Ford 501 Sickle Mower Mystery Spring

fpappal

Member
Can anyone tell me where the spring in the attached picture does? I was using my mower when all of a sudden the pitman arm broke. While picking up the pieces I noticed this spring sitting on top of the blade close to where the pitman arm would attach. I have the owners manual but it does not show this spring. I am hoping someone might have a Ford 501 sickle mower and know where this spring goes. I am thinking it has something to do with lever that hold the cutting bar but can't figure out where it mounts.
Thanks.
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There is (was) a hole in that end of the pitman stick. The spring goes in that hole, then the ball clamp deal has an arm that sticks into the spring.

Paul
 
I remember now, thank you!!!! I probably should have bought a lottery ticket that day. What are the chances that spring would be laying right on top of the bar? I was cutting grass that was about 10 feet tall, less than smooth ground. I looked down and there it was. The other parts I actually had to dig through the cut grass to find. Thanks again.
 
Don't drill the hole too deep on the end of the pitman shaft. The spring provides the tension to keep the locking mechanism together, too deep a hole and there will be no tension! Use hardwood (such as oak) to make new pitman and make sure you have the correct length. Good luck and maybe still buy that lottery ticket.
 
I've learned that those bolts where the pitman broke have to be checked for tightness periodically . They loosen up for a variety of reasons and as soon
as they get a little loose they egg out and break the pitman.
 
I will have to keep an eye on them. It does not get used very often, I would expect the arm to last longer than it did. I had one break a few years ago as well. What RPM should these sickle mowers be run at? 540 RPM?
 
Yup, the wood will shrink or swell with different moisture conditions, and as it loosens the bolts no longer clamp, letting the wood slip. Wears it out real fast. But then if you really clamp down hard hard on the wood, you end up creating a crack line along all those bolt holes, and that doesn't last either......

Other thing is hitting a rock or lump of dirt/ gopher mound, as the pitman circles and moves up and down, hitting something you straddled with the tractor. It's common enough to not have the mower suspended well, letting the left corner sag down and the pitman runs pretty low to the ground. Need the springs and such set right and tight and keep the mower frame level and suspended up a bit higher than we think is 'good enough.' This keeps it out of the low obsticals like gopher mounds.

And, letting the bar angle up or down too much on a hill side, the pitman needs to drive straight out on the sickle, not with the sickle angled up or down very much at all.

I know this not because I'm smart, but because I'm the dummy that has done it all......

Paul
 

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