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Rain in the exhaust pipe?

aighead

aighead

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Apr 25, 2019
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Dayton, OH
Hi Everyone... Got a new guy question. How bad is it if rain is getting down the exhaust pipe? I've ran my backhoe a bunch in between heavy rains that I'm sure have caused water down the exhaust pipe and everything seems to run ok, but am I causing problems by not having a cover? Is there somewhere I should be draining the water out of? I don't know the layout of the engine well enough to know where the pipe goes, so maybe it's not a problem and maybe it's a huge problem? Thanks for any advice!
 
BigWrench55

BigWrench55

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Somewhere
Put a rain flap on it . If you get enough rain coming down the exhaust you can hydraulically lock the engine. And if that happens and you manage to get it to turn over and run. You will risk bending a rod.
 
H

hosspuller

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I hate those rain flaps. Mine rattled terrible. Change the weight so it would be full open, might not close. Tighten the pivot to not rattle, won't close.
Finally, Took it off and went to a straight pipe with a "special rain shield" instead. Bean can fit perfectly, even painted it yellow. Forget it at start up, it blows up and falls into hood, to remind self.
It's second nature to put the can on at shut-down.
 
W

Welder Dave

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What machine? It depends on how the exhaust goes into the muffler and then into the engine. If the machine is set up as original it's probably fine. On my Cat track loader the exhaust stack doesn't attach to the muffler but the muffler has a drain hole if any water should get in it. I put a flap on the exhaust stack just for an extra measure of safety in case the drain hole plugged.
 
kshansen

kshansen

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Central New York, USA
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Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Paul Council said:
Put a rain flap on it . If you get enough rain coming down the exhaust you can hydraulically lock the engine. And if that happens and you manage to get it to turn over and run. You will risk bending a rod.
Click to expand...
And if you are "lucky" the engine will start and maybe smoke just a little on the one cylinder and after working it some you will find out real fast which cylinder had the water in it. How? you ask. Simple that will be the one with the rod hanging out the side of the block!

Either live with the rattle from a flap, put a elbow on the stack and park it pointing down wind, or find a tin can that fits and don't forget to put it on every time you park machine!
 
aighead

aighead

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Apr 25, 2019
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Dayton, OH
Thanks guys! The machine is a New Holland LB75B. I didn't think of it until just yesterday when the sky was dark and I glanced over to see the opening pointing in just the direction the rain would come from...

Assuming there IS water in there, is there anything I can do to remove it, short of disassembling the whole engine? Can I leave it to dry for a while?

A tin can is a great idea, thanks!

Also, Ha, @Tinkerer you replied to my intro post! :) I had to go look to be sure I actually created one.
 
old-iron-habit

old-iron-habit

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W

Welder Dave

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So what's the remedy, cut the pipe straight and install a rain cap? If it's that windy could lift the rain cap too. There's even discussions that hauling a machine down the road with the exhaust facing forward will cause a turbo to spin and be ruined. My skid steer came with a really stupid exhaust set up. Straight pipe up from the manifold and a Supertrapp silencer but not stainless steel like the ones you normally buy. It rusted out in stages. Another guy was renting it from me do to do some snow removal jobs I couldn't do at the time. I went over to pick it up and noticed it had no muffler what so ever and was just straight down to the manifold. I asked him about it and he said it had just fell apart so he took it off. Luckily I went over before it had snowed anymore and got water in the engine. The guy was too stupid to realize it can't be left open like that. I ended up putting an automotive silencer on it that wasn't a straight through design and a rain cap on top of that. It mostly runs full throttle so doesn't rattle. I think manufacturers need to think more about rain getting in through the exhaust. Cat seems to.
 
old-iron-habit

old-iron-habit

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I use rain caps and still throw on a oblong laundry soap jug with the top cut to a snug fit size when the machine is going to be left unused for a while or if a storm is expected.
 
DMiller

DMiller

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Nothing wrong with a little instant gratification simplistic stick a soup can on it. I use metal coffee, or any other material cans for larger stacks, capped pvc slip over would work fine as well.
 
aighead

aighead

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Oh yeah, an update! I'm using a half gallon milk jug. We don't eat much soup in the house, but I'll have to get a can. Only problem with the milk jug is when the engine is hot and I forget to go back out and put it back on.
 
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