Tools Needed to Disconnect Drive Chain on Grain Drill

The auction is coming up with a grain drill. Folks told me disconnect the drive chains and tow it home. What tools will I need to take with me? I assume there must be a pin in the chain somewhere.

Larry

If it is a newer model it should have roller chain. There is a master link with a thin U shaped keeper, or it could have two tiny cotter pins. If the chain is dirty you may have to look hard to find it. I just use a small sharp pointed awl or pick and a small or medium blade screw driver. Use either the pick or screwdriver to pry one side of the keeper out and up out of its groove. Then slip the other one under it to keep it up and pry it over so the other side comes loose. Then rotate the keeper and push it off the pin. Then push the master link off its side plate, may need a pair of pliers, and the chain will come off. Just watch your fingers.

Are you keeping the make and model of the drill you bought SECRET, while asking for help?

HOW can someone help you if we don't know what you have?????

Bob;

I don't have it yet. It's supposed to be an IH, 13 hole, Could be an MF. Here's a picture.

If I remember correctly you first have to take off the wheel and then take off a cover plate and then you will be able to see the chain and with that you might be able to loosen the tightener enough to get the chain over the top sprocket and then with that you will have enough movement to be able to drop the chain off the bottom sprocket and out over the hub in the wheel and then put the wheel back on and those are carriage bolts for lug bolts.

How far are you towing it? If under a few miles just go slow. Same as if you were pulling it down the road with tractor to the next field.

If I remember correctly it is over 30 mile from what he has said before.

A bit more. To jack it up to take a wheel off take along 2 of the old style car bumper jacks or a pair of handyman jacks that you can raise up to around 3 foot, may need some blocks to do it. Then when you get ready to pull a wheel first hook it up to the tow vehical so it cannot move and fall off the jacks. then put one of the jacks under the frame on the front and the other under the frame on the back and lift equally, not doing that will twist the frame. But first before you lift it break loose the lug nuts as if you raise first there is nothing to turn against to loosen them. Been 40 years since I had to work on that. Had the chain break while in the field and it imidiately broke the toung with side thrust. We thought it was the toung just let go and repaired that to start planting again "cannot remember if wheat or soybeans" and as soon as tried pulling found something else was wrong and then found that chain, a roller chain, think an extended pitch 50 was busted. And it is an IHC model MF being the fertilizer making the F in the model with the non fertilize model being the M. Remember that come-a-long to control the side sway and plenty of grease for the wheel bushings as bo roller bearings or grease seals.

If you pull a drill in the field all day @ 3 MPH you pulled it 30 miles and did not disconnect anything. Just go slow.

Most drills I've seen have a jaw clutch that disengages the chain drives when the drill is raised. Don't know about that one... If it doesn't disengage just find the master link in the drive chain and remove it. Towing that one with a sloppy hitch would be a bigger worry to me.

Rod

That clutch is up on the top shaft after those chains.

Some of the roads you cannot go slow enough on without being a traffic hazzard. Think he had said he would have to go through a couple of towns on the way home. He had details of the trip a couple of weeks ago. That was when he first asked about it.

It"s only 13 runs wide. Set the seed drill on a trailer.

If it was a roller chain I wouldn't worry about it... If it's a flat chain... then it needs removed or it will remove itself.

Rod

I don't thing he owns a trailer. When he first posted about it I gave advice on loading that drill on a trailer. the drill would be totall width about 10' so would need to be loaded lengthwise on the trailer and not crosswise. In the last 3 years I have hauled at least 7 drills of that size.