#5 Mower Problem, please help

[nh8260]

I put my new sickle in my JD #5 mower today and had something happen that has never happened before, the sickle would slide pretty easy then i would have to tap it with a rubber hammer to get it to go, finally got it all in but now when i try to turn it over by hand its hard as heck, some areas are almost impossible to turn it, do i need to bend the tabs up? I have no idea what to do!!

 

[Len Bull, New Haven, VT]

Can you send us a picture or pictures of the sickle bar and pitman area? Is the sickle bar bent at all? Are the knife holders (over the wear plates) pressing down too hard (did you have to start hitting with mallet at any particular location on bar?)? Any knife guards bent? Did you oil or put some grease on the slide groove of the bar? Have you replaced any sections and if so are the heads of the rivets flattened down or could they be binding? That seems unlikely but possible. (Assume that you have the flattened part of rivet on underside?)

Have you checked to be sure that the drive mechanism will turn free? (With pitman not connected to cutter bar?). Is there enough 140 transmission oil in the chain case? Is the pitman aligned up properly with the cutter bar?

I am sure that we will all help you get this sorted out!

Hang in there! GREAT mower.

LEN

 

[1949ABG]

Assuming the gear box is working OK, just start loosening the hold down plates until you find the "sticky wicket".

 

[Hotflashr]

I just put my reworked sickle on my No.5 yesterday. Don't forget some sort of lube on there. Tractor supply sells a graphite paste for this purpose and it works real well. My knife bar had a little bend I had to work out as well as a guard I had to adjust before it was smooth by hand. Throw some paint on the knife bar and move it by hand as much as you can. The paint will wear off where it is too tight. This is assuming the sickle bar is the issue and not the pitman arm and back.

 

[donjr]

I had a problem similiar to that once on a mower. One of the hold downs was a low clearance holdown and was catching on the top ridge on the head, needed a high hold down clip. Also check to make sure your wear plates aren't out too far and causing the section tips to bind in the crotch of the rockguards.

 

[nh8260]

Hey, thanks guys for the responses, i oiled the bar good, loosened the hold down clips and it started turning alot better so i tightened them down one by one and then hooked the tractor to it and by then she was good to go!