[dirtdigger]

I run a 97 2188 and a 99 2388. I have both machines set up the same way. Small wire concaves, Peterson seives. The 2388 does a very good job but the 2188 has always left grain on the right side of the machine. Combining very easy threshing winter wheat right now with my bottom seive open plenty far, so returns shouldnt be a problem. I have searched the archives and checked pretty much everything mentioned.

Did a kill stall to check things out and thought I had found a leak where the shoe and the frame meet. I then dropped the spreaders and realized the my right spreader was bringing the material back around towards the frame which made it look like it was coming from that area. I do not run the rubber curtain over the rear axle.

Right now I am running 900 on the rotor, 1100 on the fan and 2 on the concaves. Like I said, I have always fought this with this machine and thought I would see if maybe someone had any ideas. It does show up more in winter wheat with the extra straw.

 

[jalopy]

I would double check your elevator head (above the top sprockets) and/or the housing itself. Just a tiny leak can leave grain setting everywhere on the right side of the machine. And sometimes they are really hard to find. By your settings you describe its hard to lose wheat from those numbers. If you still think its coming out the back of the machine, drop your spreaders off and look in your windrow.

 

[doorknob]

Definately, as jalopy stated, check the area where the #50 chain runs up into the grain tank. A bumpy field or two will have that chain wearing a nice gash in the sheetmetal and grain will run out and down the elevator housings. With everything off, jump into the tank and very, very carefully kneel down and look between the tank wall and elevator housing. Right down next to the tank floor, on the front or cab side of the elevator is where the chain can wear into the housing.

When you did the kill stall, did you check the shoe load?

 

[dirtdigger]

I did check the shoe load and things looked pretty evenly distributed. I will check for the things you have said. Since the first season i have run this machine there has always been some grain on the ground on the right side which is evident after harvest when it sprouts. I also have ran a gordon air jet with the same results. At first I blamed it, but I know that is not the problem. Thanks for the suggestions. Doorknob, I know your not a believer in the loss monitors, but when I switch to rotor my needle will run very high if not pegged at times, and nothing when on chaffer. This is one of those problems that can drive a guy crazy.

 

[doorknob]

Ok, I'm glad you mentioned the loss monitor. Here's a picture of the inside of a 2001 2388. Note the opposite auger flighting and the position of the paddle as it came from the factory. As the rotor spins, grain can/will bounce off those paddles and hit the monitor pickup.

Usually the arguement on that bouncing issue, is that since the grain made it that far back, it is a problem. I call that the grain did not make it that far, cause it made it out of the cage which is a saved kernal, but the monitor shows it as a loss. Also, with the location of those pickups, they show loss when the kernal made it out before leaving into the chopper/beater. The point here is, check the paddle locations both right and left and make sure both machines are the same.

I also have some friends that run choppers in their machines for all crops including wheat. The chopper will spin a rotor loss kernal onto the tin work so hard, it bounces back onto the chaffer pickup and shows a seive loss.

One other thing to check during service, is if you have an old mirror from a pickup or a truck sitting around, clamp it to a pipe and take a flash light with you. Open the left grate sheild and lay the mirrir on the grain pan looking up toward the right side of the cage. Shine the light on the mirror and make sure the right side of the cage is not pugging. Its probably fine, but for whatever reason, some machines start a buildup on the top of the cage and the concave mounts on the right side. Those buildups continue to build and plug certain parts of the cage. This buildup will screw with a loss monitor.

 

[dirtdigger]

Update on rotor loss. today I installed 1 key stock grate in the first position and 1 large wire concave in the middle position. The machine is doing a very good job on the ground now, with very little loss.

Just make me wonder why the difference from my 2388, with all slotted grates and all small wires.

 

[hammer]

Do any of you add the "Extention" plate behind the shaker pan?
I have added this to get the grain out on the sieve more to avoid
getting grain in the fan housing. H.