pictures for Haley

Sorry it took so long to get these to you, I couldn't get a good shot in the dark barn. During some rearranging I was able to get it out. I noticed that 642 you scrapped (!) had a pyramid grain tank. I always wanted one of those but never could find one. I was wondering if you liked it when it was running. That always seemed like a good idea to me, the short elevator and auger it up the rest of the way. Apparently someone at Claas didn't think so. Anyway here's a couple shots of the header control. Thanks, Fritz

Hey Fritz,I will get a good close look at the valve on mine today and let you know if it is the same one.I never ran the 642 that I scrapped.I bought it as a parts combine in the deal with another one and a few heads.I really dont think you would like it as good as the later models though because it has two augers in the bottom on each side of the grain tank that are driven by a set of dry gears and a short chain that run off the shaft that the unload belt drives.The incline auger going in the tank is a great idea but the twisted up belt driving it looks like it would be a problem.I will tell you something very strange though,This was an old 642 serial #473 with the two augers in the tank then they built the newer ones like we run now with only one auger cross ways the tank.If i rember right Fordfarmer looked at a newer blue and white Dominator several years ago that was on E Bay that had the two unload augers in the tank just like the old 642.The newer green and white Dominator that I made the deal on about a week ago has the hopper and one unload auger just like the newer 642's but it has an inclined loading auger that has a angle gearbox that drives it off the top end of the clean grain elevator.It seems that Claas couldnt make up thier mind to go with two unload augers or one!This older 642 was kinda crude too in a lot of ways,It had no slip clutch on the feederhouse,no monitors for the shafts,The trans housing looked a lot smaller as did the brake drums.The cyl v/s pulleys were also a lot smaller and the engine cover had big gaps at the ends that would let a lot of dust and chaff right in on the engine.I got to looking at my parts book on this older one and even the bearings on the main beater shaft are different from the newer ones and use only stamped steel flanges instead of the big cast flanges.I think i will stick with the newer 642,s but the incline auger on the Dominator that I made the deal on with the gearbox driving it would probably work real good on the 642.

Bad news Fritz,I got a real up close look at the valve on my parts machine today and it is an aftermarket header height valve.The person that put it on this combine had it painted blue just like the combine so it looked factory.Sorry that I got your hopes up for nothing but I will still sit down with my parts books to see if I can find it in them.I also will look on the Dominator that I bought when I get it home to see if Claas possibly used it on them.

O.K. I would appreciate it. I remember now that I did have a chance at a low S/N 642 at my Ford dealer's. The price was right but it needed shoe and G.P. frame seals and my sides were still sore from re-sealing mine, (which broke up and exited the combine a year later)and I let it go, because at the time I didn't think they were all that rare. I never saw another since '84. That must have been a bad batch of seals, on the second try they stayed in there 25+ years, and they're still in good shape.

Fritz, you don't want to come and help me re-seal my Dominator 106 then??? Ordered seals last week, was going to make the seals out of old baler belting until i discovered new ones (genuine) were only $70 odd each...

I had a look in my 106 (it's an '83) parts book and couldn't see the header hight control set up, but i know it was still an option... i'll keep looking

Took me a few minutes to remember what combine it was that I'd looked at. It was a Dominator 76, in eastern MN. Don't remember about the grain tank and augers, but I do remember it had the 380 with a spin-on filter, and a Ford s/n plate listing it as a model 635. I did look at a 642 with the dual augers in the tank about 8-9 years ago, maybe 75 miles s/w of me. Needed too much work for the price he was asking. No idea what happened to that one.

HA! Jolly Joker! I got a 13-year-old son, he'll be happy to go in there. Today they have air rivet guns, not those man-eating cantankerous pop-guns of yesteryear. Can you tell me the model of the machine that had a line of cylinders in lieu of the straw walkers? Thanks, Fritz

Commander 112 and 116, former has 52 inch cylinder, later 62 inch

there is the odd one up here (Manitoba, Canada)

where are you Fritz??

N.C. Ohio in the good old U.S.A., where our President is Gun Salesman of the Year.