HELP welding a stub shaft

[npalen]

Any developments on this project?

 

[Coyote machine]

+1.
I'd like to see a resolution to your issue too.....

 

[Sodo]

Wellllll started taking it apart and got this far. Pretty sure the shaft is mild steel - it deforms when i hit it with the hammer. Still have to get the shaft outta there.

Having a hard time deciding on the proper 9" adjustable sheave (for 1.25" keyed shaft). There are several types of browning split bushings / sheave combos. I want the one that grips the shaft tightest but havent yet figured out how to evaluate them. 1.25" keyshaft at McMasterCarr is $20.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Wellllll started taking it apart and got this far. Pretty sure the shaft is mild steel - it deforms when i hit it with the hammer. Still have to get the shaft outta there.

Having a hard time deciding on the proper 9" adjustable sheave (for 1.25" keyed shaft). There are several types of browning split bushings / sheave combos. I want the one that grips the shaft tightest but havent yet figured out how to evaluate them. 1.25" keyshaft at McMasterCarr is $20.

SODO,

You could spend a lot of time finding something cheaper and reject a lot of them over that. Browning is an old line of power transmission products and you cannot go wrong there. I would not buy the sheave until I had a successful repair job in hand though.

I really did not understand what the piece of machinery was until I ran across this on the net Equipment for sale.

It sure looks like yours. This is the power input shaft to the sickle power wobble head gear box which is different scenario from what I was thinking. Have you tried to get a new shaft from MF the original manufacturer that is still making machines? There are a lot of parts suppliers on the internet, you would need to call them. There are number of vintage parts guys also.

I have not changed my opinion yet in that you need a replacement shaft rather than trying repair. A little search on the net and Craig's List you may find one of those as a parts machine.

Ron

 

[Sodo]

Your link is to a Massey "MF 41" it has a welded plate-steel wobble box. Mine is an MF 31 which has a cast wobble box. Cranks for the 31 are NLA the only way to get one is used and all my searching hasn't turned one up yet but I'd dearly love to find one or the whole wobble box.

Inside the box are counterbalancers that wobble opposite the sickle. Lots going on in there.

Good call on doing the welding before buying sheaves. A Browning sheave may cost $200.

 

[whis]

tractorhouse shows mf31

 

[Sodo]

Friend suggested to have a driveline repair shop weld the 1.25" keyshaft stub onto the wobble crank. Probably wouldnt be the first time they had to figure out how to align & weld shafts together. Thoughts?

 

[MHarryE]

At both Gleaner and Case-International we had problems with sheaves loosening and wallowing out when we used tapered shafts with keys so we settled on what I recall as 1" coarse thread. Even though in theory the wobble box is braking for half the stroke, sickle friction and cutting forces result in driving torque being greater than braking torque so the pulley always stays tight. Actually at Gleaner our first wobble box drives were purchased from International Harvester and we tried tapered shaft with key when we designed our own but quickly discovered why IH had gone with threads. Our reason for the taper is the threaded ones tighten do much during use a person always needs heat to get the sheave off. But on a combine we were driving up to a 30 foot sickle. Your failure reminds me of what our protos with the taper looked like, especially when a steel pickup reel tine got into the sickle. Not sure if you could find a used sheave from an old grain head and modify your shaft end to work. We had several different sheaves - different diameters for speed changes and more cast iron for flywheel effect to smooth out the belt whip.

 

[Sodo]

MHarryE thats very interesting! I can see how that might stay tight, and I guess a guy could add a jam nut too.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Here's my thought's for what they are worth. I looked at the part on the Agco Parts web site. This is not an easy part to make. I would take it to a good welding machine shop and have them repair it. I'd be tempted to use just a straight browning hub. The pulley could be machined out to fit the hub. And then I thought about adapting a wobble box to work in there. And then the more I think about it..... Just go spend your money on a mower that does what you want it to do and that you can still buy parts for. I know!! I don't like to throw stuff away either but this to me looks like a repair that in the end is just going to break again. There is just too much heavy stuff being thrown around inside that gearbox. That's my thoughts.