Spark arrestor on the Branson/Century Muffler

[Buckeye_Jim]

My property is located in a forested climate of the Sierra Nevada Foothills where during fire season (May to October most years) tractors must have approved spark arrestors on their mufflers. I have the current Branson 3820i, and want to know if I am legal come fire season.

Also a small gripe is the design with the exhast pointing at the ground right next to the front tire tends to throw dust in my face. Something an overhead muffler would not do.

Jim

3820i, 8620 BH, FEL, BB

 

[LincTex]

My property is located ... where tractors must have approved spark arrestors on their mufflers. I have the current Branson 3820i, and want to know if I am legal come fire season.

I doubt modern diesels throw many sparks, especially with mutli-pass & baffled mufflers... My old 1951 International TD-9 would spit a spark one in a great while, but that was a straight pipe.

Also a small gripe is the design with the exhast pointing at the ground right next to the front tire tends to throw dust in my face. Something an overhead muffler would not do..

Mine too - took me 30 seconds to figure out where all the DANG dust was coming from!! (I thought it was the fan at first)
I thought about adding a chrome exhaust tip, turned up - Hahaha!
I just took my sawzall and cut the exhaust tip at a long angle,
almost exactly like what an AK-47 "slant cut" muzzle brake looks like.

 

[1stDeuce]

If your tractor is Tier4, it has a spark arrestor by means of the DOC. If it does not have a DOC, then technically I don't believe it has a spark arrestor...

The Forest Service's requirement for "spark arrestor" equipped exhaust is SO archaic that it's not even funny... Modern engines to NOT blow sparks out of the exhaust, and particularly not diesels. I can't believe they still require this sort of thing in this day and age...

Good luck!!

 

[dickfoster]

If your tractor is Tier4, it has a spark arrestor by means of the DOC. If it does not have a DOC, then technically I don't believe it has a spark arrestor...

The Forest Service's requirement for "spark arrestor" equipped exhaust is SO archaic that it's not even funny... Modern engines to NOT blow sparks out of the exhaust, and particularly not diesels. I can't believe they still require this sort of thing in this day and age...

Good luck!!

For what it's worth I have a new Tier 4 and the dealer put a spark arrestor on it because I live in the Sierra foothills in the forest. No charge to me, just part of what that dealer does along with some other odds n ends for every new tractor they sell. I've thought of taking a hacksaw to it. It seems that exhaust restriction can only hamper power.

 

[1stDeuce]

Yup, and if your tractor is tier4, the spark arrestor is redundant anyway, as the DPF or DOC basically stop sparks anyway. But if you will be checked by the forest service, you probably have to have an external one, because they're too bureaucratic to be able to understand.