Help setting up MF12 baler

My job has been this baler. I've been as busy this spring as a one armed paper hanger. Since we are just a couple of weeks (at most) away from decent baling weather, I guess I better get cracking on it.

I dowsed every part that I could find with a liberal coating of hy-trans oil, as OLD suggested. I left the tying mechanisms alone for now. I just can't get the plunger to budge.

I couldn't get into the baling chamber myself, so I sent my son, whose shoulders aren't as wide. He got most of the crud out and we shot a lot of oil around the edges. But we still can't get the plunger to budge.

So, here's the question. Do I need to disconnect the wear plates or anything else in order to get it to start moving initially? My guess is that the wear plates are stuck to the tracks along the sides. I just don't have a clue right now about how to get them moving. We've tried tapping along the outside with hammers to try to pop it loose. I would try heating it, if it were not for all the oil in there now.

Any advice on this one would be greatly appreciated.

Christopoher

Another question now. I loosened the bolts on the side and also those on top and bottom of the bale chamber. Is there anything special which needs to be done when tightening them again?

By the way, I only pretended to be 22 again. This morning I discovered that I wasn't. My oldest son is almost 12. I can barely wait until he is 16.

Thank you all for your advice and encouragement. I'll keep you posted.

Christopher

Unless anyone knows another trick, it looks like I am going to strip the bale chamber down to break it loose. This baler sat for the better part of a decade in a shed before I bought it at an auction.

Now a new question comes up.... How hard are these machines to put back into time. I imagine that if all I mess with is the plunger, it should not be too hard.

I wonder how much fun I might have with the knotters.....

Christopher

Christopher

There is the chamber body, a track and then a wear plate between the track and the plunger. I'm worried that I might have to strip the thing apart if I can't find an easier way to get the job done.

I have tried whacking the plunger with a 5x5 on the outlet side, and with a 2x4 on the driveshaft side. The plunger is within about 2" of the fully retracted stage of the cycle.

In addition to oiling it, this afternoon we used a hose to spray out all the remaining crud and getting under the plunger. I need to go back out and use some more oil in place of that which I sprayed off.

Thanks for the help.

Christopher