JD 336 Baler Needles

UP Oliver

Member
I was attempting to adjust my needle to plungerhead as shown in my manual. I didn't realize it but one needle was a little higher than the other, and it went past the point it should for the measurement, so I had to keep going with the flywheel. I could not complete the cycle, the baler didn't want to go past a certain point. I looked and it seems like the needles are hung up on the twine discs. I have been staring at it for awhile and nothing easy is coming to me as to how to get those needles back in the home position. The knotters are in the middle of making knots, so I don't know if that is the problem.

Any help is appreciated.
 
Does the baler make a dead stop, as if the plungerhead is hitting the safety stop, or is it stopping because the needle is jammed that tight against the twine disks? Is there material in the baler, or has it been cleaned out?

If the needles are that tight against the twine disc(s) you can loosen one of the needle bolts, then snug up the other to move the needle tip away from the discs.

As a last resort, there's no reason you can't simply unbolt the jammed needle(s) and remove it completely, cycle the baler by hand through the rest of the tying cycle, and start over.

Also, before putting the machine back in service, check the needle brake for proper operation and tension as explained in the operator's manual.
 
When you adjust the needles and the brake and go through it. Adjust everything RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SPEC. Anything to do with the knotters (don't know of other balers but I have a LOT of time on a 336) has to be nuts on. Even the edge of spec won't get you the reliability you want.

As mentioned before make sure the plunger stop is not kicking in or just barely catching stopping things from working. If you are making hay and the stop kicks in, you won't believe the dust cloud that comes out of it. Ask me how I know. :) (broken shear bolt in my case kept the needles in the bale chamber)
 

As I stated in your other post I think you have bent your needles &/or needle frame. To get the needle unstuck in knotter assembly loosen stuck needle upper(frt) mounting bolt.
 

Loosening upper mounting bolt will allow needle to back away from knotter. If it doesn't back away enough then tighten lower(rear) needle mounting bolt
 
Great advice, that worked like a charm. Thanks for that.

When I shut this thing down to work on it the other day I turned the flywheel by hand and noticed the crank safety stop was hitting the plungerhead crank when it went by. The safety stop wasn't far enough out there to stop the plungerhead crank, just enough to hit it.

I found that section of the manual and it says to adjust needle to plungerhead timing and in that section I found the feeder fork to plungerhead timing and figured I should check that. Now that my needles are working again, I can say it looks like I have about 1.5 to 1.75 inches of space between the top of the top needle and the plungerhead face when the needle is at the top of that flange in the bottom of the bale case. According to the manual that is pretty good.

I cannot figure out why that safety stop is so far off. When I move it to the spot it is supposed to be, I would have to really shorten that rod that goes from there to the needle frame area. I looked at everything, and it seems to me that the needles are fine and the frame is fine. If they are bent, like you mentioned, I cannot tell. If the frame that holds the needles was up a little higher the lug on the plungerhead would miss the safety stop but would not be the right distance away. The frame seems to sag, I can lift it up a half inch or so, maybe that is how it is supposed to be.

One thing I noticed is that on the rod connected to the safety stop, there is only an eighth of an inch of the threaded part of the rod coming through the yolk at the end down by the bale case. So there is a lot of room down there to shorten the rod.

Any thoughts or help you have would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Thanks. I try to put any adjustment right in the middle, or whereever the manual says is ideal. I am very particular, don't like problems when baling hay.

I broke a couple shear bolts in 7 years maybe, then a bunch this year so that is why I am looking for help. The safety stop hitting the plungerhead rod is how I broke most of them I think. Quite the noise.
 
Thanks.

I had the plungerhead hitting the safety stop, and I got the baler completely cleaned out now so I can adjust everything.

I plan to get to the needle brake here soon.
 
The important thing is to make ALL adjustments, in the order manual lists them. The adjustment of the knotter trip dog affects he position of the needles when they are in the home position. Point is, if you adjust each item in order, some things will found to be correct. If you try to do it out of order, you will likely make something worse. On my baler the needle frame pushes back a leveronnected to the long rod. That lever has a divot worn into after all these years.
 
Your plunger head stop linkage lever, E56303 is probably bent due to time. It gets hit by the needle frame every tying cycle. Looks like a boomerang and is down by the needle frame when in the home position. When it gets bent you can no longer adjust enough via the threaded rod. Replace it, do not try to straighten or bend! If it fails you do not have any protection!
 

