I need help again

The plunger stop is connected direct to the needle carriage (at least on my 273 & 542)..... .if the needles are not in 'home' position, the stop will/should be still extended to 'stop' the plunger full of grass from breaking the needles (if the needles/knotter assembly is/or becomes, out of 'time' with the plunger).

Garry

A statement, question, & a short story for clarification..... ...

'forward' = toward the front of the baler but is actually the 'backside' of the plunger?? --

per your statement "I just can't seem to get the needles back home in time, before the plunger comes forward enough to hit the stop" --

Question is: Is the plunger hitting the stop on the return to the front of the baler, stroke & continuing to travel? or is it hitting the stop on the compression (towards the needles) stroke, & coming to an abrupt stop of travel, shutting the whole baler down?

ie..... ...(per an 'in time' machine)...

bale length wheel decides there is enough hay in the chamber for a 'bale' & 'trips' the knotter mechanism (or manually done by rotating the meter wheel or pulling the trip lever)...components of the knotter begin to move as soon as the plunger has completed its current stroke & has reached the precise 'timed' location in the next 'compression' stroke (where the plunger has compressed the hay, past the dogs, & is in postion for the needles to travel upwards through the slots in the face of the plunger without restriction of hay on either side of the needles), as soon as this 'precise timed location' of the plunger has been achieved, the needle carriage is released & driven (very quickly)by the knotter mechanism, & in doing so -- as soon as the needle carriage begins to move..... .the plunger stop enters the bale chamber.....which the plunger will make contact with on its way back to the front of the baler -- it is spring loaded & constructed so that the plunger can push/slide it out of the way on the return stroke, but the spring will pull it back into place as soon as the plunger passes. As the knotter & needles complete their duty & return to 'home', the plunger stop is pulled out of the chamber to allow the plunger to go past on its next compression stroke. If the 'timing' is not right....the stop will still be in the chamber to stop the plunger on the next compression stroke to protect the needles, as the needles are not back in home position & out of harms way..... .

Hope this has helped define/clarify a little..

Garry

I'm not at all familiar with the 24t, or any balers other than the 2 that I have, but from an assumption point of view..... ....as for the connecting rod between the needle carriage & plunger stop.....

I would think that there would be some 'bend' in the rod.....(assuming it connects similiar to the way the 273 & 542 does)... my reasoning -- attatchment to needle carriage is (just guessing) probably 10 - 12 inches more/less below the attachment point on the plunger stop..... without an 'offset' bend or joint of some type in the linkage, true horizontal movement (in relationship to the movement of the needle carriage) to actuate the stop would be comprimised with a 'straight' rod or bar, as it would be traveling at an upward angle to the bale chamber rather than parallel front(in) to back (out)movement.....

Hopefully another 24t owner will join in to give you an exact answer..... if'n not & your owner's/operator manual doesn't give you a picture, stop in at your JD dealership & ask them if they can print the parts diagrams for it (they can 'if' they will..). Maynot be exact, but should give you a general idea of original shape/assembly.

Garry

Bill