Hmmm. Mabey I shouldn't say anything about this, cause I don't know the baler.... but nobody else has yet.
First thing I would do, if I could, was get an operators manual. I know that may not be so easy either, but would be a tremendous help.
Otherwise, I'll just offer some general info. I timed a CaseIH/Hesston last week, so it's still fairly fresh. The basic idea is that the plunger protects the needles as they start the tie cycle. So, you trip the clutch to start the cycle. The plunger starts back. Now as the needles start up, when the TIPS come flush with the bottom of the plunger, the TIPS of needles should be forward of the plunger face (inside the plunger slots), probably 1"-2.5" (this is a specific value, depending on the baler). As the plunger reaches the end of it's stroke, the needles should be at or near the end of their stroke. The important point is that the needles are not entering the chamber while the plunger is still pushing hay back. I think if it's set up like that, and the drive chains and sprockets are in good shape, it should keep it's time. If it doesn't, then you need to go through the knotters and look for worn/loose/broken parts in the drive. I would expect, from what you describe, that the needles are late returning home, and the plunger is hitting the plunger stop, which was what the CaseIH I reset was doing. Only thing was, that plunger stop was worn and out of adjustment. Why it still had needles is beyond me.... Just be sure to trip the knotters, and have a helper cycle the baler through by hand at the flywheel before you put hay in it, and check that the thing looks right and makes sense. If the plunger is any distance into it's next stroke before the needles get home, you're going to have broken needles. Again, this should be taken as general info, and certainly not over explicit instructions in the operators manual. Good luck. Rod
|
