Found a trick to clear cutterhead clogs without stopping the pump

I was working a job on the Mississippi near Baton Rouge last month and kept getting mud packed into the cutterhead every 20 minutes or so, which meant shutting down to flush it out. Tried reversing the rotation for 10 seconds before each shift change and it cleared the buildup without losing prime. Anyone else use rotation reversing for clog prevention or do you stick with manual cleaning?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahsingh1mo ago

I've done the same thing actually, that reverse rotation trick is solid. I was on a job in the Illinois River a couple years back with heavy clay and it was the same deal - packing up every 15 minutes. Started hitting reverse for about 8 seconds at the start of every hour and it cut the cleaning downtime way down. Manual cleaning still works fine but it's a pain when you're trying to keep the pump running through a shift. Just gotta make sure you don't reverse too long or you can mess with your suction pressure.

patricia5581mo ago

Had a buddy try that reverse trick on a dredge out in Louisiana. Worked fine for about two weeks then the motor started making this weird clattering noise. Turned out the clay was so thick it pushed some sediment back into the intake housing.

drew_reed621mo ago

That's a rough break for your buddy. Did the motor end up needing a full rebuild after that or were they able to flush it out and salvage it? I've seen clay cause all kinds of headaches with equipment, and that sediment pushing back into the intake is exactly the kind of sneaky problem that can mess up your whole week. It's a shame because the reverse trick sounds great on paper, but I guess it really depends on what you're digging in. Hope his dredge is back up and running without any permanent damage.