Flail Mower Any Ford 918H owners?

[FF191]

Have a Ford 918H that I picked up at a good price. I have searched every document/ forum I could find for info on this specific mower. I did find a spec sheet that said it could be set to run in forward or reverse rotation but can not figure out how that would be done. Anyone with an owners manual or experience with a 918H that could educate me? I've found the owners manual online but I hate to drop $40-$50 just to find out if it can be reversed. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[John0829]

I was going to scan the page from the manual for you but my scanner has decided it's toast but the long and short of changing direction of rotation is swapping the drive gear on the input shaft. Here it is word for word from the manual:

1. Remove the drain plug and drain the oil
2. Remove the bolts (6) securing the rear gearbox cover (1) and the side shaft support. Tap on the input shaft to loosen the cover. Disengage the side shaft.
3. Pry the rear cover and bearing off the input shaft (14).
4. Remover the input shaft from the gearbox.
5. Remover the gear (15), shim (11), and keys (13) from the shaft. Remove the spacer (12) and shims (11) from the other end of the shaft.
6. Install the gear with the keys and the shim to the end of the shaft that the spacer was removed from. Install the spacer and shims to the opposite end of the shaft.
7. Install the cover and the side shaft support setting the gear properly. Check the gearbox backlash with a dial indicator. The backlash must be from 0.008" - 0.0014". If the backlash is not to specification, re-arrange the shims. Replace the old gaskets.
8. Install the drain plug. Fill the gearbox with 3 pints of gear oil.

 

[FF191]

Thanks John. I had looked at the parts schematic and it almost looked like swapping the gear and spacer around might work but I hoped to hear for sure from someone who knew. I will go ahead and download the service manual, found it for $30 finally, and get it running the other direction. Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

 

[John0829]

Just to add when I got my 918H it was rotating clockwise or opposite the tire rotation and I figured it should cut better going clockwise or the same as tire rotation since in that direction it should pick up the growth laid down by the tires. Fact of the matter is, I could not really tell a bit of difference in quality of the cut after changing it. I never did not bother to change it back.

 

[FF191]

Thanks for the info. I'm actually running mine with a skid loader with a 3pt adapter and a high flow pto drive so I'm actually pushing it backwards. It's getting modified to run through sage brush in really rocky areas. I want it to cut on the upstroke and carry back over the top and to the ground instead of from the top and down towards the ground and out the back, which I'm staring directly at from the skid loader seat. I've ran it through the sage and it eats it up, but I don't like how it throws it towards my cab, even with 1/2" lexan shields.

 

[leonz]

Hello and good morning FF191,

I want to welcome you as the newest resident member of the "Flail Mower Nations" from the Western Slope of the Great State of Colorado.

How far are you from the Moffat Tunnel?.



Now about your flail mower; you wish/intend to set up clockwise rotation on the flail mower rotor to mow your brush with.

Is your high flow control valve capable of diverting oil flow in reverse???
If it can operate with the flow in reverse that is all you need to do.
If it is not it the detent can only be set in one direction like the old bobcats.

Before you worry and too much and end up fighting with it you need to ask
your equipment dealer if they offer a 2 position detent valve for the high flow
attachment loop so you can reverse the oil flow since you have a closed center
hydraulic system.


Leon

 

[FF191]

Leon, thanks for the reply. Its a bit of a jaunt to the Moffat tunnel, don't recall actually ever being there to be honest. That's in North Central part of Colorado, I'm a bit farther down in the Southwest corner.

With respect to my hydraulics. I can run my high flow hydraulics on my machine either way, there is no issue there, but in speaking with an engineer for the high flow PTO drive motor, was told that due to internal check valves in the motor, the drive is only able to spin in one direction. I know some lower flow drive motors are able to spin either way but not this high flow one. I'm in noway a hydraulic expert so I will take the engineers word on it. With the info received from John above, it should be a simple gear flip and won't cost me a dime. It will also keep my drive PTO direction consistent for other pto driven implements that I may use. Worst case scenario is that I have to make a new gasket.

 

[No1umfan]

I was going to scan the page from the manual for you but my scanner has decided it's toast but the long and short of changing direction of rotation is swapping the drive gear on the input shaft. Here it is word for word from the manual:

1. Remove the drain plug and drain the oil
2. Remove the bolts (6) securing the rear gearbox cover (1) and the side shaft support. Tap on the input shaft to loosen the cover. Disengage the side shaft.
3. Pry the rear cover and bearing off the input shaft (14).
4. Remover the input shaft from the gearbox.
5. Remover the gear (15), shim (11), and keys (13) from the shaft. Remove the spacer (12) and shims (11) from the other end of the shaft.
6. Install the gear with the keys and the shim to the end of the shaft that the spacer was removed from. Install the spacer and shims to the opposite end of the shaft.
7. Install the cover and the side shaft support setting the gear properly. Check the gearbox backlash with a dial indicator. The backlash must be from 0.008" - 0.0014". If the backlash is not to specification, re-arrange the shims. Replace the old gaskets.
8. Install the drain plug. Fill the gearbox with 3 pints of gear oil.

I’ve got one of these Mowers also. I have to replace the belts. Can’t figure out how to release the tension between the pulleys to let the belts slip on. Any help??

 

[the old grind]

Not a Ford flail but I bet typically, for me to change belts (2 B-size) I just to remove four bolts holding the lateral shaft's bearing mount at the top and push it down by hand to make slack. The holes are slotted for adjustment when I put bolts back in. If a bit stiff I'd loosen the bolts holding the gearbox but haven't had to do that yet.

btw, my mower specs 69 1/2" belts, rare and not at TSC .. but I can get 69"s and 70"s to work easily within the adjustment range. Costs ~1/2 as much and 3 stores within 10-20 min if I catch a few lights.

 

[John0829]

To loosen the belts first you loosen the 4 bolts holding the gearbox and back off the push bolt, then loosen the two bolts holding the pulley end and back off the push bolt on that end and then you can slide it back enough to get the slack you need to remove or replace the belts. To tighten just reverse the process trying to keep the pulleys straight with each other and not canted.