks like a turbine with all the fins and whatnot inside. Also wasn't 100% convinced by looking into it so looked it up online and it is indeed an arestor! It's been raining here now of course (as soon as I spend $100 part for the course right!) But cheap insurance for sure! Will be putting it on next week and see if it's got double benifits in the case it may quiet the motor a tad?