I think the knotter clutch on my 273 baler has gone bad

Tom in TN · Jun 28, 2016

I have a New Holland 273 Hayliner baler that has been a real work-horse for me for nearly 20 years. I was baling some grass hay this afternoon and after about 100 bales, the flywheel shear bolt broke. I found that the needles were not fully retracted so it was good that the needle latch allowed the shear bolt to break instead of breaking the needles. I replaced the shear bolt and about 20 bales later it broke again, and again, the needles were not fully retracted. I THINK, MAYBE the detent in the knotter clutch isn't holding the clutch fully detented and therefore, the needles aren't staying fully retracted.

I'll work on it more tomorrow, but what do you guys think? Am I on the right track?

Thanks for any advice.

Tom in TN

Tx Jim · Jun 28, 2016

My guess is needle brake assembly needs snugging up a little

Newt Miller · Jun 28, 2016

I would check the knotter brake if the lining is good you can tighten it and go

RickB · Jun 28, 2016

Had that exact thing happen to a customer last week. Knotter was not cycling fully but he initially thought needles were dropping after the tie cycle. Replaced the roller in the knotter clutch pawl and the little pad inside the clutch drum.

Weak knotter brake pads are not problematic when the knotter 'home' position is set by the book. Needles cannot drop.

Bill VA · Jun 28, 2016

I would agree the needle carriage brake might need attention.

Tom in TN · Jun 28, 2016

Thanks for the comments, guys. I did tighten the two screws on the knotter brake by one full turn each after the first shear pin broke, but that didn't fix the problem. I also cleaned the disk in the brake as best I could by wiping it off with my handkerchief. I don't know if the pad(s) in the knotter brake are okay or not, I've never had that mechanism apart.

The clutch doesn't look right, just by appearance. I can see what looks like a set of ball bearing on the very outside of the clutch. There doesn't seem to be excessive side to side play in the clutch, but it just doesn't look right.

I'll try to do some better diagnosis tomorrow.

Thanks again. Any more advice would be appreciated.

Tom in TN

Tom in TN · Jun 28, 2016

Hey,

One more question - is it a reasonable task to remove the knotter clutch from the end of the knotter shaft? I'd like to get it off the shaft so I can see the insides of the clutch to get a better idea of the actual operation of the clutch. I'm pretty familiar with the normal workings of a cycle clutch, but I'd like to see what is inside of this particular clutch.

So, if it is a reasonable thing to do, what do I have to do to remove the clutch from the knotter shaft?

Thanks again,

Tom in TN

I think the knotter clutch on my 273 baler has gone bad

Tom in TN

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Tx Jim

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Newt Miller

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RickB

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Bill VA

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Tom in TN

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Tom in TN

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