Combines 60 Series Deere Combines

Not sure about 60 Series..if its the same as the 50 Series it could be from chaff around and under the Stainless Steel plate thats supposed to keep combustible material off the hot engine manifold. It catches fire, then the cooling fan blast tips it over the left side of the motor. Remove the p[late and look under it... chances are there's smouldered material there.. Post back what you do find, but wouldnt it be better to post this question on the Deere page as well IJ

G'day Ham. My 9650 STS has done the same thing and I didn't have the stainless plate on the exhaust manifold. I had it on originaly in corn (when new) but couldn't take the constant smell of smoldering corn leaves (pieces of leaves I suspect) being caught under the plate. Our service manager told me to take it off and see how it goes. 6 months later the Territory service manager came and had a look and said to put it back on with the end tip bent up and slightly angled (twisted) towards the rocker cover. Also fitted an experimental rotary screen brush - which they copied and improved the brush I had installed - which, touch wood, should improve the screen efficiency. However, I still have very great concerns about fire on this machine, especially in lupins, peas, chick peas, vetch etc. Smouldering chaff around 900 litres of fuel tend to get your pulse running a little faster than it supposed to!

Rod.. Did you get the rain you were anxious forIJ Its got quite stressed here now, and despite that the "new" strain of stripe rust is still spreading through wheat. Deere supplied me with a non-flammable blanket type material that was to be fitted under that SS plate to fill the spaces, but i havent fitted it preferring to continue with the piped air from the fan idea that keeps the manifold area clean.

We finally had 16mm last week but for most crops it was just too late. There are many crops that are only a foot high with only one tiller left alive and not out in head as yet. For the wheat crops that did manage to come out in head before the rain, the top halve of the head has been blown out by the heat. Another 20mm would make the rest of the head fill but with ET rates over 6mm per day it won't take long to kill off that potential. Canola is a non issue this year. JD haven't supplied the fire blanket as yet - I'll have to talk to them. Have you had any more fires_smouldering since you fitted your ducting ideaIJ

No I haven't had any more fires or smouldering at all. Im still edgy, but so far its run basically 2 seasons with no further problems. It wasnt my idea tho. I got it from a guy in the Victorian Mallee. I forget the exact figures now, but he'd had something like 12 fires in the first day of use of his new STS,so removed the SS plate and fitted his ducting, and hadnt had any more in the next week or so. If anyone wants to see this stuff I posted it here back in about the last half Nov.IJIJIJ 2002