New Holland 56/256 Gearbox Repair Question

Bill VA · Nov 21, 2018

The basket on my otherwise trusty New Holland 56 rake started clicking like a ratchet and then quit turning under power. The basket spins by hand, but the gearbox doesn?t drive it anymore.

I pulled the gearbox cover that everything I can see in there looks Ok. The wheel drives the drive shaft into the gearbox as it should as best as I can tell. I had my boy pull the rake slowly and occasionally something upstream of what I could see and there would be a shutter.

I got my manual and looked at the cut-away of the gearbox and noticed a half moon key on the shaft going to the basket.

Question is - is this key something that is there to shear? Is it possible that what I?m hearing is the remains of a sheared key catching on the key way? How difficult of a repair is this? Is there something else I should be looking at? Is the key something I can get at NAPA - anyone have a size?

Any sage advice is much appreciated.

JOCCO · Nov 21, 2018

If key yes it could break. If like my 256 there is an in out device on a cable. I would look closely at that. The front bearing could have failed too.

ArleninOr · Nov 21, 2018

Bill, just rebuilt the gearbox on my 256. You are right about the key on the shaft. Take the gearbox off and inspect the keyway in the shaft. Probably all wallered out. Find someone to cut a new keyway 180 degrees out and put a new key in it. Will look and see about the key size as the book has it wrong. Will post back with size later.

ArleninOr · Nov 21, 2018

The key is 1/4 x 1 1/4 inch. Hope this helps.

David from Kansas · Nov 22, 2018

Had this happen on a JD 858A rake and it turned out it was a worn clutch gear that runs in the gear case in grease. May not apply to a NH rake. Seems the flat side of the gear cogs had become rounded, and when under a load the gear would work out of engagement and would slip. Just did this periodically but finally came to the point that it was obvious something was wrong. The gears are held in the engaged position by a spring. I used a arc welder and built up the gear teeth and all works well. But....I no longer engage (lower) the basket while moving because I think that was the main cause of the wear. Shouldn't be too unusual for a 70 year old rake to show some wear. Don't use the rake much anymore, usually just to turn windrows.

Traditional Farmer · Nov 23, 2018

My 256 did pretty much the same thing,turned out to be a bearing had lost some rollers and let the gear move over enough to not engage the other gear.Simple to take apart and fix.

New Holland 56/256 Gearbox Repair Question

Bill VA

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JOCCO

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ArleninOr

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ArleninOr

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David from Kansas

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Traditional Farmer

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