Plunger timing JD 346

Dopp Creek · Jun 24, 2020

I removed the plunger from my JD 346 to replace the needle bearing at the plungerhead. While the plunger was out I tripped the knotters by accident. The plungerhead and needles are now out of time. I have the manual and it describes the process of re-timing as; tripping the knotters so the needles begin to raise up to the level of the formed rails in the bottom of the bale chamber. At that point the face of the plunger head should be 1/2"-2 1/2" away from the needles. I did that and as I continue to rotate the flywheel CCW the plunger head hits the needles. Can anyone see the error of my ways? I have the manual but must be missing something.

fastfarmall · Jun 24, 2020

Can you pull the needle's and holder back, so they fit,in their detent, as where their at, when your baling. On the New Holland i had, if that happened the safety would come out, and protect the needles. Or else i am not understanding what happened !

wore out · Jun 24, 2020

I don't understand how R+R'ing the plunger could have affected timing? Did you take any chains off or unmesh any gears?

Also, the needles should rise through the needle slots in the plungerhead and not be hit.

The needles rise during the brief moment when the plunger is near the back end of it's stoke, having compressed the hay out of the way of needle travel so the have a protected path upwards through the slots in the plungerhead to take the twine up to the knotters then drop back.

The plunger shouldn't be able to hit the needles,at all.

Typically, needle breakage happens when the needles rise too early and the wad of hay being shoved by the plunger breaks them because the hay blocks their access to "safety" in the needle slots in the plunger.

Do the needles match up with the slots in the plungerhead? If the DO this shouldn't be happening, and if the DON'T the only thing I can thing of is that the plunger is in upside down, but I don't think that's even possible?

Got a photo of the plungerhead and needles "meeting"?

Hay maker2 · Jun 24, 2020

Dopp Creek · Jun 24, 2020

I figured out what I did wrong. The bearing housing at the pkungerhead end can either be in front (think extending) or swing under the connecting arm yoke. I didnt swing it under, but out, thus explaining why it seemed the plunger grew longer and contacted the needles. I'll go run the tedder for a bit and then pull it apart. Oh the Joy of hay season.

Plunger timing JD 346

Dopp Creek

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fastfarmall

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wore out

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Hay maker2

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Dopp Creek

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