packrats in my air ducting!

[oilhorse]

hello all, OK.. I have looked all over for similar problems but have seen nothing like this...... I live in a rural part of northern Nevada and we have rodent infestation problems here in the buildings and such. Over the years, I have opened the hood on my 1990 Bronco to check oil and other fluids and I have noticed pine cones, grass, leaves and other "nesting" materials on the engine top from " rodents" ( packrats as the "****" is bigger than a mouse") Well, Today, I went out and started the "Bronc" as usual, turned on the A/C on high "MAX" but I had a nasty noise coming from the blower motor ass'y. As I was starting to troubleshoot the problem, maybe a bad blower motor, I noticed lots of chewed up paper and stuff in the cabin and then i saw on the passenger side, a big pile of "rat" **** under where the air return is located. Well, to make a LOOOONG story a bit shorter, the packrat had managed to chew up all the plastic screens and the max air / outside air blower door and had packed the entire air plenum area with rocks, sticks, chewed up paper, bird seed... you name it! HOW DID THIS RAT GET IN MY BRONCO CABIN! Is there a hole in the underbody somewhere? I keep it closed up tight every night but I have not driven it for a few weeks so did the rats seem to think it was "abandoned" and make a key to the door locks and help themselves to my once secure and tight classic? HELP!!! I LOVE MY BRONCO! WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR A BRAND NEW "ANYTHING" .....

1990 bronco 5.8 Eddie Bauer.. Thanks, Toiyabeshawn...

 

[Bully Bob]

You better get on that...!!!

Northern Nv. is notorious for that problem..!! These critters actually chew the insulation off wires as well., & sometimes chew clear thru the wire..

They can squeeze thru very small spaces. >

---- After it's all cleaned up ---

One trick (I'm told) is to put "Bounce" drier sheets here-&-there under the hood. They can't stand that chem. smell. Maybe some under floor mats, etc. here-&-there in the cab.

Pest/rodent control 'round your house & parking area is req. up there.

Don't have that prob. down here but my friends up in Carson/Reno deal with it constantly. (

 

[miesk5]

yo,

They may be coming in through the cowl vent drain tubes;

Drain Boot; "...The idea is to keep rodents & insects & spiders out of the ventilation system, since its intake is inside the R cowl. The slots/holes in the wiper valance are supposed to keep **** out from up there, but even on trucks with holes, leaves can still slip behind the w/s lower trim & go right down in there. So does all the dust (mud) that gets wiped off the w/s. The rubber drain valve is supposed to be large & flexible enough for the weight of the debris to push it open, but it's not..."

Source: by Steve83

The Boot allows the cowl to drain while keeping the air flow out of the cowl to a minimum. There is constant pressure at the cowl when under way. That is why there are cowl induction hoodsm free boost which also boost your AC/Heat. by Swat

Here is a pic of the opening behind passeneger side front wheel, under rocker fenders

Leaf & Debris Build-Up, Drain Location pics in a 90

Source: by My90Bronco





It is clogged

The debris;



Most have rubber boots at end, pointing down

another pic by mickaila