Stormin 4,458 #1 Posted October 10, 2015 Earlier in the year, I acquired a sickle bar. Today I decided to see about fitting it. I only have the bar. No mule drives or any parts needed to mount it. I be doing some research in the very near future. It's rather heavy, so I decided to remove the mounting bracket for ease of handling. Popped it under the C-81 and mounted it at the rear. I now need to find out how it mounts at the front and if it is connected to the lift arm. Getting carried away, I stripped off the skid plate then the cutter itself. Removing an accumulation of very black, oily grass, of unknown vintage in the process. Finally being left with only the gearbox on the bench. This is where the fun started. The lift lever on the bar is mounted on a threaded stud screwed into the gearbox. This could be screwed in or out, which I found rather puzzling. Fiddling with it, as you do, I heard something drop inside the box. So off with the cover plate. Three screws loosened nice and easy. Two were tight and took a bit, read a lot, of persuasion. One snapped off. Cover off and I could see why the oily, black grass was oily and black. No oil in the box. No water or other detritus either. Looked in very good condition in fact. Found what had dropped was a locking nut off the aforementioned stud. This was replaced and tightened up. So oily grass under the box and no oil in the box was pointing to a leaking seal. OK I'll strip it out and get a new seal. Simple procedure. Remove a plug from the side opposite the cover plate. Circlip from the now visible pivot shaft and tap shaft out. The main shaft should now be able to be removed. Only it can't, as someone in their wisdom has welded the cutter bar actuating arm to the shaft. So shaft will have to come out, bringing seal and bearing with it. Only one small problem. There'll be a circlip holding the bearing in. 4 S1g, nigel, pmackellow and 1 other reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the showman 4,074 #2 Posted October 10, 2015 Thats good progress Norm, you're obviously feeling better today mate Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #3 Posted October 10, 2015 Not exactly the kind of progress I'd have liked. What is it with me and gearboxes? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #4 Posted October 10, 2015 Found info on this cutter bar and things not as bad as I thought. The arm should be welded and comes out complete with shaft. That's something of a relief. 1 the showman reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diggerjames 543 #5 Posted October 11, 2015 Nice project norm il keep an eye on this on always fancied one of them my self good work matey Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neil 524 #6 Posted October 11, 2015 Great bit of kit , I Allways wanted one of those. Be great to see a vid of it working when it's up n running Norm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #7 Posted October 11, 2015 Don't rush me, Neil. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meadowfield 1,900 #8 Posted October 11, 2015 Nice to see you making a start. I know just the place to test it.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #9 Posted October 11, 2015 Mark, your on. But it'll be next year. Had a good afternoon in the workshop today. First job to get the seal out of the gearbox. There's a blank plate in the box opposite end of the shaft. This was gently prised out. To reveal the shaft and ball bearing. A circlip on the shaft end was removed, then the shaft tapped out using a drift till free of the bearing. It was then pulled by hand as the bottom bearing is a plain bush. The seal was well worn and no surprise it was leaking. It's very thin and fragile and I didn't want to damage it by prising it out. I found a washer slightly less in od to the plain bush. Placing the washer inside the box on top of the bush and using a long drift through the box and onto the washer, I was able to gently tap the bush outwards until the seal dropped out. The bush was then tapped back into it's original position. That is as far as I can go with the gearbox, until I can get a new seal. I decided to start to strip the sickle bar blade next. The knife bar was pulled out and then the skid and cutter bar guides. These, along with the nuts and bolts are now in the E-tank. The knife bar and teeth got a good wire brushing, then sprayed with Pocket Rocket. (Similar to WD40) Then the bar guard got cleaned up and made ready for priming. The shoe assembly below has also been stripped and cleaned up. 3 meadowfield, S1g and pmackellow reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #10 Posted October 12, 2015 I should have a seal by Wednesday/Thursday. Meanwhile I've been cleaning, preppingand first coat priming various bits and pieces. Not my favourite job. Everything will be painted before re-assembly, so not much to report for a while. 1 S1g reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
