Headache List

[Allan in NE]

So then,

I'm so proud of myself for being able to buy that big separater beater for under $200. Wow! At that price, it is easier to just buy a replacement than try to straighten that big monkey.

The front thresher beater, which is exactly the same darned thing, only narrower, lists for $681 (just the paddle assembly)!

Anyway, get home, gonna lift it out of there so I can just drop in the new one when it gets here.

That's when I noticed the problem. :>(

Someone has welded the drive gear to the shaft! ARGHWM##!! Don't tell me. New gear and shaft will probably run $400.

Gotta figure out a way to cut out that recessed weld. :>(

Allan

 

[CWL]

Can you get to it with a die grinder and a carbide burr bit aka rotary file? If you can get the weld cut out enough maybe a little heat and a gear puller will break it loose. Another thought might be a dremel tool, but whatever you do will take a lot of elbow grease. Worst case, could you cut the sprocket off of the shaft and save the shaft? Why did someone weld it in the first place? Is there a sheared keyway or something?

 

[Allan in NE]

Yes Sir,

You're reading my mind. I.E. Why did they weld it to start with? Must have been a problem there?

However, get this.

It is one of those mix/match/weld sproket things. The hub is held to the shaft with two large setscrews. Then, instead of welding the sproket to the hub, it was instead welded to the shaft! :>)

No one said this was gonna be easy. :>)

Allan

 

[Anonymous-0]

Just a thought! Can you use an arc gough? This is a carbon rod encased in copper sleeve that you use like a welding rod in your arc welder and it will gouge out the weld. You may have in the past used a 6010 or 6011 welding rod and turned up the arc welder to max and blew a hole thru something It kind of works like that but not near as messy and a lot neater.

 

[Allan in NE]

Just sittin' here thinking.

Might just take the torch or chop saw and see if I can blow the tip of that hub clear off of there. Get it to where I can then just get in close enough to cut the very outside end of the shaft.

Can't hurt it. Already junk the way it is. :>(

Just don't understand it. In 1977, this was a truly fine machine. :>)

Allan

 

[IaGary]

Yup that might work Allan.

Nothing to lose.

Are you saying someone else got some use out of that combine after you got rid of it?

What were they thinking buying a piece of equipment to use?

Oh I guess thats why I buy equipment.~})

Gary

 

[Anonymous-0]

The reason someone welded it in the first place is..."one more quick fix will get me by, soon this POS will be somebody else's worry." Quite possibly not the only quick fix on the whole machine that Allen will get to "unfix".

 

[Allan in NE]

It was only used between Sunday mornings and Saturday nights over about a million acres. :>)

As near as I can tell, the old gal has right at 11,000 hours on the separater, which is a lot for a combine.

Think the engine clock might have been on it's third time around because it shows fewer hours than the actual machine. :>)

The basic running gear, cab, framework and foundation sheet metal seem to be okay. Every other blessed thing on it has to be replaced tho.

Oh well. After all the years of my working on those GM automatic transmissions, this thing is nothing less than a simple walk in the park.

Child's play and yes, I'm havin' fun! :>)

Allan

 

[Allan in NE]

Yep, that is exactly what happened.

Fix it and fix it in a hurry so we can keep rolling. Been there and done that. :>)

Allan

 

[GeneMO]

Allan, Allan, Take the thing out and throw it away. You dont need this beater. We had the bearing go bad and it broke out the sheet metal where the bearing bolted to. Left a jagged hole. Our landlord was an old Gleaner man and said " you dont need that beater, it just gives trouble". We took it out, put patches over the holes where it mounted, shortened the drive chain and used it with no problems for another 15 years. For corn, soybeans, and wheat you will never miss it. I woudnt spend 10 cents for one. I will guarantee I am right on this cause we did it.


Gene

 

[Allan in NE]

Oh, no doubt and I'm not questioning you for a second.

Thing is, I'm picky. And I'm restoring this old machine back to it's former glory.

It was in there when it was new and she's going back in there new again. I would might leave it out of the other F, but not this one. :>)

Allan

 

[Anonymous-0]

Can you cut the shaft off a few inches back, then chuck the thing into a lathe and drill or machine away the weld? Likely the end of the shaft has a centering hole, or the shop can drill one- then just drill in from the end.

 

[Allan in NE]

Yepper,

Think that's what I'm gonna do.

The hub sticks out past the end of the shaft about a half inch and is itself around 1 1/2" thick.

After I get that shaft out of the combine, I'll just chuck 'er in my chop saw and wack off the outer edge of the hub along with a tad bit of the shaft taking the weld with it.

That way, I can replace that bearing behind it. Depending on what kind of shape the shaft is in in that area........might not be worth foolin' with either after I get it off of there. :>)

Allan

 

[Don-Wi]

I can give a guess as to why it was welded on-

The set screws on a sprocket on our haybine worked loose on the previous owner and they wouldn't hold the sprocket tight any more. The shaft was worn down and the sprocket's bore was worn out too, so there was too much slop.

When we got it, I ran it like that for a little while until the bearing went out this past season. I called up my former work and had them make me 2 new sprockets, then I took the shaft to work and welded it up and had the lathe guy turn it down.

Chances are the bore in the sprocket is worn out, so that's junk. The shaft will probably have to be welded up too. This is coming from a farming machinist with experience of these types of on-farm repairs to gimp it through the season.

Donovan from Wisconsin

 

[Anonymous-0]

Possibly a good die grinder with a round carbide burr could grind the weld out but it would take a long time. There couldn't be any weld left that would prevent it coming off. An air-arc torch would work nice but you need a DC welder and an air compressor to use one. You can get gouging rods that are used like a regular welding rod. If you tried to use a hot 6011 or 6010, you'ld probably make it worse. I just thought of an idea. If you have a cutting torch, you could get a gouging tip for it or just use a bigger size cutting tip with the oxygen turned down a little lower than for regular cutting, so you don't blow through too much. Just heat the weld red hot and use just enough cutting oxygen to blow the metal away. Dave

 

[Allan in NE]

I'd guess you're probably right. Something was sure going on there at one time. :>(

Allan