Combines major design flaw in 1680 IJ

I use a shop vac to clean it out and get the water out. I agree, an annoying spot to have a chaff collector. Also above your spreaders is another annoying straw collector.

Also keep an eye on that cubbyhole when you plug your rotor. i had a new guy on my combine this year, he plugged the rotor and smoked the belts. After the smoke cleared, there was a fire smoldering in all that fine dust and junk that collects there. It was just smoldering but I could smell it. This spot is very difficult to access with a fire extinguisher, so I ran home and got a little 3 gallon yard_garden sprayer with water and squirted down there and put it out. These Case combines are horrible for collecting dust all over. Any little type of fire unnoticed, they would go up in a hurry.

What do you guys think of thisIJ Throughly clean that little cubby hole, and then squirt if full of expanding foam used to seal windows. This would certainly keep the chaff out and if you get a good bond to the metal, would also prevent moisture from seeping in.

I'd first squirt out some of that foam in a clear open area on the ground and set a match to it. If it lights, not a good idea. If it won't burn or smolder then it would probably be OK.

I drilled a 4" dia. hole (hole saw) under the gearbox over the straw chopper. The bottom of the hole needs to be about an inch from the bottom edge. (this clears the the flange of the doughnut) Attach a plate with a couple bolts (drill and tap) to cover this while harvesting.

Just another note on Case's ability to hold dust. I carry a gas powered leaf blower on the combine and I blow the whole combine off every night. Works great, you are not working in dust to maintain in the morning. I also pressure wash the engine every morning. We have never had a fire. Neighbors run the same machine and had 4 fires last year, all minor. I asked how often he cleans the engine, he said after every fire. Go figure.

We use a leaf blower every evening on the combine including the engine compartment. At the end of the season the combine washes off very easily.