Seized fertilizer spreader

pwyld

Member
I bought a used 3pt hitch fertilizer spreader for my tractor this year. The spreader is seized and the broadcasting mechanism will simply not turn. Beside the brute force approach, is there any chemical solution that is available to dissolve the corrosion caused by the leftover fertilizer that's in broadcasting mechanism?

I already tried PB Blaster and soaked it in some oil, but I think its going to take much more than that. I removed one of the roll pins that connects the broadcasting mechanism to the inside of the hopper wheel (see pic). I'm thinking about allying heat to the connection to try to break the hopper away so I can try to work on the broadcasting mechanism. As you can see it is quite corroded.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
mvphoto18442.jpg
 
PB blaster or WD40 and a little heat might work. Heat it up spray it good and just work the shaft
back and forth till you start to get a little movement
 
Not sounding stupid, the first thing you will need is PATIENCE, and a lot of it.

I have seen more things broken because people will not take the time and let PB, WD40 or whatever else your choice is take the time to work.

0. Patience.
1. Remove all plastic parts. Soak it with your choice. Wait a day or two, scrape off the extra junk.
2. Reapply, heat, scrape, wiggle it (with something small, not a 4 foot breaker bar :).
3. See #0 and #3.

I freed up all of my greatgrand dads equipment that had sat outside since 1959 in 1999 (40 years worth of Michigan rust). Smaller parts I would let soak in 5 gallon buckets of motor oil, hyd oil, etc. Whatever I had. Smaller parts in coffee cans.

Rick
Untitled URL Link
 
Don't use WD40. It is not a penetrant. Get the thinnest oil you can get or use the popular ATF and acetone 50/50 mix. A little heat helps move things around and provides an opening for the fluid
 
That one was sure not looked after. Maybe you can get it apart. Agri- supply has all the repair parts to rebuild it. once they start to rust it is hard to stop
 
I hope you get it apart and moving. Some people don't realize what fertilizer can do to metal. When I was done with mine I washed it out with a garden hose and soap and let it air dry for a day or two, then I gave it a heavy coat of oil,all over every part that moved including the hopper, its about 20 years old now and it still looks decent and moves freely , some of the paint has peeled off but the oil does the job on those areas
 
Saw a guy on youtube free up some large and well rusted nuts/bolts on a truck bed by heating them really good and [i:71c67e5b5c]then[/i:71c67e5b5c] spraying them with penetrant. Worked really well from the looks of it. I've never tried it.
 
Unfortunately there is no magic potion. Even the penetrating oils don't "dissolve corrosion."

If time is of the essence, the closest thing to a magic potion is a mixture of oxygen and acetylene, ignited and applied liberally to the seized parts.
 
Pour some turpentine on it and then a mix of ATF and turpentine and ATF. Let the first time sit a day or 2 before doing the second mix of the 2
 
I think folks make a better penetrating oil with acetone and tranny fluid mixed, might want to look up the recipe. I agree wd40 is for water
displacement, not for loosening up stuff.

Time.

Vibration. Bang on it, let the rust knock loose in little bits and pieces, the penetrant work itself in the little fissures you create. You don't need to
bash it to bits and pieces, you just need it to be vibrating from the whacks.

More time.

And of course, luck.

Paul
 
Sorry about that Charlie N. I was thinking while you were typing, so I didn't see your post.
 
Heat & vibration will do the best .Since you have plastic parts ,do you have
an air chisel ? Put in an appropriate sized rod and let it vibrate against
the frozen parts , and use penetrant too. I have real good luck with this
method for stuck or rusted parts. Wear earplugs !!
 
If the part is small enough to be put in something,cover in vinegar over night. You will be amazed how the rust is GONE
 
Now that you have the roll pin out you have 99% of the problem behind you. 5 min. heat with the torch and it will fall apart.
 
All suggestions sound good. I'll try the ATF 50/50 mix and heat over the weekend. Still deciding on the order of precedence. Heat first or soak first. One thing I am concerned about is applying heat to oil. I don't need to start a bond fire...lol. The gear box works. I know that because when I unbolted the hopper from the frame and turned the drive shafts the whole hopper spins.
 
Perfect reply! This is the same trick if you shoot black powder. A good dose of drain oil is a wonder!
 
Well...good news. The suggestions mentioned in this thread worked just fine. I soaked the shaft with a mixture of PB blaster, ATF mixed and Acetone and over the weekend hit the shaft collar with a torch. A few light taps with a mallet and it started to break lose. I was able to disassemble the rest of the plates and sand blast of all the corrosion off. I re-oiled it and assembled it back together again and it functions just like new. I am pleased. I guess the last and final question is what is the best way to clean it and protect it after fertilizing. Would just soap and warm water work to clean all the fertilizer and prevent corrosion or just give it a good oil bath? Thanks again for all the suggestions and help. It really saved me time and effort. :)
 

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