Weird "fuzzy" stuff inside the rear axle housing of my '62 Cub. Should this be there? What is it?

[sgraber]

Hello! I have some further questions about my '62 cub. I successfully removed the right seat bolt (see viewtopic.php?p=852751), however I have a new question. I looked down the bolt holes where my seat bolts to the axle housing and saw something that looked like fuzz. I grabbed a large tweezers and pulled out a huge chunk of what looks like hair mixed with cellulose fibers:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PrTmYfxpLT7Cp3Ky6

There's a lot more in there. I haven't pulled it out because I'm uncertain if it should be in there or not. Does anyone have any ideas??? Here's a photo album of a lot more pictures of what I'm seeing:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sbu4VqxoWQ6XF41N7

Thanks in advance,

Shane

[tmays]

Looks like you’ve had a stowaway. Looks like probably a mouse has made a nest at some point. Nope, doesn’t belong there. But don’t think I’d go to the trouble to get it all out. But that’s your call.

[sgraber]

I wonder how he got in there! I don't see any obvious points of entry unless I'm missing a decent sized hole somewhere...

Looks like you’ve had a stowaway. Looks like probably a mouse has made a nest at some point. Nope, doesn’t belong there. But don’t think I’d go to the trouble to get it all out. But that’s your call.

[Don McCombs]

The likelihood that the nesting material is soaked with mouse urine is very high. I wouldn’t disassemble the axle for just that reason. But, if you need to go in there for another reason, clean it thoroughly and spray with a baking soda solution. It is very acidic.

[sgraber]

Maybe I'll attempt to snake some of that out with a wire or something to at least get some of it out. Thanks for clearing this one up!

The likelihood that the nesting material is soaked with mouse urine is very high. I wouldn’t disassemble the axle for just that reason. But, if you need to go in there for another reason, clean it thoroughly and spray with a baking soda solution. It is very acidic.

[Don McCombs]

I wonder how he got in there! I don't see any obvious points of entry ...

Through the brake rod port.

[inairam]

I went in to do a clutch and had a nest from the throwout bearing to the transmission. Packed.

[JimCub48]

Use a shop vac reduced down to a small plastic hose and try to pull it out . Use a wire to loosen it up ,that should help.

[Jim Becker]

Trying to clean that mess out through that bolt hole is about like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket milk bottle. The only reasonable way to get most of it out is by removing the final drive. You could remove/replace the final in less time than it would take to clean it out through the bolt hole. And I probably would not remove the final just to clean it out.

[Lt.Mike]

There seems to be more fur than grass, fabric, or other material. I think your disassembling not so much a mouse nest but a dead dried up mouse.
Every nest I’ve ever seen was mostly something else, what you’ve got, that’s all hair. I don’t think you’ll get his little carcass out that tiny hole.

[tst]

if you can remove a bolt from the battery box where it bolts to the tube I stick an bent air blower down the hole and blast it, crap all comes out toward the brake band

[Jim Becker]

Wear a mask if you use an air hose on a mouse nest. They can be full of nasty diseases.

[Dale Finch]

I was going to suggest using a hose with an attachment like above, turning it all to "mush" and letting it come out the brake slots!