how to avoid Bandit 250 radiator screen being clogged

[Erwin]

Now I totally restored my 93 250 with 4BT309, new wiring, new gauges, new knives and anvil, complete flush of the hydraulic system and filled with new fluid. Popped and polished every dent and it looks and works like a new machine. It spit out sharp chips even smaller than my 6 inch one.

However, every time I do a live and leafy tree, it sucks leaf fragments on the screen and completely blocks the air flow. I have to stop the engine to let them fall off. you can not scrape them off with the engine running. the engine even shut off by itself two times due to rising temperature. Is there a way to fix this or it's just something I have to live with? Thx for any input. Erwin

 

[Zale]

Live with it.

 

[Erwin]

That's encouraging! I thought that must b what most people r doing. Just hoping to have some ideas. thx anyway.

 

[Zale]

Idle it down and scrape it off. I believe bandit made some modifications to the screens in the later models. Save yourself some money and just scrape it.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Have the groundie idle down and blow it off with the blower.

I think some models have the fan reversed and blow out.

 

[Erwin]

I guess that's what I have to do. Well, I think that I rather do this than having a fan blow out and have junks stuck inside on the engine side and not being able to clean it easily. What concerned me a little is the engine temp reached 120c and the Murphy system shut it down. I guess that overheat that much shouldn't hurt it. Erwin

 

[arathol]

The 250 I operated for a number of years had a corrugated type radiator screen, not flat. Never had a problem with over heating, and it got run hard for hours at times in all kinds of weather. The screen looked like this one- maybe you could replace yours with the newer design.

 

[Erwin]

Thx. that indeed looks like a better design. I'll add another layer of screen (window screen from home depot) on top of the existing screen with an easy on/off mechanism so I can easily take it off when clogged, shake it off and put it back on while chipping.

 

[kevin bingham]

put a window screen in front of it and that's easy to knock off without turning off chipper

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

120c is about 250*F. That's quite hot for an engine. Typically 180*-200* is normal temp. With a 10psi radiator cap and 50/50 water/coolant the boiling point is about 250*, 15psi is about 265*.

I'm not too family with the 4BT, but its it's like the 6BT/ISB and 6C8.3, they usually run around 180-190*