expeatfarmer 591 #11 Posted October 12, 2015 You are welcome to an hour or two on my blast cabinet if you need it Norm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #12 Posted October 12, 2015 Thank you Jonathan. I do have a piece that will go in nicely. I'll be in touch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #13 Posted October 14, 2015 A little progress over the last couple of days. Not the ideal weather for painting, but having a drying cabinet helps. Two coats of primer applied by brush in the mornings, with afternoons drying in swmbo's greenhouse. 4 nigel, HeadExam, S1g and 1 other reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HeadExam 1,783 #14 Posted October 15, 2015 The painting looks really good! I may consider eliminating the use of primer except to use as a filler. Most of these tractors/implements were never primed when new and they held up well, besides spritzing with OSPHO seems to work better and allow the "real" coating to adhere to iron. If the primer is not a etching primer then it is of less quality than the enamel finish coat. OSPHO is both a sacrificial layer and a rust remover, so I may use that on much of the work except tin. I really like primer, but it is not what it used to be before they took the lead out, nowadays on iron there are other ways to go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #15 Posted October 15, 2015 OSPHO was something I'd not heard of until now. Looked it up, sounds ok, but I don't know if available this side of the pond. The primer I use is Rustins Red Oxide. Have done for years and quite happy with it. I agree that most manufacturers didn't/don't use primer, or undercoat. Some may? The reason for that being cost, not for reasons of quality. Hence the term, "Factory finish". As to the "factory finish" holding up well, I think that depends on the environment used in and how well the item is looked after. 1 Triumph66 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bubbalove 54 #16 Posted October 15, 2015 I remember years ago I watched an old boy that worked with my dad and he was painting a lorry cab he was using what he called red lead (I think it was red oxide) and he was just brushing it on but before that paint went on the metal it went on a gas ring until it almost boiled after 2 coats of red the final 2 coats of top coat went on (green) the same again before the paint touched the metal was almost boiling and I tell you this there was not 1 brush mark in that body work and you would of thought it was sprayed. After that he hand sign written it in gold looked lovely funny what you remember as a kid isn't it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #17 Posted October 15, 2015 That is what was called coach painting. My late father painted his 1936 Hillman Minx by hand with coach paint. Had a lovely finish. 1 bubbalove reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bubbalove 54 #18 Posted October 15, 2015 coach painting right never new that heard of it but didn't put the 2 together I bet its another great trade that lost due to modern ways Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #19 Posted October 21, 2015 A little progress with the painting today. First top coat applied. Was going to paint it MF red, but as I'd a full tin of IH red, that's what's going on. One of the small idler pulleys got a really good coat of paint. Can you tell which one? Slipped out of my fingers and dropped in the full can of paint. The other side of the cutter bar is yet to do. Maybe tomorrow, unless I'm herding cattle. Below is part of the mounting frame that Jonathan kindly cleaned up for me. 3 HeadExam, Alan and diggerjames reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HeadExam 1,783 #20 Posted October 21, 2015 I think the IH red is a closer match to the Wheel Horse colour. Nice Job Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #21 Posted October 23, 2015 Got the gearbox back together today. Was hoping to get some more painting done. The parts in the greenhouse are dry, but the cutter bar is taking longer, as that's in the workshop. Going to turn my attention to the mounting bracket and other bits I haven't got. Some plans or dimensions would be nice to have, if anyone can help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the showman 4,074 #22 Posted October 24, 2015 There's loads of manuals on RS Norm for the thistle bar, look under manuals , then mowers , then page 22. I'm sure I've got one, I'll have a look Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #23 Posted October 24, 2015 I've seen the manuals, Chris. I'll probably end up scaling off one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #24 Posted November 5, 2015 Got some more done this morning. The bar finished painted and assembled. That's the easy bit done. Now for the fun bit. Making up the mounting brackets and pulleys etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the showman 4,074 #25 Posted November 5, 2015 Looking good Norm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
