Stone in JD 45 cylinder

Used my 45 John Deere combine a couple weeks ago shelling some corn. I let the header down low to pick up a few downed stalks. Threshing system abruptly quit and belts squalled. I figured it picked up a stone. Later examination revealed that was the case. A stone about fist size is wedged tight between concave and a bent rasp bar. Will be removing header to get access to front of cylinder area. No experience working on combine internals as I bought this machine a couple years ago. How is best way to get this stone removed?

Roll the cylinder backwards. Then you should be able to reach in the top and pull it =out.

Years ago I did the same thing while trying to combine some lodged oats and the lesson has lasted for many years. If the crop is down on the ground it is best to leave it for the wild life and keep your combine head up in a safe position. The downed crop is not worth ruining your combine for.

If you can't roll the cylinder backwards because of the tension between the stone/rasp bar/concave, you'll have to get a bar and a BFH and break it up.

Ben

First off the cylinder is probably not fully opened. The lever only adjusts the front but you still can get more clearance to concaves than the lever will give. Then for the back you have to manually move that with a pair of nuts on a adjusting rod on each side, takes 3/4" open end wrench, adjustable will not work. I do not know if you use the machine for anything else or not but that needs to be adjusted for different crops. And the backing bar the rasp bar is mounted to is rivited to the cylinder. I remember did have some get bent but do not remember if was able to straighten them or not I have cut those rivits off and taken that bent bar out and replaced with one from a parts yard combine and used locking fine thread bolts and nuts in 3/8"size. Had trouble finding them. The bar bolts are also 3/8" fine thread. What model 45 do you have? round back in high or high-low model? Square back with V belt main drive or flat belt main drive? I had a 63 & 62 high-low, a 65 square back and a 69 square back that was the V belt drive. and the corn heads were 210, 234 and a 313 3 row. The newest 45 built was built in 69 and square back started out in 64. They went to scrap about 10 years ago when I quit farming, one was only a parts machine, others did not run anymore. After yoy drop the concave as far as you can then try the bar in the rocker to see if you can get it to loosen up, you may just be able to do that without removing the head and depending on how bad the bar is bent you may just not even have to remofe head or bar and the bars depending on how they are bent will spring back to a straigter shape. And if you do take the bar out use a 1/2' extension bar with socket on end long enough to reach completely thru the cylinder and have the bar you are wanting to work on at the back side, (DO NOT EVER PUT YOUR HAND IN A BENT BAR TO TRY TO LOOSEN THE BOLTS HOLDING IT IN AS YOU MAY COME OUT WITH NO HAND, that is why the long extension. Did I scare you, if so good as I want you to be safe.

Same thing happen to my 55 clipping dry beans. Never even seen it go in. I am going to pull the cylinder out, get the bar straightened and have it balanced. May be over kill but I need the old machine to last a few more years.

You've been given some good advice. Id try increasing the concave clearance then try to reverse the cylinder. My hope is that you didn't bend the concave.

You may try to find a rock trap for your combine at a parts yard if you have a later model 45. The original rock traps weren't great but they are better than nothing. The rock trap will bolt in the place of your shelling plate in front of your cylinder. Its not a cure-all but will catch some rocks/big sticks.

I had the rock traps and they just filled with dirt that got as hard as a rock so I took them out and junked them and just put in that plate. With it I could also move the concave farther to remove any clog that got in there. And it takes a lot to dammage a concave beyond use for things like corn or soybeans, wheat will stand less concave dammage, but things like grass seed you need perfectly straight concaves and bars. The problem with a bent bar and backer plate is the filler plates that you should use for corn but need to take out for everything else will not fit on bent backer plates. I have ran them bent enough there was a half inch space between them and the bar in bend area.

My 45 is a 1965 model square back with flat belt drive. I will get to work on getting rock out in a few days. Thanks for all the advice.

Leroy, didn't it vibrate when you ran it fast enough to to thresh wheat?

Thinking I will stay with Gleaners.

I once had an A2 gleaner. I should have kept it but there are no dealers or much for used parts around any more.

No, there is always enough dirt around that is not ballanced for something like that to affect it.

Maybe I will leave mine alone then.

You are right about getting filled with dirt. They need to be cleaned out on a regular basis to keep them working. They do work to some degree if kept clean. I've found rocks and chunks of wood in mine. The cylinder kicks it down in the trough.

You are right about the concave in small grains. They need to be square for small seeds like grass and clover. It seems as though most are sagging in the middle to some degree. Some have been bent while some are just worn.