Chipper Radiator Poll

[Stumper]

So, what is your schedule for blowing the gunk out of your chipper's radiator fins?
Multiple choice so you can choose air or water cleaning along with frequency.

 

[ORclimber]

Haven't blown the fins out yet, haven't overheated yet. There is an expanded metal sheild with a screen behind that seems to prefilter. I've brushed the leaves off it a couple times. That's not good enough.

 

[Stumper]

ORclimber, It probably depends upon the chipper design, orientation of the radiator in relation to the discharge chute and the type od wood you normally chip. Dead cottonwood and Siberian elm blow clouds of bark dust and fibers and junipers blow little dead needles. Since I work on all of those frequently I catch a lot of crud in my Olathe's front mounted radiator. (It sits at an angle, facing the driver's side taillight on the truck.)

 

[glens]

I recall my dad putting a bug screen just in front of the radiator core back in the day.  I'd forgotten all about it, but it might just be what the doctor ordered for you.

Glen

 

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by ORclimber
Haven't blown the fins out yet, haven't overheated yet. There is an expanded metal sheild with a screen behind that seems to prefilter. I've brushed the leaves off it a couple times. That's not good enough.

Ditto. It's not really an issue with the screen on ours.

 

[DDM]

The Chippers Radiator is really not an Issue Like the Bucket Trucks Radiator. Geeeez That thing can suck in some saw Dust.

 

[Xtra]

We also have the "precleaner" screen in front of the radiator.
On a big job where we are chipping a lot of dusty stuff like brush or dead trees, I'll wipe off the screen when the chipper is idling.

Even in the heat of August with a filled screen the water temp never went over 170 degrees.

Every few weeks I power wash the equipment and when I do, I spray the radiator out from inside the engine compartment.


The air filter really gets dusty, I'm thinking about getting one of those centrifucal precleaner that fit on the outside on the air cleaner housing.

 

[Proj Eng]

When I was at the LSLC (in Green Bay), I saw they were demoing an electric-automatically-switching fan blade. Every so often based upon a timer the fan blades would switch. So the fan would go from a pusher style to a puller style and vice-versa. I can see that as a plus for dust and debris but what about cooling? Blowing the hot air from the radiator over the engine in summer can never be a good thing, but I think most chippers are set up that way anyhow.

I think this was intended for the skidders but it was still cool to see in action.

 

[glens]

I would find it surprising if the time were equally split on airflow direction, assuming the engine and radiator are "traditionally" positioned.  The engine block being bathed in air pre-warmed by the exchange of heat from the radiator would still be cooled somewhat by it, whereas air warmed by the engine bay would be less effective at carrying heat away from the radiator when flowing in reverse.  Maybe shrouds and ductwork remove the engine compartment itself from the equation?

Glen

 

[treesurgeon]

never seen the gauge past 185, but i do clean it weekly with a blower. water works the best because it washes everything away.

 

[topnotchtree]

Our wood chuck chippers are set up so the fan blows out. Never seems to be an issue.