[farminflyboy]

Would any body be interested in a kit that would make the rotor drive sheave on their IH rotor hydraulic adjustable? Pluses that i can see are:

1. Faster rotor adjustment, making tuning easier and faster.
2. Easier to change rotor belt since you don't have to take the chain off an the box the motor mounts to would be out of the way. Also the sheave could be designed to open much wider for changing the belt so that you have more slack to work with. Plus it would open completely in next to no time.
3. If the hydraulic hose would have to be removed it could be with a pioneer coupler.

I've been kicking the idea for this kit around, figured with 140,000 plus axial flows out there would surely be some people interested. I think the original rotor speed switch could be retained making every thing look like a factory install.

 

[farmerunderground]

Sounds interesting at least.

 

[doorknob]

The electric motor currently used is a problem area, that sure seems so as many threads as had been posted over the years.

I'm not sure I have followed just how many parts would be replaced in this project. ?? When you say the sheave would go wider, does this mean whole new sheave setup and mount?

If you do want to go to that extent, you might consider adding a little more than adjustment features. ......something like a "reverser" for the rotor.

This seems to be a feature the owners of the newer cvt machines enjoy and are allmost willing to buy a new machine on that feature alone. Dont know why, but they sure seem to use it alot.

Some people will tell you it cant be done.

Every time someone tells me that,.....I just have to prove them wrong.

 

[arcticcatfarmer]

I've never looked at one, but my friend talks about the hydraulic variable speed on their 8820 cylinder drive. Don't know what it is like. I don't know how much travel you could get, but have you ever seen the drive clutch on a JD 7000 planter. http://www.shoupparts.com/catalog/view.c....&FolderID=95551 Of course it would be much larger. You just need a cam that is turned by hydraulic cylinder and a pressure locking valve (my term) that needs pressure to move either way like they have on a forklift mast tilt. That should guard against seepage.

 

[farminflyboy]

I was thinking about the sheave having and internal hydraulic cylinder like the STS or R series gleaners have to adjust the speed on their rotors. Lance its a good point on the speed staying set, do any of the other models mentioned have a problem with the rotor speed wondering around? I know i helped a guy set up his sts and you could change the rotor speed really fast, it just seems to take for ever on our machines. Doorknob, i think that the parts count would be a new sheave with internal hydraulic adjustment (with the shaft that it mounts on that goes through the bearing block and connects to the Pulley) , another valve and a line for control. The center of the new shaft would allow the hydraulic flow and have a swivel banjo type fitting on the end toward the engine. I think you could pretty easily get by with a single acting cylinder...the others do, which would me only one control line and the valve is pretty much an on off solenoid. I figured that with out the threaded area for adjustment the sheave could open much wider giving more room to work. I was also thinking that the pto shaft that bolts to the sheave could be converted to a slipon type pto coupler if the purchaser desired the option (like cutting wet canola). Lance also i have the tool to hold the torque sensing pulley open but it takes a while to get that cranked down also, it seems faster to me to just pry it open with a crow bar and wedge a piece of the old belt in, then you just knock that piece out when the belt is on.

 

[doorknob]

As I read mx270s reply, the first machine that came to mind was the gleaner. As far as I know, they may occasionally need a new seal, but I know that if the cylinder bore is clean and smoothe, some of the new seals can do a wonderful job holding fluid from leaking by.

A question. How would you hook the hydraulic up and still be able to hook the driveline up for the gearbox?

 

[farminflyboy]

Anything in blue black or gray are new parts the red would be CIH parts.

 

[mx270a]

I like how you bring the pressure line in through that side of the pulley. No need to remove the hydraulic circuit to change belts. On the other hand, is there a fitting that will allow the pulley to spin without wearing out?

If you replace the blue pulley, I'm guessing the price of the kit will go up. At what point does it become cost prohibitive for a farmer to buy this? There is a difference between buying something to fix a problem, and buying something to make your life a bit better.

-Lance

 

[mx270a]

Are you thinking a hydraulic motor instead of the electric motor, or a cylinder to apply pressure instead of the threaded part?

If the cylinder design, what happens when you get a valve with a slow leak?

For all the faults of the electric motor design, once you set it, it doesn't move. It is quite simple, and simple is good. The limit switches seem to be a weak point.

Changing rotor belts isn't that hard if you have the tool to hold the spring loaded side open, along with the 3/4" wratchey wrench. Go thrash some wet canola sometime, you'll get good at swapping belts.

-Lance

 

[farminflyboy]

the JD STS and Gleaner R series have a hose to their sheave with some sort of fitting that doesn't seem to leak.

I feel like this would eleminate some of the head aches assosiated with the current motor system. Provide more room to work in that area. It could also accomadate the use of a larger rotor belt like the 3" wide unit that comes standard on the 7088 so that one of the weak spots of the AF combines could be reduced.

To me aside from being easier to change a belt the big advantage would be ease of changing rotor speed. I would probably tweak rotor speed more but it just takes so long for it to change that i would rather accept a little trash in the bin and just get the stuff cut. Lance if you get a chance to look at an STS you will see what kind of fitting they use. And if you can fire it up and adjust the rotor speed up and down...you will see what we've been missing out on.