Combines Ram problem on F

be very carefull and set the header down first, then carefully check these areas. 90% chance your throat is about to tear out. The only way one ram can stroke out before the other is if the throat is loose or if the cylinder mounting bosses are excessivly worn or broke. Check the eccentric plates at the pivot shaft. 71114832 are the bushings in the throat.

I had installed a ball valve shut off on left cyl of A2 to enable "safe" working under heads.Sometimes forgot to turn on after use and tried to lower head.After enough of this the feed house must have gotten a little twist in it because it would always bottom left cyl first and then right would straighten it up.A small amount but it was there.

It seems to do that when the head is on it. I took the head off everything looks square,I'll tear into it in the spring. I know I forgot the ram stop down once on the left ram with a 4-38 head on it.I bought a 68 F this summer the cylinder housing is shot on that one,facing the combine the housing sets to the left! Thanks

Thats not a safe combination, there was a bar that slipped down over the right side ram, facing the front of the machine. Mechanical safties are much better, hoses and orings fail... just my .02 cents worth

If header had a form of genie header control, springs were installed on rams and would not allow mechanical ram stop to be used.

I'm going to install a ball valve for it on both cylinders next year. I don't like ram stops I thing they wreck your combine when you forget its down!

That's why the ball valve was connected via nipple directly on cylinder.No hose to fail.Also ram stops don't fit when you have helper springs on ram for floating cutter bar.Could reach lever with foot hanging off ladder_tire not having to get under to operate.I'm not stupid!

l@@k at your pivot bearings very closely for broken bolts. Almost lost the feeder house and header on F Diesel. Repairs made Sunday School lessons turn out wrong!

corn head on my m2 started sagging and tearing up coupler drive sprockets.problem turned out to be header mounts tearing loose from big square tube that holds row units. to fix i set units on 3 barrels to get mounts back in place and welded tube with heavy angle iron reinforcing. maybe you have 1 side breaking loose.

Years ago worked at a sugar factory, and a worker there was killed when the internals on a hydraulic cylinder failed and allowed a very heavy press to crush him while he worked on it, thats why I said what I said, once you witness a death because that little o ring failed, you won't trust them again....