(counting links on) roller chain on 467 haybine

[dan_d]

So I was having trouble with the neighbour's haybine the other day going through some thick hay, and long story short, found out that it was missing the chain that drives the top roller! (turns out it was never there to begin with, but that's another story... ) With my luck the only place open to get chain on a saturday afternoon was the JD dealer, so I showed him the parts blowout from the NH website and said I needed this chain... "no problem" he says, and comes back with the chain, connecting link and offset link that the parts list shows. I get back home, put the chain together everything seems to work good, and off we go. About 20minutes into my cutting, snap goes the chain! A bunch of screwing around and bending and welding, and things seem to be back in order, but then I start wondering about how tight or loose the chain should be. The other 2 chains on the haybine are quite loose, but this one is kinda tight... so i start counting links (or so i thought, hence the question...) and come up with 93 links! The parts blowout says 91 links... but i don't know if that included the offset & connecting links or not? I figured it should so i included them in the count. I counted the number of "rollers" on the chain, is that actually the correct way to count links?? If so, my chain is (obviously) too long, and i'm hoping that shortening it will prevent it from breaking again, but this would also make the chain quite tight since one of the sprokets is on a decent sized spring. Never having seen the correct configuration before I was hoping someone around here might be able to shed some light on my dilema! Is that chain supposed to be real good and tight? Any chance that someone with a 467/469 might want to count their links up for me?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Dan

 

[RickB]

Use the pitch count listed in the parts catalog. Tighten all chains until snug. Both roll drive chains need to be of the correct length or you will have timing problems.

 

[dan_d]

Use the pitch count listed in the parts catalog. Tighten all chains until snug. Both roll drive chains need to be of the correct length or you will have timing problems.

The pitch count in the parts catalog is 91, but that's what I am trying figure out is exactly how these are counted? I counted the number of "rollers" on the chain when completed/connected, which seems like the only obvious way, but then the parts catalog also mentions a connecting link and offset link, are those included in the "91"? I counted the links (# of rollers) on the other roller drive chain and it came out to 50 just like the parts book says, but then there isn't even an offeset link on this chain, just a connecting link (even tho the parts book lists one)?? and then I counted the pickup drive chain on the other side and it had 89 rollers, but the book says 90!? Soooo confusing!

Thanks,
Dan

P.S: Also not sure how I'd end up with timing problems? With an additional link, wouldn't the chain just be extra loose? The chain wouldn't be moving at a different speed...

 

[dan_d]

So just to follow up on this one (i have a few spare minutes now that haying is done for the year ) I ended up cutting 2 links out of the chain, so the total number of rollers *INCLUDING* the offset/connecting links was 91, put the chain back on and hasn't missed a beat since. (except for the stupid design in the chute where the hay nearest the right side does a 90degree turn as soon as it comes out of the rollers and tends to jam up... but anyways...) I'm telling you, that thing can be fed an awful lot of hay now that it works properly!


Cheers,
Dan