Team, I just did some horse trading and ended up with a Bobcat 322 mini-ex. 2,200 hours. As I was taking inventory on all filters, etc that needed changing - I noticed a sticker inside the engine compartment that said the unit is equipped with a spark arrest system that needed to be serviced every 100 hours. Said it "needed to be shaken out". Does this mean I need to remove the entire muffler/tailpipe and "shake" things out? There is a pipe plug on the bottom side of muffler. Don't know what it is for. Guess would be a 3/8" size plug. I would imagine that is there to drain muffler if it took in fuel from engine or water from tailpipe. Anyhow, I took a read thru operators manual. Didn't mention anything. Thus, I am at your mercy for any insight. Thank you.
Help Support SkidSteer Forum:
From what i remember reading, you remove the plug at the bottom, cover the tail pipe part with wood while the machine is running and it is meant to push the soot out the bottom hole. How well it works i really don't know, the only time i have cleaned one is out when it was off the machine and i used my big diesel compressor to clear it out, nice black cloud!
mahans7
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 317
I tried removing the arrestor plug on my 743 muffler and ended up tearing a hoe in the muffler. I was replacing the muffler anyway so it didn't matter. So be careful if you remove the plug and consider using PB blaster or something similar if its difficult.
Excerpt from 331 Manual: Remove the plug from the bottom of the muffler. Start the engine and run for about 10 seconds while a second person, wearing safety glasses, holds a piece of wood over the outlet of the muffler. The carbon deposits will be forced out of the muffler plug hole. Stop the engine. Install and tighten the plug. Close the tailgate.
Team, Thank you for replies. I was feeling abandoned as I used to get email alerts when the first reply was posted. I either missed or it ended in up in spam folder. Never-the-less: thank you. Update: I went to remove square headed plug with a pipe wrench. Since it had factory black paint on it - or black from engine compartment - I did not realize it was brass plug. Very brittle. I rounded 2 of the edges off instantly. Went to Vise Grips. Pretty much rounded off the other two edges. Removed muffler/pipe assembly. Flipped assembly upside down and soaked with PB Blaster for a couple of days. Vice Grip Round #2. No deal. I drilled brass plug out gradually increasing bit size so I could take out as much of the plug as possible without damaging threads on muffler. Chiseled out remainder of plug. Lots of wasted time for a stupid plug. Contemplating TIG welding on a threaded coupler so that I can put a 1/2" galvanized pipe extension to catch some of the soot and give me something I can brace against (with a pipe wrench again) to remove pipe cap (no brass plug) all assembled with lots of anti seize. Might be overkill, but I don't want to waste that time again as Bobcat sticker recommends "purging" every 100 hours. Thank you for the help.
