John Deere 346 Project

[ddivinia]

I finally got around to hooking up the "good" baler. I threw a video up on youtube.

YouTube - John Deere 346 Small Square Baler Project

Is it supposed to make that much noise?

First things first - a good power washing.

D.

 

[flusher]

I finally got around to hooking up the "good" baler. I threw a video up on youtube.

YouTube - John Deere 346 Small Square Baler Project

Is it supposed to make that much noise?

First things first - a good power washing.

D.

Yeah, balers are noisy. Sounds OK to me. Maybe you can track down that high pitched squeak and get rid of it if it bothers you.

Hope you don't have a twine mess in your knotters (tripping them without hay in the chamber and twine threaded through the needles).

Have a ball. These old square balers are fun.

 

[ddivinia]

Yeah, balers are noisy. Sounds OK to me. Maybe you can track down that high pitched squeak and get rid of it if it bothers you.

Hope you don't have a twine mess in your knotters (tripping them without hay in the chamber and twine threaded through the needles).

Have a ball. These old square balers are fun.

The left knotter looks OK.

Right one is out of twine and has some twine somewhat messed up there.

I am going to cut all the twine out and work on getting the plunger out so we can weld up the floor of the bale chamber.

D.

 

[zzvyb6]

The squeaking noise is caused by a few of the feeder teeth rubbing the hay strippers (the curved metal bands that go from the front of the pickup to just under the auger). Sort of no big deal but the excess noise can mask more serious noises (like dry shafts and wheel bearings).

Don't trip the knotter with twine loaded unless you are loading hay into it. The twine will accumulate around the billhook jaws and break them.

 

[ddivinia]

The squeaking noise is caused by a few of the feeder teeth rubbing the hay strippers (the curved metal bands that go from the front of the pickup to just under the auger). Sort of no big deal but the excess noise can mask more serious noises (like dry shafts and wheel bearings).

Don't trip the knotter with twine loaded unless you are loading hay into it. The twine will accumulate around the billhook jaws and break them.

OK - thanks for the info. I'll clean all that twine out and get rolling on the project.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

I got the baler in the carport and decided to tear a knotter apart. One at a time to make sure I can figure it out. Looks like bill hook and gear is shot, wiper arm bearing, Twine disc looks OK. I am still sorting thru the balance of it.

I did look at the hay fingers and I think the bearings might be shot, but I never worked on one of these before. I took a quick video of it for TBN review.

YouTube - John Deere 346 Hay Finger Bearings

D.

 

[ddivinia]

Looking at the parts catalog I wonder if the crankshaft is shot. I hope it is just those bearings - easy to swap out.

I just checked JD Parts - $450 for the crank. I better check my parts baler and see how it looks...

Comments?

D.

 

[AKfish]

Darin;

Yep... there was a fair bit of play on that feeder arm!! On my 336, the feeder arm has some hard, P-tex like bushings. I think some movement should be expected on that arm - just not too sloppy that might cause it to bind or jam to the side, etc. when it pulls into a wad of loose hay.

There must have been 3-4 sets of those worn out plastic bushing's in the tool box on the 336 when I went through it; lookin' things over and trying to get some ideas about parts and what might need to be fixed.

The plunger bearing and shaft on my 336 is pretty solid - not much play at all! Very happy with that! :thumbsup:

All in all - your short video of the baler under power looked fairly good. Everything looked to be in the right motion together.. No telling how it might do with hay in the system, though.

More pics are always appreciated!

AKfish

 

[ddivinia]

Darin;

Yep... there was a fair bit of play on that feeder arm!! On my 336, the feeder arm has some hard, P-tex like bushings. I think some movement should be expected on that arm - just not too sloppy that might cause it to bind or jam to the side, etc. when it pulls into a wad of loose hay.

There must have been 3-4 sets of those worn out plastic bushing's in the tool box on the 336 when I went through it; lookin' things over and trying to get some ideas about parts and what might need to be fixed.


-----

I need to pull those bearings apart. I thoughts I saw some sleeves, but the jdparts doesn't show any. There has got to be something missing there - I can't imagine those bearings are that shot.




The plunger bearing and shaft on my 336 is pretty solid - not much play at all! Very happy with that! :thumbsup:
----

I'll take a video of that later - it needs new bearings on both ends I think. The plunger heard end for sure.



All in all - your short video of the baler under power looked fairly good. Everything looked to be in the right motion together.. No telling how it might do with hay in the system, though.


----

Yeah - I am hoping to get it together enough so I can try running some hay thru it in the next couple weeks as I plan on rolling up some hay.

More pics are always appreciated!

AKfish

More pics coming - I pulled the right hand knotter apart. The lighting wasn't good and well I needed to get some sleep. It looks like the bill hook is almost worn thru.

Twine disk looks OK - needs cleaning.

The Twine disc cleaners - looks like it has the wrong one in there. They are supposed to be be two different sizes - they are both the same.

Twine disk holder springs - had 3 of them instead of 2.

Need a couple bolts.

The roll pin on the bill hook was stuck really back in there. I broke 2 punches getting it out. I suspect it was not a roll pin, but something they had laying around.

