Combines Need 750 paddle wheel header unplugging suggestions

[Turbo]

I have had this happen, only 1 or 2 paddles did this though. I found that a very sharp knife worked well, but my brother said fire was my friend in this situation. I did not laugh.

 

[Mav]

Cookie Jar, Im sorry to hear about your bad luck. It is never a pleasant sight (in my experience) to see that feeder-house stop turning. I use three tools for unplugging the feeder-houses on our 760 and 860: 1) the big combine wrench that hangs on the grain tank, 2) a hay hook, and 3) my hands (gloves help). First, try to back out the slug as far as possible by placing the combine wrench on the header drive and turn it backwards. Usually, the feeder-house does not back up very much or none at all, but it helps to relieve some pressure. Do not let the wrench slip off and crack yourself in the head (like my brother did) when performing this or else you might have to make a trip to the emergency room. Next, attempt to locate an area around the paddles where the soybeans seem to be loose (usually everywhere is pretty tight). Now, start trying to clear a hole around a paddle using the hay hook and your hands. Usually, if you get a clearing around one of the paddles, you can use that space to pull the neighboring soybeans from the area until the entire paddle is clear. Just use your judgment to determine if you need to try to turn the feeder-house again to loosen up an area. When you think you have removed enough material (you have to get things EXTREMElY clear before engaging the separator or else you will be back at square one when you engage the separator) back the feeder-house up as far as you can with the wrench, open your concaves all the way, set the combine at about 3_4 throttle, and as gently and quickly as possible throw the separator into gear while increasing the engine rpms to help pass the slugs through the cylinder. MAKE SURE you keep track of your tools. You do not want to run the combine wrench through the machineit does a lot of damage (not to the wrench, but the cylinder bars). Note: You may need to check your slip clutch on the left side of the feeder-house under the cab to make sure it is working. Sometimes it will freeze up and needs slipped in order for it to work. Only a couple of paddles should plug before the clutch slips instead of plugging the whole feeder-house and sometimes the cylinder (I still have nightmares from that). Good luck!

 

[cookie_jar]

I'll be going out to get a hay hook. Thank you for the suggestion. My older MF750 does not have a slip clutch on the feeder house. Maybe I should try to install one. This would explain why it got bunged so bad, and broke the drive chain. I've undone all the drive chains, and tried to turn each paddle shaft. They were all bunged solid.

 

[Kornkurt]

If you have all the chains off, be sure to time the paddles when you put it all back together, or it will not feed very well. They need to be 90 degrees from the next one. Good luck!

 

[Cookie_jar]

Well I got going again, after 10 frustrating hours of pulling straw out of the feeder-house. The bale hook didn't do much, as I had already cut the straw with my sawzall. I gave up on the channel lock pliers, which gripped the straw well enough, because they tended to open up when pushed into the straw. long nosed vice grip pliers seemed to work the best. The plug was worse on the side that a piece of the rubber paddle had broken off the shaft of the 4th paddle up. I replaced that paddle, and I'm back in business. My combine doesn't have a slip clutch on the feederhouse. The 60 drive chain that broke was noticeably stretched, so I replaced it with a heavy duty 60H chain and re-timed the paddles at 90 degrees to each other. Perhaps putting in the strengthened chain was not such a good idea, sort of like putting in a larger fuse, it may result in more damage next time. I'm trying to figure out if I can put in some smaller diameter bolts on the drive sprocket to act as shear bolts. The problem would be to make them easy to replace, without having to pull the hub off the shaft. Does anyone have any ideas along that lineIJ Thanks to you all for the tips.

 

[JJS]

If it were me, I would put the regular 60 chain back on , and get a slip clutch. If you ever pick up a stone, the slip clutch will save you a lot of damage. I know from experience. My 750 didn't have one , and after the second stone, I found one, and put it on. you won't be sorry. Joe

 

[Kornkurt]

I agree, you should have a slipclutch. If you can not find one locally, let me know and I'll get you one at the local combine salvage yard. Good luck!

 

[cookie_jar]

I'm not having much luck finding a slip-clutch for my MF750 feederhouse locally (Southern Ontario, Canada). I would appreciate any contacts (phone numbers or e-mail addresses) you might have for combine wreckers, though shipping, customs and brokerage charges may make a purchase from the U.S. rather deere.

 

[korn_fed]

Sexsmith Farm Parts 1-800-340-1192 lots of Massey parts, have website too...

 

[Cookie_jar]

I've installed a feederhouse clutch for my 750 that I picked up used. How do you set the proper spring tension for the clutchIJ My 750 manual doesn't cover the feederhouse slip clutch. When setting up the 90 degree timing between paddles, I realized that if the clutch ever slipped, the bottom paddles would be out of time with the top paddle, because the top paddle shaft is driven directly from the rear beater chain, ahead of the slip clutch. Can this be a problemIJ