Haybine 469 sickle bar replacement

[Carole G]

I have a NH 469 that broke a shear pin on the sickle bar. I got the replacement bushing and bolt kit. Now I have the dilemma of how to remove the sickle bar and changing out the bushing. I don't have the manual for the swather, I bought it second hand. Any help would be appreciated. You may contact me off list at carolegiroux@netscape.net.
 

[keh]

Is this the bolt that holds the sickle bar to the wobble box? Bushing has a steel body with rubber between the outer body and the hole where the bolt goes? If so, you should have removed the sickle first and taken it to a New Holland dealer so they could press out the old bushing and press in a new one. After you get the blade out you will have to take it to a hydraulic press to get the bushing installed. Save the old bushing because it is a handy piece to start removing the old bushing next time it wears out. They start pushing out the old bushing for 1/4 inch or so, remove the starter, then put the new bushing in place and press it in while pressing out the old bushing. Recommend going to a NH dealer.

Unless the guards are in good shape, your big problem will be getting the blade out. Problem is that the guards will get bent up out of line when hitting rocks, etc. I have hitched a tractor to the blade to pull it out.

Next problem is getting the blade back in. A big rubber hammer is useful. Don't bang on the end with the bushing with a regular hammer because you will warp it. Oil the blade and have someone watch the end of the blade and use a screwdriver to pry the blade up and down as needed. You can turn the rollers with your hand and move the wobble box for final alignment.

Maybe the mower has always been used on flat sandy fields and the guards will be in good alignment.

Hope this helps. Mower cuts good when everything is right.

KEH
 

[old]

Just did that on my NH460 about the same machine just older. You have to pull the sickle bar out, I used my riding lawn mower to do that today, I hooked a chain up and took off and it pulled out just fine. You need a press to install a new bushing, a BFH will not work BTDT and found out that the only thing that will do is make you buy a 2nd bushing. Then to put the bar back in it takes 2 people and a hammer to slip it in and time say an hour or so. Need more info my e-mail is always open
 

[Erik Ks farmer]

I have a 488 haybine, not familiar with the older machines, but the bushing on this machine is very easy to replace, just pull out the sickle, loosen the bolt on the head and slide the old one out and slide in the new bushing and tighten it back up.
 

[old]

I wish the old ones where that easy. On my NH460 it takes a 12 ton press to replace that bushing and the 469 is probably about the same
 

[formerly ny bill]

i posted above about how the make a guard straightener to make it much easier to get the cutterbar back in after you press the new bushing in. i also bend the cutterbar at the end section to give it a tiny downward tilt. this will help slide the bar back through the guards if you have to do it by yourself.
 

[Our Farmer]

I have a 469. Replaced more bushings than I can remember. Pulling the cutter bar can be a chore if the guards are all bent. Run a string line from end to end across the line of guards to see which guards are most out of whack. I use a pipe to bring them back into line before trying to remove the bar. Once they are all in line, it's an easy matter to remove the bar. BTW, the bar should easily slide back in after the repair. If you have to use force, you need to line things up better.

I use a torch to cut what remains of the old bushing out of the bar,being careful not to cut the bar itself. Once the bar is cool, I place the bar head on an anvil, sledge hammer head or piece of thick steel then place the new bushing into the head, making sure it's absolutely straight. If it gets cocked, you're in trouble. Taking a big impact socket that's the same size as the outer ring of the bushing, I gently tap it with a ball peen hammer, careful to get the bushing started straight into the hole. Once it's started far enough so that know it's not going to go sideways, I use a the socket and a BFH to drive it it the rest of the way home.

If all the guards are lined up, sliding the bar back in goes easier if you lift up on the bushing end slightly so the bar bows down a little bit. If it binds on the way in, a second set of eyes makes id'ing the offending guard a whole lot easier. Be sure to check for loose cutter rivets and broken teeth while the bar is out.

Once the bar is back in, center the drive arm off the wobble box. If the arm is not centered, the bushing is torqued at an angle and will not last as long as it might otherwise. Tighten the bolt to German torque, that is "gudentite", and you're good to go!
 

[Carole G]

Thank you gentlemen for all your replies. My problem is that I'm not exactly mechanically saavy when it comes to my farm implements (I'm a city girl trying to learn country ways. 6th year so far) All my farm repair vendors are booked out a week. I need to get my hay cut! My problem is that I can't figure out how to get the cutter bar head (where the bushing is) out. I removed all excess hay and I see a gazillion bolts. I don't know which ones to remove or how to remove the bar. Also, the bushing looks like it was machine pressed in and there are two metal tabs that look like they are hammered down. We, (my ranch hand and I) tried prying it out with a screwdriver to no avail. I understand now that it will have to be done with a press. But I have to start with removing the bar. That's the part that is stumping me. It doesn't look like there is enough space for the bushing end which is thicker to fit through the slot to remove it. I am able to slide the bar back and forth with my hands, so it must be pretty straight still. My land is all flat with no rocks. (I've been picking then by hand for six years) *smile* Thanks for helping this girly girl out. I appreciate it.
 

[old]

My e-mail is always open if you want more then I say here. I have found that most of the time you need a com-a-long and something to hook it to to pull that sickle bar out. I got lucky the other day on my 460 and used my riding lawn mower to pull it out. I hooked up a chain to the bar and the lawn mower and took off and out it came
Hobby farm

 

[Our Farmer]

The only bolt that holds that bar in goes through the bushing. The bar rides in a channel, and the teeth fit through slots in the guards. All those bolts you see hold in guards. Once the bolt is out, the bar pulls all the way out the left side( PTO side) of the machine.
Girly girl or no, your life will be a whole lot easier around the farm if you learn to use a cutting torch and a welder. Besides, ain't nothing hotter than a woman who knows how to do metalwork
 

[formerly ny bill]

if i understand what you are asking.....
the whole 9' cutterbar has to come out under the tongue. i'm guessing that the gazillion bolts you refer to are the ones holding the knife sections and the head to the bar?? they don't need to be disturbed. the bolts next to the head are longer than the ones that hold only the knives to the bar.
the only bolt to remove is the 1/2"x maybe 3" fine thread bolt through the bushing, which i thought you said had already broken. i'm not sure what the metal tabs are that you referred to.
like old said, the easiest way to get the bar out is to hook a chain hook on the head of the cutterbar and pull it out with your lawn mower.
 

[Carole G]

Duh, I never thought to pull it out from the PTO side. I was looking to remove it from the front. Makes sense now. I'll try using my mower to remove it. Unfortunately my ranch hand has the weekends off, so I'm stuck until Monday. Thank you all for your help.
 

[old]

Don't let the fact you do not have help stop you. One of these days you will need to learn to do things on your own or forever be waiting on others
 

[sooner]