6600 Feeder House Drum

[JMiles]

I picked up a Feeder House Drum at the salvage yard but this drum has an access hole on both ends and carriage bolts that hold the flange. My old Drum has no access door and the metal is threaded which is the current style that John Deere manufactures? What problems can occur from the access holes being open and what could I use to plug the whole?

 

[MN Scott]

Do the holes look like they were factory made? Maybe someone stripped the threads and cut the holes and used bolts instead. If you don't seal them up the drum will fill with chaff. I would cut some sheet metal and use some silicone to seal them and pop rivet or sheet metal screw them on.

 

[JMiles]

They are definitely factory made. One in fact on flange on the end was different than the other end but they were both JD and the same part number? This really confused me but I'm guessing they had an older style and then updated to a newer style.

 

[MN Scott]

I looked the drum up on JDparts. It shows bolts with nuts to hold the bearing flange to the drum but no detail of the drum ends. I bet you have an original drum and they changed to a threaded sealed style they offer today. I still would be concerned of the material that would build up in the drum but maybe the tumbling action would keep it clean. At one time Deere thought it would work so I guess I would just use it but keep an eye on it.

 

[JMiles]

I think I'm going to weld a thin piece of sheet metal over the holes (keeping in mind not to make it imbalanced) since when I brought it home from the salvage yard there was a ton of chaff in it. Thanks MN Scott for your replies; I always know I can get a straight answer from you.