Tiller loosing nuts

[Gerifalte]

Hi all,

This may not be the best place to post this, but since the tiller is Jinma.....

Anyhow, I bought a Jinma tiller (1GX-120) at last season but I haven't used it until a few days ago (soil is finally dry around here!).
First thing I noticed is that it came without oil so I filled it with gear oil and tightened all the bolts. Good think I looked!

After using it a few hours some of the bolts were loose again. I thought perhaps I didn't tighten hard enough so I tightened them again. 2 hrs of tilling (unfortunatelly somebody else did it, I would have watched better), and I had a few bolts missing and the seals in those joints had cracked, creating a pretty significant oil leak.

So, my question is: has anybody experienced this with the JM tiller? Do you know what may be the cause? Could I be doing something wrong?
I usually till with my JM284 in creeper-low, 2nd or 3rd gear. My soil is fairly soft as we plowed about a year ago so I didn't have to use the 1st gear.

I suspect the split washers are poor quality so I was going to make new seals, change all the washers and use blue loctite to keep the bolts in place. Is there anything else I should do to make sure this doesn't happen again?

Thanks!

G

 

[Walter L]

I would use thread lock, should be the end of the loose nut problem.

Walter

 

[thingy]

You posted this in right spot,,so they had lock washers and still wouldn't hold?,,what a mess,,,maybe get new lockwashers at a parts place? course,they might be made in china too?
I got a kingkutter and nothing has come loose in three years,,it didn't come with oil or grease either,but the owners manual said this,think they was a sticker on it to?
I can say all this cause I got a chinese tractor with 570 hours on it,,would take a chance with tractor,[and it worked out pretty good so far],but implements,,no,,wouldn't buy a chinese tiller or hog or finishing mower,,heard to many sad storys,,and for a few hundred more in each case,[or less],you can buy a king kutter,,thingy

 

[KubotaSteve]

I had the same problem with my Woods tiller, except mine were bolts that had back out around the gear box from the PTO. I put some blue loctite on them and they have held ever since.

 

[Gerifalte]

Thanks Walter, Thingy and Steve. Following your suggestions I bought new lock washers and loctite and put it back together. I will let you guys know how it goes.

Thingy, about the price, mine was about 65% of what you would pay for a KK tiller so I couldn't resist. If I can get this fixed for the $10+ I spent on loctite and washers it would still be a bargain ....and you were right, guess where the new washers I bought are made?

G

 

[psj12]

In high vibration/stress points the best alternative is self locking nuts. Some have plastic inserts but the all metalic ones are supperior in their ability to remain tight.
If you still have problems after the application of Locktight and new lock washers buy some metalic locknuts (replace the lockwashers with SAE flats) from a fastener supplier.
I have also noted bolts on these tractors to loosen due to the stress point with a "un-graded" bolt installed. This is an indication of bolt stretch. These bolts should be replaced with grade 5 or 8 bolts.

 

[Gerifalte]

In high vibration/stress points the best alternative is self locking nuts. Some have plastic inserts but the all metalic ones are supperior in their ability to remain tight.
If you still have problems after the application of Locktight and new lock washers buy some metalic locknuts (replace the lockwashers with SAE flats) from a fastener supplier.
I have also noted bolts on these tractors to loosen due to the stress point with a "un-graded" bolt installed. This is an indication of bolt stretch. These bolts should be replaced with grade 5 or 8 bolts.

Thanks for the pointers psj12. The bolts that got loose don't use nuts, they go straight into the cast iron body of the tiller so I can't use locknuts. However, you make a good point about the bolt grades. I will make sure I get the right bolts too.

Thanks again!

G

 

[SPIKER]

I have same/similar unit it too had a similar problem with looseneing bolts, a dab of blue locktiget and never had a prod with them since, but beware that on mine the lower center tine/harrow used 4 bvolts and 2 or the 4 went into the gearbox and leaked a bit used some sealer on them wen I put it together to stop it...

mark M