Lever(key 12) is the part that Roger & Rod are referring to. I've heard it referred to as a "boomerang". As others previously stated the lever has a long history of the angle of the lever getting extended from needle frame contacting lever every time a bale is formed.

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That is the problem!

I just took a look at it and there is a big crack from the pivot hole to the inside corner. I don't weld, I would rather get a new one anyway.

Where do I get parts at a reasonable price?

I know about the place in New York, they want $42 for a "heavier than original" piece. As I have been crawling all over this baler, I have noticed many things that need replacing. A spring that is broke that is rigged up with wire for example. So I would probably have a good size order. I own some equipment with a neighbor, and I have his New Holland baler here and can finish my hay with that, so there is no major rush. My baler has needed some attention for awhile, I guess it found a way to tell me.

Thanks.
 
I wouldn't worry about getting a heavier than original. Ours has never had an issue and that is after 43+ years of use and for the first 38 years of use it was doing 5K bales. Now that we have the round baler it only does about 1K a year now.

These are very reliable balers. While they do need maintenance and will break parts it is pretty uncommon. Once you put the parts in, adjust EVERYTHING, keep the blades sharp, you will have a lot of trouble free bales.
 
The needle brake is a disc with small "brake shoe" pads located on the left side of the knotter drive shaft. I have never worn one out, so I don't believe replacement is necessary. The brake pads have springs with adjustment nuts and are easily adjusted to hold the needle frame in the "up" parked position. Usually this brake has plenty of grab during 1st cutting, but as it gets shiny it may not hold the needle frame firm enough, so the pads need tightening. The seemingly random breaking of the shear pins is caused by bumps in the field where the needle frame is shook down to a lower position than full park, and the tips of the needles are just entering the bottom of the bale case. When the shear pin breaks (caused by the plunger stop), you have just saved the cost of 2 new needles and associated work needed to replace them.

I'd say it is very unlikely your needle frame got bent. It has 2 curved protective bars just below the parked needles. I have had the left side axles break 4 times with the bale case crashing down on the road and skidding on those protective bars. I never bent a needle or needle frame with such abuse.

Tighten up the disc brake pads and maybe replace the "boomerang" lever. Before I'd order a replacement, use a small carpenter square to see if the 2 sides are at 90* to each other. If so, it does not need to be replaced. I have never seen one get bent badly enough to need replacement, and I've had 7 JD square balers.

Paul in MN
 
(quoted from post at 23:26:56 07/26/17) The needle brake is a disc with small "brake shoe" pads located on the left side of the knotter drive shaft. I have never worn one out, so I don't believe replacement is necessary. The brake pads have springs with adjustment nuts and are easily

I'd say it is very unlikely your needle frame got bent. It has 2 curved protective bars just below the parked needles. I have had the left side axles break 4 times with the bale case crashing down on the road and skidding on those protective bars. I never bent a needle or needle frame with such abuse.

Tighten up the disc brake pads and maybe replace the "boomerang" lever. I have never seen one get bent badly enough to need replacement, and I've had 7 JD square balers.
Paul in MN

Paul
I've witnessed several bent needle frames that required replacement,several worn out needle brake pads & several boomerang levers requiring replacement in the yrs I was employed at a JD dealer. Sometimes needle frames get bent when PH stop is inoperable & needles get caught in bale chamber on tying cycle.
Jim
 
Thanks for the information.

My "boomerang" lever is cracked from the hole to the inside corner, and it is probably between 100 and 110 degrees from outside edge to outside edge. I would rather have one not welded.

Any information as to a good place to get used parts is appreciated. I live in the western side of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A place in WI would be closer than a place in lower Michigan.

Thanks.
 
That part is small enough that it can be easily sent to you. One of the used parts yards I have used which has equipment (not just tractors) is Downing Implement in Downing WI. They may have been bought by a bigger company and thus a possible name change. The phone # I have for them is 877-530-1010. That part is probably used on many models of JD balers. I think Downing is tied in with other parts yards, such as the one in Black River Falls WI.

I hope this is helpful.

Paul in MN
 
Just remembered... I saw a 336 being partsed out at Gutvold Implement in Pierz MN. We bought a few parts from it. That machine seemed to have little real wear, but a lot of rust from using a liquid spray hay preservative. I don't have quick reference to their phone #.

Paul in MN
 

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