The wiper arm bearing is shot - worn almost flat on one side.

I suspect I will find the exact situation on the on the other side.

I looked at the hole in the bale chamber. I don't feel as bad about it now. I got under the baler and there is plenty of metal to weld to, etc. I figure I will put it up on jack stands and break out the MIG welder.

I am still trying to figure out if the tucker fingers are shot or just need adjustment. People say that arm goes but i am thinking it is worn, but way out of adjustment.

More to come,
D.

 

[ddivinia]

Here is the parts breakdown of the feeder finger drive. It doesn't any replaceable parts on that crankshaft.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

OK - I went out and took one of the bearings loose. They are made out of some sort of plastic. I suspect the rust on the crankshaft ate up the bearings. A full set of bearings are only $25 or so. That should be an easy fix.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

Pics

Clutch is missing some discs.

Hay Plate - looks shot - other one is not much better

Wiper arm bearing - shot.

Plunger looks like it has some damage. I am going to look at the one in my parts baler.

Bill hook could be better - should I replace it?

Twine disk - not sure, looks OK to me.

Comments?

D.

 

[flusher]

Pics

Clutch is missing some discs.

Hay Plate - looks shot - other one is not much better

Wiper arm bearing - shot.

Plunger looks like it has some damage. I am going to look at the one in my parts baler.

Bill hook could be better - should I replace it?

Twine disk - not sure, looks OK to me.

Comments?

D.

I had to rebuild the slip clutch on my MF124 square baler this Spring. It has two friction plates sandwiched between three metal plates. Both friction plates were ground to powder. Fortunately I found replacements at an MF dealer in Maine (about $30 each).

I assume JD can supply replacement parts for the slip clutch on your 346.

In a pinch you can use 1/4" thick brake lining material (available from McMaster Carr) and bond it to the metal plates with JB Weld epoxy.

Or if you want to save a buck, you can do what real old-timey farmers do--cut new friction plates out of a 1/4" thick sheet of double tempered (smooth on both side) Masonite. A 4x8ft sheet of masonite ($25) will give you enough stock for a lifetime supply of friction plates for your slip clutch.

 

[AKfish]

Pics

Clutch is missing some discs.

Hay Plate - looks shot - other one is not much better

Wiper arm bearing - shot.

Plunger looks like it has some damage. I am going to look at the one in my parts baler.

Bill hook could be better - should I replace it?

Twine disk - not sure, looks OK to me.

Comments?

D.

I bought a small, Kuhn GMD400 disc mower on the coast of Oregon - near Coos Bay. You know what you get near the ocean - corrosion, rust - lot's of it!! I had to buy a new 5/16" allen wrench to service the gear boxes - cause the ends were nearly eaten up!

Your 346 looks like it came from Coos Bay...

Yep... everything you've listed is pretty "tired" except the twine disc.

AKfish

 

[ddivinia]

I bought a small, Kuhn GMD400 disc mower on the coast of Oregon - near Coos Bay. You know what you get near the ocean - corrosion, rust - lot's of it!! I had to buy a new 5/16" allen wrench to service the gear boxes - cause the ends were nearly eaten up!

Your 346 looks like it came from Coos Bay...

Yep... everything you've listed is pretty "tired" except the twine disc.

AKfish

I tell ya - leaving a hay bale in the chamber and letting it rain on it is just dumb.

I sure am going to learn a lot about square balers.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

I had to rebuild the slip clutch on my MF124 square baler this Spring. It has two friction plates sandwiched between three metal plates. Both friction plates were ground to powder. Fortunately I found replacements at an MF dealer in Maine (about $30 each).

I assume JD can supply replacement parts for the slip clutch on your 346.

In a pinch you can use 1/4" thick brake lining material (available from McMaster Carr) and bond it to the metal plates with JB Weld epoxy.

Or if you want to save a buck, you can do what real old-timey farmers do--cut new friction plates out of a 1/4" thick sheet of double tempered (smooth on both side) Masonite. A 4x8ft sheet of masonite ($25) will give you enough stock for a lifetime supply of friction plates for your slip clutch.

JD has the parts. I the disc with the spline is rather expensive. Maybe I can reuse it and just put 2 new disc in. Until I tear it apart - who knows.

 

[ddivinia]

I got the plunger out.

Here is a video of the main plunger bearing - I guess that is what you call it.

YouTube - plunger bearing.MOV

Here is the plunger and the 3 bearings on it.

YouTube - IMG_1606.MOV

More pics to follow.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

Pulling plunger - didn't take much but the chain hoist helped.

Shot hay resistor in the bale chute.

Plunger out

One set of bearings

Really flat spotted bearing

Pretty flat bearing

Bearing gone except the shaft

Two bearings removed.

D.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

I pulled the other knotter apart. Same stuff as the right hand one. I am thinking new bill hook and gear, twine disc cleaners and reuse the twine disc. Some new cotter pins, clean it up and try it out.

Going to tackle the pickup and the tucker fingers next.

D.

 

[AKfish]

How does the part's baler look? Are you gonna be able to recycle some of the parts for the rebuild?

Or should I buy some more JD stock...?

AKfish