Mice and Motors

[Cman250]

So Im sure you have all experienced the good ol' mice at work destroying your toys in some way,shape or form. Well I had a mouse decide to raise its family inside a motor vehicle of mine.Somehow it managed to climb its way into the air intake of the engine and give birth to some baby mice over the summer. Well if she had paid the rent and cleaned up the mess before leaving I guess I wouldn't have been too mad. Anyways the mice had chewed up the air filter into little bits and spread them about inside the air manifold, along with pooping and bringing in a nest of grass.

Dumb mistake#1- left the vehicle out over the summer without sealing it away from the elements and creatures.

#2-started up the engine without checking first.

So now Im worried that all that crap and airfilter bits got sucked through the carb and into the cylinder.
And if the stuff that may have been sucked into the engine will scuff up cylinder or hurt the pistons or will it just get burned and not have any major carnage? What should i do to make sure I am safe to run the vehicle without damaging it with the mouse damage?

 

[sharky243]

It all depends on how long you ran it for. No doubt it didn't help it any. If you didn't run it that long, the damage should be minimal. How abrasive was the debris that got sucked through the engine ? If you clean it out good, flush out the cylinders, and the carb(s), I think you'll be ok. Check your wireing harness for any chewing damage, don't need any shorts !!!

 

[Cman250]

Since the mice i ran it maybe 5 minutes of idle before i realized the issue. The debris consisted of air filter bits, grass, and some mouse poop.

 

[Patman]

I'm pretty sure old mouse poop doesn't contain enough methane to help performance wise. I wouldn't be too worried about the bits if it ran and will run when restarted AFTER everything is cleaned up. Metal parts are generally tougher than paper and poop but for sure not tougher than a stainless lock washer (that was a mess).

 

[sharky243]

I'm not even gonna ask what happend with the lock washer but I bet it stopped with a "bang". OUCH !!!! Actually it brings back bad memories of when my yz450f decided to drop a valve going into turn 3 on the 1\4 mile oval at our club grounds.

 

[250girl]

Ahh yes, we had that same problem a few years back. A mouse decided to set up house in the WR's air filter, make a huge mess, and chewed it to shreds. Then, she settled down and had kids. It was early in the year and nobody had ridden that bike since the previous spring, so my Dad and I were oblivious to this lovely development. One morning I was walking past the bike shed, and saw Mom crouching down by the WR and poking something into it. Now, my Mom is not a mechanic and dislikes my bikes with a passion... so I was a little alarmed by this behavior. I walk over to inestigate. Mom lovingly informs me that she is FEEDING the "poor little mice" living in my bike. Yes, feeding them. A whole nest of the little *******s. She informs Dad and I that the bike is not to be ridden until they move out. An arguement follows. She continues to feed them regularly. Finally, the obese, shiny coated, tame mice decide to move to roomier living quarters elswhere, just gotta replace the filter and then its bikin time !!
But oh no, momma mouse decides to have another batch of filthy little bike chewing spawn. Again, no biking and moms feeding them. Just when I think its over, she has yet another batch of putrid rotten rodent babies. Over the height of biking season, that !@#$ing mouse had 3 different batches of babies. And during the whole process, Mom fed them and would not let me or my Dad ride the bike.

Luckily the following fall the mice got into Mom's truck. Her beloved, beautifully kept and restored '86 GMC Jimmy. They wreaked havoc in that beautiful interior. Then mom got real mad, and set a mouse trap. She got the mouse allright. The Mother mouse. We never found all her babies, but dear god did we smell them when they started to rot.
Mom hasn't had mercy on the mice since.

 

[RYDMOTO]

It had to have added about 5-6 micepower?

 

[jackflack44]

^^^^ Punny

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

I would find it hard to believe that a mouse would bother an OILED air filter? Cman, you need to tear it down, clean the ring grooves and bearings as best you can. 250girl, another top notch story!

 

[Patman]

My best guess is that is wasn't a bike that he had the mice in. Perhaps an old car / truck?

 

[_JOE_]

What kind of car?