bamatoolmaker said:
My neighbor asked me if I might know what is wrong with his Bush Hog.It is a batwing style mower pulled by a big JD.When he raises the two out side mowers to get through the gate.They will not return to the horizontal position.He has been using his truck and a chain to pull them back level.Now I know he is going to end up breaking something using this method.Any suggestions you all might have for me to pass along will be appreciated.
3 possibilities come to mind.
Check the hyd qd's as the other poster stated.. make sure they mate good.
1 If the wings are up.. you can take a wrench to a fitting and start to open it.. if oil shoots out and the wing starts to drop... you know it is not getting oil past the qd's.. or else his remote valving is not diverting to tank properly.
2 Check for binding at the sliding pto side shafts. When i got my well used JD 1517 batwing, the left side telescoping shaft had surface rust on it... I like to never got it to telescope. I finally had to pul the shaft apart.. hit it with emory paper and a wire cup till it was shiny.. then washed down with mineral spirits.. greased and put back together... Works fairly smoothly as it should now. ( A twisted pto shaft will also bind!!! )
3 Check the wing hinges. Again.. mine stopped raising smoothly.. wing looked 'bound up' when raised... Inspection showed that the front of the 3 part hinge broke.. pin slipped, and all the weight was on the back hinge.
I had to lower the wing, and gett he mower and wing up on cribbing and jack stands to get it at even height and supported, beat the pin out.. straighten it.. beat it back in, weld the old tube hinge back on.. and then reinforce the welded hinge tube with a piece of round stock on either side of it.... paint and grease it up, and it is working good now.
Probably one more mowing session and I'd have lost the wing...
good luck..
Soundguy
