NH 68 timing

[mikeinpa]

wondering what to do next?i have a 68 square baler that I just cant time.plunger is timed correctly with needle drive(knotter clutch assembly)but needles will not cycle back far enough to pull the plunger stop out of the bale chamber.i have adjusted the triangle plate that is bolted to the needle guard on the bottom of the baler as far forward as it can go but its really not that close of a miss.there is approximately 2 inches between the bushing on the needles and the plate.(not enough adjustment available).I have tightened the brake and loosend the brake to no avail.the arm that drives the needles from the brake seems adjusted correctly, and the keyway on the brake arm as well as the bolt through the brake disc are intact and fine.i have explored the clutch as far as obvious damage and do not see anything wrong.i had baled around 10 or 15 bales when the shear bolt went and now I have this problem.i have also checked the knotter drive shear bolt and it to is intact.been going over this for 4 days now and the hay I had down is now junk but still would like to bale it.anybody have a thought?

 

[kydick]

2 notches on top of plunger housing. turn flywheel by hand 2 turns in the direction of the arrow on the wheel. stop when the arm is between them. go to the back and see where the two marks are on the knotter housing are. the outside sprocket has the chain on and that part of the knotter turns all the time. the inside one turns while tying. these marks should be even when it starts to tie. if not you may be able to lossen that top chain and slip it one tooth forward or backward to get it to work. if it does work one of these ways take a chisel and make a new mark for you timing mark on the one that just moves when tying a bale. turn the flywheel by hand to see if it works so you wont damage the baler. also there is a timing for the hay fingers that push the hay into the baler chamber. 2 notches cut into the frame almost where the hay goes into the chamber. the piece (bolt head) that holds the fingers on the chain and on the rod should be between them while the plunger is straight up between those notches and the knotters should be lined up. all 3 at the same time. the chains may be streched out more than you might think and need to be replaced. probably some place on here where you can find a manual for your baler and have pictures to help you figure this out. good luck.

 

[mikeinpa]

kydick,thanks for the reply.all 3 timing marks are where they need to be.i will try sliping a tooth one way or the other and see what happens.it stands to reason though that the chains may be stretched.thats about the only thing that makes sense.i do have the manual for this machine(first thing I do when I get a piece of equipment).again,thanks for the reply,never thought about chains being worn out.

 

[mikeinpa]

update...did as kydick said and moved ahead a little and she works at least good enough to get what I needed done. I believe I have found the problem. The driven sprocket part of the clutch has a lot of play in it.enough to let the chain pop off occasionally. I will try to replace the bushing in it.the shaft that goes through the knotters is worn quite abit where this sprocket rides.i hope a new bushing will correct this because im running out of shear bolts.

 

[kydick]

tools that work right are a good thing to farm with. tools that dont work quite right especially the old mowing machines when you go backwards more than forward trying to get rid of mouse nests or get the hay off the bar so you can mow again may make you say things you aint supposed to say.