Baler Bearing Comes Apart
Just before I was done baling ( 2 short rows left) Friday June 26 I looked back and saw smoke coming from the baler. I hastened and tied the bale that was in it and ejected the bale and got off, ran around the baler with a jug of water,( I always carry a gallon for times such as this) and found a bearing had come apart, and the friction had started a fire in the chaff that builds up. I poured water on it from the outside then climbed inside to cool the bearing from the inside. Luckily I had spotted it in time and nothing worse happened except now I had to replace the bearing. It was about chore time so I went ahead and drove the tractor and baler to the house to work on it. No where to get a bearing on Friday evening so we went to Lake Dawson after chores and went fishing. Headed to town early Saturday morning to get the bearing when the tractor place opened. Purchased said bearing and went home. Instead of repairing it right away I wanted to get the last twenty cut and so I hooked the cutter up and began cutting hay. PK came by the hayfield (that is another story below) and invited us to a BBQ at Jerm's that evening but Glinda and I decided we needed to get the baler fixed first.
Broken bearing before we begin.
With the flanges off you can see the damage to the bearing. The lock collar is still on the race.
Ended up having to cut the lock collar off with a chisel but that did not get the bearing race off and it was going to be a bear.
Bouedreaux is trying to get a gear puller on the bearing race but there is not enough of a lip on the backside of the race. He tried/we tried/he tried again, we were just having no luck and it was getting late in the evening and I was getting tired. I called Robert K and asked him to call his father-in-law, Norman A if he could come up in the morning with his torch and cut the race off. Robert called me back and said that Norman would be up a little after 7 in the morning to cut it off.
Bouedreaux is trying to get a gear puller on the bearing race but there is not enough of a lip on the backside of the race. He tried/we tried/he tried again, we were just having no luck and it was getting late in the evening and I was getting tired. I called Robert K and asked him to call his father-in-law, Norman A if he could come up in the morning with his torch and cut the race off. Robert called me back and said that Norman would be up a little after 7 in the morning to cut it off.
Norman A. is cutting the race from the shaft. He really saved the day. He stayed around and assisted me in getting the shaft cleaned up and the new bearing installed and ready to go.
Ready to roll.
Ready to roll.
The dew was still on the ground and it was too early to bale so we visited a bit and he headed back home. I went inside to wait for Robert to get here to rake while I baled. It was just not to be. I tried the machine at the house and everything was working great but somehow on the drive to the field I discovered when I started the baler that a cam assembly had broken in the pick up reel and the reel could not turn and feed the hay to the baler. Here it is Sunday and no parts store open. I was there Monday morning before they opened and waited for them. Got parts- repaired baler and was baling before 10:30 a. m.. Finished at home I began cutting today (Tuesday) in Douglas County on a farm I have never been on before. I think it will prove to be quite an experience itself but that story will wait for another day when I am done at that farm.
Cheerily
IJK
Cheerily
IJK
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