Spark arrester

[Guest]

I Recently noticed a loss in power and increase of fuel consumption. I thought it was due to the 27" tires that I had just put on. When I changed the oil and filters I decided to remove the spark arrester and check it( like the manuel says you are supposed to) It was almost completely stopped up. After a good cleaning and re installation, my power has returned and so has the fuel economy. If any of you don't check the spark arrester on a regular basis, you will probably experience the same problem</P>


bill</P>

 

[Chandler]

Good reminder Bill. I changed my oil and filters too but need to check the spark arrestor also. Thanks!</P>


Jerry</P>

 

[coobie]

Good information,I have around 65 hours on my 2006 RTV.The owners manual states to check and clean at 100 hours.coobie[]

 

[someonestolemyusername]

I took mine off yesterday and I cant believe the difference. I swear I picked up 5hp. A hill I struggled with in M, I can now power up. You may want to try this if you are not afraid of setting things on fire.

 

[Guest]

This is really interesting! I'd be curious to hear if this makes a difference for anyone else.

 

[bczoom]

[quote user="MessickFarmEqu"]This is really interesting! I'd be curious to hear if this makes a difference for anyone else.[/quote]
Well, maybe I'll pull mine.

 

[Guest]

I think there is very little chance of starting a fire. Diesel engines exhaust is not as hot as gasoline. Do not discard it completely, you will need it if you ride in a national park etc.</P>


Bill</P>

 

[Guest]

That makes sense to me. Might just keep it in the toolbox. Hey, we might not need a turbo-charger or a bigger motor now!

 

[Chandler]

My computer won't keep me signed in.

 

[bczoom]

[quote user="Chandler"]My computer won't keep me signed in.[/quote]
When I sign-in, I click on the option
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr><td>
</td>
<td class="CommonFormField" align="left" nowrap="true">
<span type="checkbox"><input id="_ctl0_bcr_Login1___autoLogin" name="_ctl0:bcr:Login1:_:autoLogin" checked="checked" type="checkbox"><label for="_ctl0_bcr_Login1___autoLogin">Next time automatically sign me in</label></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Only when I clear my internet cache do I need to sign-in again. Otherwise, I can just come to the site and be signed on.

 

[BovsRTV]

We removed ours and <FONT size=4>WOW</FONT>!!! WHAT A DIFFENCE!!! Like Bill stated, I agree that diesels aren't likely to emit sparks but we plan on keeping ours under the seat or somewhere on the machine so we can pop it in if we feel any threat of a fire hazzard. We have less than 50 hours on our 2006 and it was loaded with soot! We immediately noticed a big improvement in acceleration and power as well! I plan on looking into some other alternative to a spark arrestor that won't get so plugged up! We use regular road diesel and use a anti-gel additive in the winter months that also helps keep the injectors clean. I just can't believe the power difference we felt!

 

[Guest]

I am not at work to check, but is there anything about cleaning the arrester in the owners manual? Sounds like there should be...</P>


</P>

 

[BovsRTV]

<FONT size=4>It's kinda hard to clean! I used a couple different wire brushes, a small screw driver and tapping it on the metal bench to knock the soot type flakes out. It should'nt be so hard to clean I think and nothing I see except it being a diesel why there should have been so much buildup for the hours on rig! As far as what the book says to cleaning it I did not check. It does though seem like a large obstruction for the size of the pipe... It's more like a motorcycle baffle in its design. I think Kubota overlooked this in their design! We don't over use or put any great stresses on our rig to cause this, as a matter of fact, my Dad and I were commenting how much we pamper the thing and what would have happened to it if we really pushed this thing to its capable limits! We plan onbringing it to the attentionof our dealer so they can forward our concerns to the fractory rep to see if the company can remedy this issue. I feel it to be a problem and removing it is really not the fix!</FONT>

 

[bczoom]

I believe the easiest way to clean is just to soak it in diesel fuel for a day or so. The buildup should just break-down.
Pampering it may actually cause more build-up. Ever hear the old term "blowing the carbon out"? Basically, working it and higher RPM's blows the crap (can I say that here?) out.
I pulled mine today. A visual inspection showed it to be black, but the passages were not obstructed. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to run it afterwards so I have no comparison on the power issue.

 

[ajdillon]

"Ever hear the old term "blowing the carbon out"?"</P>


Brian, when I was a youngster we called that an "Italian tune-up"</P>


Andrew</P>

 

[BovsRTV]

Don't get me wrong! when we run it in high speed it's floored! We just don't do a lot of heavey trail riding, mainly dirt road type trails.

 

[coobie]

[quote user="BovsRTV"]<FONT size=4>It's kinda hard to clean! I used a couple different wire brushes, a small screw driver and tapping it on the metal bench to knock the soot type flakes out. It should'nt be so hard to clean I think and nothing I see except it being a diesel why there should have been so much buildup for the hours on rig! As far as what the book says to cleaning it I did not check. It does though seem like a large obstruction for the size of the pipe... It's more like a motorcycle baffle in its design. I think Kubota overlooked this in their design! We don't over use or put any great stresses on our rig to cause this, as a matter of fact, my Dad and I were commenting how much we pamper the thing and what would have happened to it if we really pushed this thing to its capable limits! We plan onbringing it to the attentionof our dealer so they can forward our concerns to the fractory rep to see if the company can remedy this issue. I feel it to be a problem and removing it is really not the fix!</FONT>[/quote]I cleaned my spark arrestor with brake cleaning fluid and air from my air compressor,worked great and cleaned up nice,coobie

 

[Beagle]

Just an opinion. The spark arrester issimply an after production item stuck on to satisfy a govreg.Unless u are riding in a national forest the best bet is to pull it off and throw it in a junk box.Ours was simply a piece of screen wire inside the little add on tube. This was almost completley plugged at 12 hours. Never seen a farm tractor with a spark arrester or a lawn tractor or ZTRmower. Wonder why if they are so important for a ATV etc.</P>

 

[Guest]

you are exactly right. The spark arrester was never part of the origonal RTV design. It was added on after the fact to satisfy this requirement for operating the machine on government land. I don't see any real harm and pulling it off.

 

[Knoxville]

Mine has been off for about six months now... I tried to clean the darn thing and ruined the screen wire. I had no choice but to cut it out of the tip. I thought it looked a little funny without the tip, so I re-installed the black tip without the wire inside it. I wish I could report the massive power gains some are telling.... To be totally honest there is nothing else to do. Fluid, filters, adjustments, half pedal, so on so forth, the MACHINE IS UNDER POWERED! <U>You will not find a bigger fan of this unit than me</U>, but Kubota could help us out with a little more power. I don't want to win any races, but here in the mountains of Tennessee I need more guts on the hills. I can see how on flat land it would be great, but not here! </P>


Thanks for all of the great information. I check this site frequently and hope for some miracle cure to my only complaint.</P>