After another viewing of the 2 pictures, Here is what I would do (assuming the shares of the plow are not worn beyond the point of no return): Remove the beaming screw (The old A-C crank) completely. Weld a piece of angle in its place, or just slightly lower than the highest hole. Put the toplink bolt through the hole where the crank is now. If this doesn't do the trick, you may actually have to go higher with that hole, by welding a set of ears with holes in them of the appropriate diameter. Get a picture of the bottom end of the plow, and I can tell you if its worth putting much effort into the project.
2 bottom plow hook-up - help!!!
- Thread starter flgeorge
- Start date
OrangeGuy
Gold Member
I too believe the plow is a modified Allis Chalmers snap coupler plow. The fore/aft crank adjuster is exactly like the one on my AC 100 Series disk. The crank mechanism appears to be in its shortest position (no threads visable on the rod). Extend the adjustment mechanism to bring the back of the plow down. You also may need a heavier duty third arm to handle plowing duties. In my youth, I plowed many an acre with a WD 45 and a snap coupler plow. Excellent unit if set up properly.
OrangeGuy
OrangeGuy
I appreciate all the suggestions on how to adjust this plow, longer top link, make the screw handle longer, use top hole for top link, etc. Believe me we have tried all these and nothing works. The plow will always come up and almost over. I sent Farmwithjunk a picture of the top link that was bent. I will follow the instructions posted earlier and try to post some more pictures.
There is what appears to be a shear pin hole on the shaft that connects to the lift arms. (Pin (bolt) missing of course) I read on the internet that some bottom plows had/have a shear pin. There appears to be some indication, due to marks on the shaft above and below the hole, that something hit here.
Is anyone familiar with a shear pin on a bottom plow?
Remember the picture posted is not how the plow was used when it broke. This shows how it was after our last adjustment attempt. It is now disconnected from the tractor and we are exploring other options.
George
There is what appears to be a shear pin hole on the shaft that connects to the lift arms. (Pin (bolt) missing of course) I read on the internet that some bottom plows had/have a shear pin. There appears to be some indication, due to marks on the shaft above and below the hole, that something hit here.
Is anyone familiar with a shear pin on a bottom plow?
Remember the picture posted is not how the plow was used when it broke. This shows how it was after our last adjustment attempt. It is now disconnected from the tractor and we are exploring other options.
George
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
Try my suggestion about raising the mounting point(s) of the top link. In the pictures, it appears that the top link position at the tractor end is no higher than the lower links. The plow end is only marginally higher. That might not be the best geometry for the hitch. You need 2 distinctly differet planes. One at the lower links and a parallel link at the top that's not so close to the level of the lower links. Make any sense?
The top link has several positions where it attaches to the tractor. Raise it to the HIGHEST position. Then I'd swap the points where the top link and the plow's adjustment crank attach to the top link mast.
I do believe a few posters are confused about what you mean by the plow "coming up and almost over". From what I gather, it's the rear end of the plow lifting, trying to rotate around the hitch, and NOT the bottoms trying to raise up out of the ground.
The shear pins on a trip beam plow are in the shank of the plow and not the hitch. I've talked with a buddy who's a bit of an expert on AC plows, even sent him your photo's. Without ANY prompting on my part, he had the exact same appraisal of the problem as I did. (Top link too low and too close to the lower link plane, as well as top link way too short.)
The top link has several positions where it attaches to the tractor. Raise it to the HIGHEST position. Then I'd swap the points where the top link and the plow's adjustment crank attach to the top link mast.
I do believe a few posters are confused about what you mean by the plow "coming up and almost over". From what I gather, it's the rear end of the plow lifting, trying to rotate around the hitch, and NOT the bottoms trying to raise up out of the ground.
The shear pins on a trip beam plow are in the shank of the plow and not the hitch. I've talked with a buddy who's a bit of an expert on AC plows, even sent him your photo's. Without ANY prompting on my part, he had the exact same appraisal of the problem as I did. (Top link too low and too close to the lower link plane, as well as top link way too short.)
Farmwithjunk is correct, the rear of the plow lifts and rotates upward as the forward point digs into the ground causing the attachment handle to hit and then bend the top link if not stopped. I may not know the nomenclature of the plow but this hole with threads I refer to is located in the middle of the shaft that connects to the lift arms and on either side holes are 'U' bolts. There appears to be one shaft inside another. If this is empty hole with treads is not for a shear pin what would its purpose be?
We have had the top link in about all the possible positions, top hole to plow and each one down until we stopped at the one shown in the picture. We adjusted the top link from long to short in each of these positions and adjusted the adjustment handle on the plow itself in each of the afore mentioned set-ups. We even attached a stabilizer bar to bottom of the plow and rear bottom of the tractor, with the top link in the up most hole connected to the usual place on the plow. This did prevent the blade from coming up but I could not raise the plow.
