Raccoon and mice invade Bronco engine bay

[indio22]

Last week my son started our Bronco - and a raccoon scampered out of the engine bay!

Looks like the raccoon was sleeping on top of the engine. Grimed it up with muddy paw prints and oily residue. Tore some foam insulation in various areas. Also must have got caught in the running serpentine belt, pulled out clumps of hair when escaping.

To add injury, while cleaning the engine yesterday, I notice mice had also invaded. On the top firewall side of the 2.3L engine, there is a plastic cover over foam insulation, with a small opening. A perfect "mouse house". Mice crawled inside and tore up the foam insulation making a nest.

Does anyone know offhand what is that insulated component (shown below with red arrow)? Assuming Ford put all that foam insulation there for a reason, I wonder what is the risk operating the Bronco for a while with some of it missing?

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[MNBigfoot]

One Hell of a soup kitchen you got going for you, hope insurance will cover it.

 

[BigFootie]

Last week my son started our Bronco - and a raccoon scampered out of the engine bay!

Looks like the raccoon was sleeping on top of the engine. Grimed it up with muddy paw prints and oily residue. Tore some foam insulation in various areas. Also must have got caught in the running serpentine belt, pulled out clumps of hair when escaping.

To add injury, while cleaning the engine yesterday, I notice mice had also invaded. On the top firewall side of the 2.3L engine, there is a plastic cover over foam insulation, with a small opening. A perfect "mouse house". Mice crawled inside and tore up the foam insulation making a nest.

Does anyone know offhand what is that insulated component (shown below with red arrow)? Assuming Ford put all that foam insulation there for a reason, I wonder what is the risk operating the Bronco for a while with some of it missing?

Dam little bastards!

 

[dgorsett]

I have a rural home on an acreage that I bought specifically for wildlife habitat. But mice, squirrels and racoons are on the destroy on sight list.

I keep a mouse trap set under the hood of the motorhome, de con in the garage and a .17 in the corner.

 

[BigFootie]

Last week my son started our Bronco - and a raccoon scampered out of the engine bay!

Looks like the raccoon was sleeping on top of the engine. Grimed it up with muddy paw prints and oily residue. Tore some foam insulation in various areas. Also must have got caught in the running serpentine belt, pulled out clumps of hair when escaping.

To add injury, while cleaning the engine yesterday, I notice mice had also invaded. On the top firewall side of the 2.3L engine, there is a plastic cover over foam insulation, with a small opening. A perfect "mouse house". Mice crawled inside and tore up the foam insulation making a nest.

Does anyone know offhand what is that insulated component (shown below with red arrow)? Assuming Ford put all that foam insulation there for a reason, I wonder what is the risk operating the Bronco for a while with some of it missing?

I keep my auto loader near by!

 

[indio22]

One Hell of a soup kitchen you got going for you, hope insurance will cover it.

Fortunately it appears there is no damage to electrical wiring. Mostly they seem to have focused on the foam coverings and insulations.

For now I've got an ultra-bright motion activated LED light bar resting on top of the engine overnight. The idea is to blast anything crawling up there in the face with light. While I try and figure out how to prevent any future incursions.

 

[dgorsett]

I keep my auto loader near by!

How nasty is that thing to empty?

 

[BigFootie]

How nasty is that thing to empty?

Normally not a problem. Usually one mouse and just a bunch of tails!

 

[BigFootie]

How nasty is that thing to empty?

When it’s outside in the summer, I keep a bit of water in it. Only an issue then is the occasional squirrel. The raccoons are gotten by large “doesn't have a heart” trap.

 

[Beach_Bum]

Looks like Dirty Mike and the Boys held a soup kitchen in the engine bay.

 

[BigFootie]

The smaller hav-a-hart traps fit perfectly in a 5 gallon bucket!

The bubbles don’t last long!

 

[pillar406]

Last week my son started our Bronco - and a raccoon scampered out of the engine bay!

Looks like the raccoon was sleeping on top of the engine. Grimed it up with muddy paw prints and oily residue. Tore some foam insulation in various areas. Also must have got caught in the running serpentine belt, pulled out clumps of hair when escaping.

To add injury, while cleaning the engine yesterday, I notice mice had also invaded. On the top firewall side of the 2.3L engine, there is a plastic cover over foam insulation, with a small opening. A perfect "mouse house". Mice crawled inside and tore up the foam insulation making a nest.

Does anyone know offhand what is that insulated component (shown below with red arrow)? Assuming Ford put all that foam insulation there for a reason, I wonder what is the risk operating the Bronco for a while with some of it missing?

High pressure fuel pump. Running it without the insulation won't cause any real issues except it will be louder

 

[BigFootie]

Last week my son started our Bronco - and a raccoon scampered out of the engine bay!

Looks like the raccoon was sleeping on top of the engine. Grimed it up with muddy paw prints and oily residue. Tore some foam insulation in various areas. Also must have got caught in the running serpentine belt, pulled out clumps of hair when escaping.

To add injury, while cleaning the engine yesterday, I notice mice had also invaded. On the top firewall side of the 2.3L engine, there is a plastic cover over foam insulation, with a small opening. A perfect "mouse house". Mice crawled inside and tore up the foam insulation making a nest.

Does anyone know offhand what is that insulated component (shown below with red arrow)? Assuming Ford put all that foam insulation there for a reason, I wonder what is the risk operating the Bronco for a while with some of it missing?

You made me go in the garage and open the hood just to make sure they weren’t outsmarting my trap!

 

[MNBigfoot]

I keep my auto loader near by!

How well does that work?

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

I have a rural home on an acreage that I bought specifically for wildlife habitat. But mice, squirrels and racoons are on the destroy on sight list.

I keep a mouse trap set under the hood of the motorhome, de con in the garage and a .17 in the corner.

You would love Loki, (see avatar) he killed a few raccoons that were trying to den under my house, including a full size daddy raccoon in seconds. I was freaked out when I saw him go after it, after all, it was a wild animal with claws and teeth, but Loki flipped him right over on his back and crushed his belly & inner's with his jaws (no blood) in 2 seconds flat; it was amazing to see.

Loki would never hurt another dog (or a human) regardless of size, even a noisy ankle biter and he even tried to play with a coyote, but ANY OTHER animal that he can chase down and kill he'll go after. I never had anything get into my truck after I got him.

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