Why chippers without engine covers?

Lol i removed half of mine because it was eating belts on that side, and to make the wasp nests easier to kill. Probably will put it back on later this year
 
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  • #3
I wonder if funneling air through the engine housing is helpful for cooling.

My housing has lots of layers of paint on it. I need to strip it down and paint it, one layer thick. Might run cooler, a problem I have mid summer.

I haven't tried taking the covers​ off, yet, as it's been cool to cold operating conditions.
 
I'm presuming your chipper is air cooled Sean.

If the engine covers are around the engine fins it may well be they're meant to be in place to use air flow around to cool.
 
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  • #6
Water cooler . Chrysler 318 5.2 liter.

I often see older c-n-d chippers without the covers. Lost or intentional, IDK?

Just saw a bandit 200 on tree trader without the cover. Someone its just off for a For Sale pic of the engine.

I've had the radiator rebuilt before. Water pump has at least 10 years use. Wonder if water pump loose efficiency over time, or if they just start to weep when the water pump bearings get worn.
 
I know many mini digger operators will operate with the capot open to aid cooling, but it's difficult to believe that an engine as big as that will overheat in summer without an underlying issue.
 
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  • #8
Idk about the paint holding heat. It's seemingly been green, yellow, and red before.

Idk, if a radiator flush will help.

Should every radiator have an overflow? Mine hasn't, these 10 years. It has been on the to-do list.

Need to keep on top of of blowing out the radiator fins. IMG_20170429_122149330.jpg IMG_20170429_122206841_HDR.jpg IMG_20170429_122316211.jpg
 
Try pressure washing the radiator (gently of course). Probably just has a ton of dust in there, as is guaranteed with a chipper. After that flush the cooling system if it's still acting up. And make sure that the fan is working pulling air through the radiator too.
 
Radiator fins can accumulate crud over time that a blower won't move.

Take it out and jet wash on it ( very low pressure) then an airline to dry and clean.

Happy to be contradicted but it worked on an occasionally overheating chipper I had.
 
Sweet, a few pics! First thing i noticed right off the bat was that there are no shrouds around the radiator to force the air to go thru it. Air follows the path of least resistance, and from what i can tell that path is straight down. I don't know if it came with a shroud to begin with, but adding one would def help cool it down better.

Try some cardboard ones first to see the difference, then make some out of galvanized sheet metal duct. Will make a world of difference ime.
 
Yeah you need the shroud, not the sides. But a clean radiator is a must too. They dont have to be fancy, just need to extend far enough to be around the sides of the fan and force air where you want it.

Just use a pressure washer, but be gentle with it. A cheap electric one is ideal, with a spread out nozzle, not the jet stream one. If you don't have one, just head up to the local car wash, that should do it. Doesn't need much, just enough to push the dirt out of it
 
One other thing to check, might be worthwhile if you are going to change fluid to check or replace the thermostat. You can check it by placing in a pot of water and seeing what temp the water gets to before it opens. They do corrode and can fail closed, i might be tempted to just eliminate it, gas economy will suffer, but it's one less thing that could go wrong.
 
What a great thread!

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I use a nylon zip tie to poke in between my fins where the dirt is so compacted that air won't blow it out. It is a bit laborious but possibly easier on the fins than some harsher methods.
 
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  • #20
I've bent fins before. Maybe the kinder, gentler approach. Thanks, Merle. I don't "have" to buy a pressure washer with that technique.


I appreciate the more important troubleshooting, and...
back to the original question...why do I see many without covers? Just lost by an employee, somewhere along the line?
 
Maybe it just wear and they didn't bother to repair that.
On my buddy's old chipper, both locks are completely destroyed by the vibrations and the cover rattles hard. I doubt that the hinges are in a much better shape.
 
Take an infrared thermometer and once you get your chipper warmed up check the temp of the core at the top and at the bottom.

There should be very little difference between the two temperatures. Like 7 degrees max. If the temp differential is much greater than that, your core is plugged internally.
 
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