Jerry D....

Didn't take the whole fork assmbly off.....just the section with the springs..... .The white block bearings ain't white no more -- new ones are black!! Replaced them first off last year as they were broke (obvious first repair!). (Another item that F-NH is very PROUD of!!)

Pinned the bottom bracket to the draw bar on the tractor, hooked a come-a-long on the top end and drew pressure, applied some heat, tapped a little..... .repeated/repeated/repeated..... ..no give!!! Cooled 'er off, unhooked and got it up to where I could get the 'bifocals' on it good.....danged if it didn't look like it was sort of "spot tacked" with a welder in a couple of places!! Got me a file a hold of it at those spots and got it filed to where it looked about like it should if there wasn't any welding done on it.....pinned and come-a-longed it again, a little more heat and tapping..... .decided it was either coming loose - or I'd be out hunting a replacement! Pulled on the come-a-long till I seen the upper bracket start to cave in a little, heated 'er back up real good and swung for a home run! She popped and the shaft came out about �", squirted wd40 on the shaft to cool it and applied heat to the outer tube and kept tapping till it finally slipped a little more, then finally got it worked on out. Lots of wd40 and some emory cloth and it works like an old bicycle pump now.

Image not real good, but can see at about 10:00 & 2:00 on the shaft collar where the guys at the factory let their welding penetrate a little bit too deep through the collar!

The opposite end where the collar flushes up to stop, you can see the imprint at about 10:00, 3 small places where the weld penetration through the collar slightly 'stuck' to the bracket and pulled out.

Guess we can call it a 'Draw' - wasn't supposed to be welded, actually wasn't, but was!!

Thanks for all the info. Will let ya know how she bales in about a week or so!!

Garry

Probably why the block bearings/bushings were so disenagrated as they and the lower round bushing would have been absorbing all the impact when under a load. Makes sense now, the comment the previous owner had made about the block bearings and round bushings not being made out of strong enough material to hold up for any length of time, and the sad shape (extremely wore) of the bolted on pin that the spring assembly rides on at the lower end, not to mention that round neoprene bushing that stayed 'hammered' out. (Luckily he had replaced that bushing a couple of times also, so the bore was still close to round and will hold the bushing. (Had talked to my NH parts man about a replacement for it & $$'s if?, but as it is a welded structral item - is no longer a replaceable component - other than do it yourself or find a salvageable one, which wouldn't be to bad if had available time, maybe when winter rolls back around!)

Gotta run - Thanks

Garry

And also wanted to say, in fairness to the previous owner(as some of my posts probably sounded like the baler had been abused or not kept up), that the man I bought the baler from, kept things fixed that he knew was broke. Never really neglected repairs, and by his own admission, just wasn't mechanically minded enough to know what all needed repairing, esp in the ways of adjustments and out of sight stuff, unless it just flat broke, then he generally called a service man, or hauled it to the shop. Only visible repairs needed when I picked it up was the inner fork block bearings, which he had already pointed out to me as "broke again" and I knew the baler was still baling. A chuckle of a story of my first aquantance with the 542 and his unmechanical/mechanical inaptness 5 - 6 years ago, one of the baler pictures reminded me of the occurance, will get it typed and on a page in a day or so and post a link to it if interested!! Livestock is a different item - he knows his stuff on that one....

Garry

That beats all I have ever seen. I can not believe that fork is not bent. Well I am glad you dug into it a little better and got it loose. Both of my balers still have what appear to be the original bearings on the forks so I guess it must have made a difference. I am looking forward to your report on how it bales and your story on your first encounter with the baler. I would be looking for another 542 for a parts baler or even the 532 or 530. Seems they have alot of common parts.

Keep in touch PLEASE. I know Jeff F and myself are enjoying having another blue baler owner in here.