We are not actively working on the plow today or most likely the next two or three due to the wind chill factor here near or below freezing. I know all of you from the northern states, where it normally gets cold, have no sympathy for this but this is cold for north Florida. It will be warm by this week-end and I will review all suggestions and see if I have missed anything.
Anyone with any insight please post it/them. I can not let this plow beat me.
George
We have had the top link in about all the possible positions, top hole to plow and each one down until we stopped at the one shown in the picture. We adjusted the top link from long to short in each of these positions and adjusted the adjustment handle on the plow itself in each of the afore mentioned set-ups. We even attached a stabilizer bar to bottom of the plow and rear bottom of the tractor, with the top link in the up most hole connected to the usual place on the plow. This did prevent the blade from coming up but I could not raise the plow.
We are not actively working on the plow today or most likely the next two or three due to the wind chill factor here near or below freezing. I know all of you from the northern states, where it normally gets cold, have no sympathy for this but this is cold for north Florida. It will be warm by this week-end and I will review all suggestions and see if I have missed anything.
Anyone with any insight please post it/them. I can not let this plow beat me.
George
That flipover problem is very common with these burn it quick conversions. Originally that plow would have been pulled from one link underneath the tractor, and 2 links attached about where your 3 point arms hook up. Are you saying that the plow is rotating up in the rear, using the 3 point arms as the axle? if so, FWJ is probably right, you need to raise your toplink hitching height, as well as preventing that shaft from rotating, be it with a welder or bolt. 
diyDave
Yes, the rear of the plow raises from the rear, up and forward toward the front of the tractor. It appears that if there were nothing to prvent it, it would spin completly around the cross members. The lift arms on the 3-point are the axis. The cross member between the lift arms seems to consist of the shafts, one within the other, with the inner one rotating up or down as the plow moves through the ground. There is a bolt hole in the outer shaft. It appears that if a bolt were placed in it, it would allow the inner shaft to move up or down a limited amount of distance. It would certainly prevent the plow from coming up and bending the top link. I have placed a bolt, 1/2 inch, in the hole but it does not penetrate the inner shaft. This may be because the shafts has rotated and the holes do not line up. I am working on this, hopefully there are two holes. I am not sure if welding the two together will work but I will investigate this possibility further.
Yes, the rear of the plow raises from the rear, up and forward toward the front of the tractor. It appears that if there were nothing to prvent it, it would spin completly around the cross members. The lift arms on the 3-point are the axis. The cross member between the lift arms seems to consist of the shafts, one within the other, with the inner one rotating up or down as the plow moves through the ground. There is a bolt hole in the outer shaft. It appears that if a bolt were placed in it, it would allow the inner shaft to move up or down a limited amount of distance. It would certainly prevent the plow from coming up and bending the top link. I have placed a bolt, 1/2 inch, in the hole but it does not penetrate the inner shaft. This may be because the shafts has rotated and the holes do not line up. I am working on this, hopefully there are two holes. I am not sure if welding the two together will work but I will investigate this possibility further.
BillinTX
New member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2006
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- North East Texas
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- MF165D, 1939 Farmall A, 1944 Farmall A
diyDave said:That is definitely an old Allis 50 series snap coupler plow (poorly) converted to 3 point hitch(sort of). You will at a minimum need to get a longer than standard toplink to level out that mess. Keep in mind that on this plow the bottom of the share, as viewed from front to back should be level in operating position (buried 6-8 "deep) When viewed from the back, with your right wheel in the just plowed furrow, the frame should be level from side to side. To properly set this plow up, get the tractor and plow up on a level slab of concrete or asphalt, first set the level front to back by adjusting the toplink then roll the tractor's left rear wheel up on a 6X6 or 8X8 wooden block about 2' long, set the brake, and then adjust the lift arms so that the plow is level left to right. This should get you close enough, if the shares aren't wore out. Hopefully, whoever made this rig put enough thought into design, so that it will work.
Dave has the right idea. For the plow to work it must be set up properly.
Put your left tire up on a block as Dave describes.
Disconnect your top link and adjust the three point until the plow is level front to back.
Use the side link adjuster to level the plow side to side.
Adjust the crank adjuster to the center of its range.
Measure the distance from the top link attachment point to the top attachment point on the tractor.
If you don't have a top link long enough a flat bar with holes in each end will work. You can hake fine adjustments with the crank adjuster.
The top link is the sensing element when you use draft control with a plow.
When the plow is set correctly and the shares are good the plow will suck into the ground. Draft control will sense this and raise the lower arms keeping the plow at the correct depth.