Date:         Mon, 20 Jan 97 17:20:11    
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         mdstockr <mdstockr@neo.lrun.com>
Subject:      RE: weird mouse story [F] 

Had a similar experience myself.

Last spring I was visiting my parents and my father commented that his Sears lawn tractor 
would not start.

I could not get any spark from the ignition, so I took the the tin surrounding the cylinder 
off to check the ignition.

I found that all of the spaced for air cooling the cylinder was filled with material from a 
mouse's nest, includig a dead mouse (it seems my father put some poison out last fall to 
keep mice out of the shed).

The engine wouldn't start because the mouse chewed through the ignition wire.

I figure my father was lucky that the mouse chewed through the wire, because he would have 
cooked the engine if it had started.

--- On Mon, 20 Jan 1997 16:00:07 -0600  Sean Bartnik <sbart7kb@www.mwc.edu> wrote:

>Hey all,
>OK, I've got one for the books.  This will top all "weird places to find
>a mouse" stories.
>
>My girlfriend had a flat tire on her '87 Plymouth Sundance.  So, we go
>out there to change the tire to her spare, one of those little
>cost-cutting donuts (damn I hate those things).  I also hate those
>little scissors jacks used on American cars!  Rant rant rant.  
>
>Anyway, I get the flat tire off and observe the disc brake caliper.  I
>see what appears to be something furry lodged in there between the
>caliper and the disc.  "What the hell is that????" I say.  
>
>On the Sundance, the caliper extends out past the brake pad so that
>there is a little ledge and consequently a very small space between the
>disc and the caliper ledge.  
>
>I get the lug wrench and use the sharp end to pry this furry thing out
>of this space.  I began to realize what it was as I was prying it out
>and then its crispy body broke in half!  Yuck.  So, I pry the rest out
>getting a good look at nice dried mouse internal organs.  
>
>This thing falls on the ground (in two pieces) and I am able to view the
>remains of one very fried, very brake-dust covered, very crispy, very
>dead mouse.  
>
>The only thing I can think of is that this mouse was out exploring the
>strut tower (which is right above this wheel) and then Christy (my
>girlfriend) went out driving, the mouse fell onto the disc and the
>rotating motion of the disc whipped him right along into his final
>resting place.  I hope he died quickly.  None of his body parts made it
>under the pad so he didn't have any adverse effect on braking, so we
>never suspected he might be there.  
>
>Anyway, this beats anything I've ever seen.  I can honestly say that
>this is a first for me :) .
>
>I just had to tell you guys :)
>
>Sean

-----------------End of Original Message-----------------


___________________________________________

  Michael Stocker <mdstockr@neo.lrun.com>
  North Canton, Ohio, USA
  Date: 1/20/97
  Time: 5:20:11 PM
___________________________________________