Setting cylinder speed for soy beans on John Deere 55

I'm getting my 55 ready to cut beans and this will be my first time ever operating a combine and the first time this machine has ran for about 15 years. The book for my combine is at work but going from memory, I think the cylinder needs to run about 600 rpms. The beater shaft runs about 635 if I remember right. The only drive sprockets I have are a 42 and a 27 tooth. I actually have 2 sets because that's whats on my parts combine also. With the sprockets I have, the only way I could get close on my rpms is to use 2- 42 tooth sprockets or 2- 27 tooth sprockets. How critical is it that you run the proper cylinder speed?

I have read a lot about how guys need to run the cylinder faster when the beans are tough and then slow it down as they dry out. But with the sprockets I have, I am limited. I do have a gear hobber which we use to make gears for pulling tractor transmissions and I have the proper cutter to make some new sprockets. So If I were going to make a couple different tooth count sprockets, should I just go 1 tooth increments, 2 teeth or what would be a good number?
 
Beans are pretty forgiving. Yes I slow my cylinder down as beans dry out but only because I can adjust mine on the go. (Case 2144) It will start cracking more beans as they get dry
but who cares. I've never heard of the elevator docking price for cracked beans so I wouldn't worry about it. You could open the concave a notch when it is dry.
 
Have a book for the early 95, which should be the same as for a 55, says to use 24 tooth sprocket for the beater, 27 tooth for the cylinder for a 604 RPM cylinder. Also, this is based on a factory setting of 680 RPM beater speed, at fast engine idle, which drives the entire separator, so that should be checked also. This was the factory setting for a soybean combine. Someone surely has a manual for a 55 to check if it is the same as a 95.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I do have a manual but its at work right now. Ive been reading it at lunch time.

I don't have a 24 tooth sprocket but I can make one. Do you think it would be too fast if I just use 2-27 tooth sprockets? Also my parts combine has rasp bars that have every other tooth cut out and they were built up with hard surface rod. I was thinking of putting these bars in the combine I am going to use. Will this affect the speed I need to run the cylinder?
 
I'd consult your book at work tomorrow, and make the sprocket identified there. Those sprockets are a bit tricky- the center hole has a bit of a taper so it can only be put on one way. That will make manufacture a bit more complicated.

If you have two 27 tooths, that would probably work. I'm guessing you aren't attempting 1000 acres this fall, right? :)

As for your rasp bars, those with the more aggressive teeth probably will need less speed. I think I'd start with the ones you have in. As long as they aren't worn bad, they will work well.
 
Your cylinder should have a variable speed v belt drive set up that you can adjust
the speed up or down a few hundred rpm without changing the sprockets. Ben
 
The bars that were in this combine are worn pretty good. I took them out tonight to gain a little extra room to install my new cover that goes over the cylinder. I'm still not sure I can get my cover in without taking the cylinder out. I took the one out of my parts combine to save it but it was a job getting it out. The shaft just didn't want to slide out after being in there for 50 years. I believe both machines still have the original bearings on the cylinder shaft. They are both painted green.

Making a new sprocket is not a big deal. I've been a machinist for 30 years and also have a machine shop here at home. Ill probably just go ahead and make a 24 tooth sprocket.

Actually my son only has about 5 acres of beans to cut this fall but he has some more ground lined up for next year. This is the first time we have planted beans but they are waist high right now. Not sure how they will produce. My cousin has about 6 acres of corn we are probably going to shell this fall also.
 
This combine does not have a variable speed cylinder. It has a variable speed fan and a variable speed reel but not the cylinder.
 
You could try Bowie Equipment in Tipton IA. He still has lots of 55,95 and 105's for parts and is reasonable to deal with. His number is 563-886-6946 Tom
 
After 45 years of farming I've found when the beans get tough it's time to park the combine for the evening.
 
This combine has 1966 on the air filter in the cab.im assuming it's a 67. It does have the 4 sticks for hydraulics which is kind of rare I guess. I wish it had a variable speed cylinder.
 
The variable speed cylinders on those were not as good as those now. Or at least the one on our 105 could be problematic, as if you plugged the cylinder, it could wreck the tighter arm assembly (cast and NLA). THis was probably worse on the 105 as it had the same parts as the smaller combines, but 20 in more cylinder to drive and a bigger engine hooked to it.

In a lot of ways, the chain drive was simpler. Those combines had a lot of threshing area compared to sieves, walkers, horsepower, etc so there was a little more wiggle room in setting cylinder speed.
 
I agree. I never saw a variable speed cylinder JD 5 series until we bought a 55 corn special out of MN. Most around here in MT are the chain drive. I always wondered why JD didn't have that option to begin with in 1964. But after looking at our 55 I'm not sure if the variable speed was that much advantageous considering the extra complexity of the drives. Right now ours doesn't even work. The cable is broke off. Besides these engineers did their homework no matter what brand. I have a Case, Massey, IH, and JD antique combines with the chain drive cylinder with the "wheat" sprocket. All of them put out a nice sample with minimal white caps and very little cracking.
 
Try it with the two equal sized sprockets
and see what happens. 35 RPM faster than
recommended is not all that much. You can
play with the concave clearance to try to
avoid some cracking when the beans are real
dry, 9% or 10% moisture. You don't want to
run that speed in corn though if you ever
do run corn. I never did change sprockets
in the 19 years I ran my 105, I just played
with the concave clearance. There were a
few days when I could not combine beans
because they were too tough for the
cylinder speed I was running which was in
the area of 450 RPM which was maddening but
I survived.
 

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