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Save me from some busted knuckles...

R

ridgeandvalley

Member
Save me some busted knuckles please... I picked up an old haybine that sat all last year with a broken part. Had that fixed last fall and had to remove the cutter bar to do so. Thought it would be a good chance to replace a bunch of the sections before putting it back in place. Sections are in with bolts and nuts and I'm having a heck of a time getting them out. I spray with the special WD-40 rust removal spray and let them sit for a bit. A couple of them have just broken off when I tried to loosen them. A bunch of the other ones turn, but the bolt turns with the nut and it's just been a pain to try to get enough of a grip on the slotted bolt head so that I can loosen the nut. I've replaced half a dozen sections, but I've got a couple others that I gave up on and moved on from. I'd like to replace quite a few more, but my frustration level told me to stop for a while. There's got to be an old timers trick that I don't know about that would make this an easier process? What's the secret that I'm missing? Thanks in advance guys.
 
I would cut through the nut and the end of the bolt with a cutting wheel in an angle grinder. Then knock out the rest of the bolt with a punch, and put in new sections and bolts.
 
Its best to replace the bolts every time you do section work. The nuts are lock nut so yes hard to get back off once they have been put on. BTDT to many times since I have switched all my sickle bar mower to bolt on section
 
This old timer learned this 45 years ago from an old timer who was in his 80's then.
Pull the knife out of the sickle.
Position the knife across the square end of an anvil with the bar on the anvil and the section hanging off the anvil pointy end down. The square end of the section is up. Hit the square end of the section HARD with a big hammer and shear off the bolts/rivets. Use a punch to pop out the rivet. Using this method you can remove all the sections in a few minutes
 
Make a tool to hold the bolt.. took a pair of vise grips the welding type...kinda like a square c clamp ...weld a small flat steel on bottom and weld a straight screwdriver bit to the center.... top side you may need to grind alittle so a 10mm deepwell socket fits over the nut.... found best way is tighten and break the bolt.. made up a punch long enough to fish down between the reel couple hammer blows and done . That was on a hestton pt 10 but sure it will work on others have to remove a rock guard or two.either way. so much easier to change a knife rhen pulling the whole sickle.... havent used it in over 2 years .. bought a kuhn discbine and havent looked back
 
I tried bolts but with an anvil and bfh it is faster to replace the sections using rivets. I knock the rust off the knife with a grinder before installing new sections lay the bar flat on the anvil, insert the rivets, place the section on the rivets, hold it down tight on the bar with a long screw driver and whack each rivet HARD with the bfh, move on to the next.
 
Yeah, after I accidentally broke a few, I started to wonder if that was the way to go. However, after spraying and breaking some of them loose, I can't re-tighten them, as the whole thing turns. I think for the rest that I haven't worked on yet, I'll skip the spray and just try to over-torque them to break them off. Probably going to have to grind a few also.
 
Yeah, I have new bolts and nuts and am putting in new as I go. Not sure how old some of the other ones are. Just got to get these old ones out without using too many curse words LOL.
 
Hammer and chisel....you can even replace them in the field like that, then install new bolts.

Ben
 
Like Jon said, tighten till they twist off and punch out the rest. For those that are turning, cutting disc on an angle grinder, cut the nuts off and punch the rest out. Go back with all new bolts and nuts.
 
we always had a 3' section of old railroad track, laid on its side. put the bar along the wide bottom of the rail with the sections on the side. a quick hit with the hammer and sections shear off. Should work with bolts as well as rivets.
 
If you have it out of the machine clamp it in a vice section down and the bar laying on the jaw. Tight it just enough to hold it and then hit the section with a hammer. That will break the bolt of. Same works with the rivet on sections
 
A big cold chisel and a good hammer chop the bolt off and drive the rest through . If turning trying to loosen it probably wont tighten either
 
Go ahead and curse all you feel like. Just so mama and the kids aren't around. Have to let off a little stem once and a while. Just hope the preacher doesn't shows up unexpectedly.
 
air chisel and cut the bolt off. Very fast. Impact to twist off if you have not loosened them. I like a impact driver with the adjustable clutch for tightening them back on.
 
We have some of the prettiest land in the country, I ran OTR the last two years for Bassett and found there is no place better than here on these bluffs of SW Wisconsin!
 
I sure won't argue with you about that. I've lived up on a high ridgetop with a tremendous view to the North and South. Can see for miles in both directions.
 

Update. I changed out a bunch of sections today. Tightened until the bolts broke and then punched out the pieces. Much easier than trying to loosen them. Still had to get the grinder out for 4 or 5 bolts, but I can live with that. Now I'm ready to cut some hay... in a month and a half or so (if I'm lucky). Thanks for the help and suggestions guys.
 
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