Bad Excavator Luck?

[MikePhua]

The Scene
One morning on a remote hill project between Jackson Hole and Idaho Falls a worker started a CASE 9020B, walked away for a few hours, then came back to a machine that sounded wrong. After shutting it down he discovered coolant everywhere and, under the hood, a grisly mix of blood, fur and crushed organs where the radiator and fan normally sit. A rock chuck (a ground-hog–like critter) had run into the rotating fan blades and been thrown through the radiator, destroying the cooling pack and fouling the area with biological debris. The owner later priced a used radiator at about $750, a new fan at $100, shipping at $250 and labor around $800 because the radiator and hydraulic cooler remove as a unit and require a crane to handle in the field. That single animal cost the job thousands when parts, transport and downtime are added together.
Why Radiator Hits Matter

• Excavator cooling packs typically combine the engine radiator and hydraulic oil cooler into one removable assembly. Damage to that assembly affects both engine cooling and hydraulic temperature control.
  
• Foreign matter and biological fluids clog fins, reduce heat transfer, and can contaminate seals and hoses.
  
• Crushing or tearing of the radiator core often means replacement rather than repair because brazing or patching rarely restores full thermal performance or long-term reliability.
  
• In remote sites the logistics—service truck with crane, labor, and transport—drive replacement costs far higher than parts list prices.
  

Common Variations of the Problem

• Small mammals (ground squirrels, gophers, rabbits) run into fans that are still turning after short warm-up cycles.
  
• Raccoons or cats climbing into warm engine bays at night can be fatally struck when the operator starts the machine.
  
• Rodents chewing wiring looms and rubber hoses create a different but often related failure mode—silent until the machine won’t start or a sensor fails.
  

Immediate Actions After a Carcass Incident

• Shut down immediately and isolate the machine.
  
• Remove large biological debris with gloved tools and absorbents.
  
• If available, flush the radiator pack with pressurized water only once the carcass is removed; avoid forcing debris deeper into the core.
  
• Arrange for solvent or enzymatic cleaners (protein-breaking cleaners used in veterinary or pet markets) to treat remaining biological residue to reduce odor and bacterial breakdown.
  
• Pressure wash and disinfect work areas and protective wiring looms.
  
• Sample and inspect coolant and hydraulic oil for contamination; replace fluids if in doubt.
  

Diagnostics Checklist

• Visual inspection for torn fins, punctured tubes, or collapsed core.
  
• Pressure test the cooling system and look for leaks at seams and hose connections.
  
• Inspect hydraulic cooler for punctures and signs of cross-contamination (oil in coolant or coolant in oil).
  
• Check wiring looms for chew marks, exposed conductors, or shorted circuits.
  
• Verify fan blade integrity and hub alignment; bent blades cause vibration that can worsen damage.
  
• Confirm the cost to remove assembly in-field (crane/service truck) vs hauling machine to a shop.
  

Repair and Cost Considerations (examples from field reports)

• Used radiator cores can be found for a few hundred to a thousand dollars depending on condition and model fit—saves money but may have limited life.
  
• New fan assemblies are relatively inexpensive; shipping and handling can exceed part cost for remote jobs.
  
• Labor for removal and reinstallation is often the largest single item when the cooler/radiator are a single unit and need lifting equipment.
  
• Hidden costs include replacement coolant, hydraulic fluid flushes, new hoses, wiring repairs, and diagnostic time.
  

Prevention Strategies

• Park machines in sealed or elevated locations when off-duty to deny animals access to the warm engine bay.
  
• Install a simple screen or mesh in front of the radiator and fan—fine enough to keep animals out but coarse enough not to overly restrict airflow; maintain a balance between protection and cooling capacity.
  
• Fit protective covers or guards that prevent animals from reaching the fan blades while allowing service access.
  
• Use rodent deterrents and baits where legal and safe, and rotate bait types to prevent habituation.
  
• Wrap wiring looms with rodent-resistant sleeving (braided stainless or metalized tape) especially for machines parked overnight in rodent-prone areas.
  
• Introduce ultrasonic or motion-activated deterrents in yard storage areas; effectiveness varies but can reduce nightly visits.
  
• Educate crews: always open the hood and inspect before starting when machines have sat overnight or in fields during harvest seasons.
  

Maintenance and Cleaning Protocol

• After any carcass contact flush and disinfect the radiator assembly and allow full drying before reassembly; trapped moisture plus organic matter accelerates corrosion and odors.
  
• Replace coolant if contamination is suspected; test for resistivity and freeze/boil protection values (specific gravity or refractometer readings).
  
• Change hydraulic oil and filters if the hydraulic cooler was breached or heavily fouled; look for emulsions or discoloration.
  
• Perform an end-to-job checklist that includes a hood inspection, fan and belt condition, and wiring loom checks.
  

Terminology Explained

• Radiator pack: combined cooling assembly that may include the engine radiator, hydraulic oil cooler and air-conditioning condenser on some models.
  
• Core: the heat-exchange element of a radiator; tubes and fins that carry coolant and release heat.
  
• Loom: bundled group of electrical wires protected by sleeving.
  
• Enzymatic cleaner: solution containing enzymes that break down proteins and fats—useful for removing biological residues and odors.
  
• Pressure test: applying controlled pressure to the cooling circuit to find leaks without running the engine.
  

Anecdotes and Wider Context

• One operator reported starting a D7 and finding a raccoon fatally struck; the mother had tucked four babies into the belly pan, which were rescued and later raised by the family—an emotional reminder that wildlife interacts with equipment in unexpected ways.
  
• Another operator discovered rodent chewing had severed wires in hard-to-reach places, causing repeated electrical faults; after retrofitting rodent-proof sleeving the problems stopped.
  
• In harvest seasons and in colder months, warm engines attract animals seeking heat; this seasonality should inform parking and security routines.
  

Practical Recommendations and Numbers to Track

• Keep on hand: enzymatic cleaner (1 gallon), spare fan blades and bolts, wire sleeving tape, a portable mesh screen, and a basic radiator repair kit.
  
• Track costs after an incident: example median field replacement cost (parts + crane + labor) can range from $2,000 to $4,000 depending on remoteness.
  
• Monitor coolant condition monthly during hot seasons and after any contamination event; measure specific gravity and pH to detect degradation.
  
• Log instances of animal damage by month to identify seasonal patterns and justify investment in prevention measures.
  

Final Thought
Bad excavator luck is real, but so is the payback from modest prevention. A simple screen, routine inspections, rodent-resistant wiring protection and a small field kit can turn a multi-thousand-dollar mishap into a quick repair. The stories from the field—ones that are part tragic, part comic misfortune—remind crews that machinery shares the landscape with wildlife and that a little foresight keeps projects moving and machines intact.