Can someone educate me on registering the sickle bar with the guards on JD model 30 combine?

[Andrew4015]

Sorry to pester everyone; but I picked up a John Deere model 30 pull type combine a few years ago and as time permits I've been reworking it to hopefully put it back into service. Recently I re-installed the sickle bar with new sections and guards and noticed as I moved the sickle bar flywheel the center of the sections are stopping about 1/4" off to the right of where they should be with the guards. (the knife didn't move when I bought the combine so I have no idea if was incorrectly adjusted when I got it) The manual says to adjust if not aligned; but doesn't tell me how. The parts diagram book I have doesn't seem to show any adjustment parts so I'm at a loss and need some wisdom. Thanks for any help!

 

[55 50 Ron]

Sorry to pester everyone; but I picked up a John Deere model 30 pull type combine a few years ago and as time permits I've been reworking it to hopefully put it back into service. Recently I re-installed the sickle bar with new sections and guards and noticed as I moved the sickle bar flywheel the center of the sections are stopping about 1/4" off to the right of where they should be with the guards. (the knife didn't move when I bought the combine so I have no idea if was incorrectly adjusted when I got it) The manual says to adjust if not aligned; but doesn't tell me how. The parts diagram book I have doesn't seem to show any adjustment parts so I'm at a loss and need some wisdom. Thanks for any help!

Seems a 1/4 inch isn't enough to be concerned about. But possibly some or all of the sickle drive parts are each worn a little and the overall wear when added together is enough to make the 1/4 inch you see.

 

[Scott 730]

The operators manual likely shows how to set the register of the sickle. Do you have one?

 

[ET]

When you turn the flywheel and the knife moves to the left, at the end of the stroke the section should be about a quarter inch beyond the guard also. It should be the same amount at each end of its stroke.

 

[560Dennis]

I think you get much closer than that . I did it on the new idea mower using the manual.

I have pull combine for birdfoot trefoil and that ihc head has to be registered, it will bang the head to pieces , you can’t go gear slow with the tractor to prevent it ,
Just what I’ve found combining.

 

[55 50 Ron]

The operators manual likely shows how to set the register of the sickle. Do you have one?

The OP says he has an operator's manual,

 

[Andrew4015]

Fellows, thanks for the feedback! Yes do have the manual; but the only parts of it that talks about the knife is on adjusting up/down slop on the bell crank, the two slotted holes on the knife front guide (handles front/rear slop at knifehead), and then when knife is removed it states "when reinstalling the knife, be sure the knife sections are centered between the knife guards , with the knife in the center of it's stroke before attaching the knife pitman". I did that when I installed the knife; but then when I rotate the flywheel to check the knife operation, the knife appears to be offset to the right; i.e, I spin flywheel so knife is fully to right and the knife tips are 1/4" to the right of center on the guards, when I move the flywheel so the knife is full left, it's 1/4" short of where it should be in the guards. So far the best I can guess is maybe the pitman (wooden) arm on flywheel to bell crank is not original and may be it is very slightly shorter than should be? (or mounting holes worn?) Or could that be that is how the knife gets centered? Could there be adjustment slots on pitman (wood) arm bolts that I'm not seeing? So far I haven't come up with a means to adjust the "throw" of the knife. Any additional wisdom is appreciated - cant tell you how many nights I've woke up trying to figure this one out!

 

[560Dennis]

Let’s see ,can you clock the flywheel ,left or right ( cutter bar ) Then remove the pitman . Move the cutter bar to center in guard. Compare holes in the pitman to the rocker . Take a measurement.
Repeat the process moving flywheel to center the cutter bar to the guard .measure the . Compare the hole in Pittman .
Should be off the same distance ,what is that distance .

My opinion is that if the cutter bar register if not explained in operation manual .the it could be in-the dealer prep set up for the combine manual.

 

[Andrew4015]

Everything I measure ends up with the difference being 1/4". Why it doesn't look right to me is the blunt tip of the section extends beyond the guard point (at maximums of the stroke) and I don't think that's correct. I believe the blunt tip of the section should stop behind the guard tip at each end of the knife stroke. (At least that is what I see on my Ford 501 mower) It may work ok as is; but it will be some time before I have the machine working in the field to check things out. I'm currently contending with a frozen collar/bushing in the auger/finger assembly that has it locked up so it won't rotate. The fingers appear to be free.

I've looked over the jackshaft drive (powers sickle and auger) - no means to shim or modify it to change the the start/stop points of the pitman. Best I can tell is if the pitman arm was simply 1/4" shorter, then that would shift the rocker arm position back 1/4" which moves the sickle bar to left 1/4". (there's a linear 1:1 relationship of pitman arm to rocker arm to sickle knife) all while leaving the total stroke the same. It looks like this would place the center of the sections right in the middle of the guards at each end of the knife travel. Or it looks that way best I can move everything.

The pitman arm is attached with 4 bolt holes on flywheel end, the rocker end is attached with 4 rivets which makes me think the pitman may be original as it matches the JD parts diagrams. So, I'm still baffled how things could be out of alignment. I wouldn't think it would have left JD with this situation. BTW the S/N is 13123 so the combine is an early model.

Thanks to all for their inputs - appreciate having a sounding board so I get a check on my thinking.

 

[ET]

John deere no5 mowers registered in the center of the guard at each end of the stroke. John deere no8 mowers and newer registered just past the center of the guard at each end of the stroke.