Claas mega combine

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
take as much time as you like but you will struggle to get to all 4 corners of a claas radiator with a power washer, more chance with air.
Same on a NH.
Am considering trying to unblock by pushing cable ties through the core.
I'll need to be a bit of a contortionist to get to the bottom. But hopefully worth a try.

I might try to remove the rotary screen completely, as it doesn't hinge far enough open. The Air con rad sits in it, so I might have to unbolt it from the screen frame first.
Doing this would even allow me to get a pressure washer and detergent at at he best angle, straight at the core, rather than the at least 45 degree angle it would be with the rotary screen still attached.
I will also try to remove the fan cowling on the engine side, so that the water and shyte can darin away.

The Hydro temperature alarm goes off when going up banks of towing the header up long hills. Bloody nuisance in hot weather! Fresh oil last season made absolutely no difference.
IIRC on the NH Intelliview screen, the alarm goes off at about 100 degrees C but doesn't cut out until it drops below 95 ish. Which isn't until you have got back down the bottom of a bank, then you have got to go back up it again!

Fortunately, this will be about the most major job I have to do to get the ol' girl ready for harvest again this year.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
Would a reversible fan help?
Might do. At least one of the TF's I had actually placed the fan between the rotary screen and the Rad core so that it pushed the air though the core rather than sucked it. I cannot remember ever having a problem with them overheating, other than a fan belt breaking, which was a bit of a bugger to replace.
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
Love it!

Ah, but some might (again) flippantly say that Claas had a problem with engines overheating. Even on this one!
I wonder if Claas supplied the broom to sweep the radiator screen or if it is a farmer modification?

On a serious note, it really annoys me that so many manufacturers now use block type radiators that are engine coolant coolers, air intercoolers, engine oil coolers and hydraulic/hydrostatic oil coolers all in one, stacked above each other. They require a very thick core in a small area that can plug with dust more easily. They are also much more difficult to remove because they have at least 8 pipes attached to them.
Stupid idea to save a few quid, no doubt.
It is usually the bottom one that blocks the most and is the most difficult to get to, to clean.
On NH's, this tends to be the Hydraulic/hydrostatic cooler.
The broom device is a hangover from the 60s. The old fella always had a brush/scrapper device/twating stick on the side of the super 500........That's continued to this day 🙄😊
The 68 did have a couple of years running hot which was solved with a re-cored radiator. Transformed it. Even in near 40° heat it doesn't budge from half way.
Radiator is actually quite clear with very little clutter/extras round it.
Quite lucky really in that plenty of room round the engine for working on it etc.
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
is that a

is that a 68 or 88 ?
20200805_184503.jpg

68
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
that is a nice sight on a jan night , how do you find it ? powerful enough ? is that a 11ft header ? the reason i ask is one day we have to replace our nh 1530 and its always handy to know what another make is like :scratchhead:
12ft header.
Power never a problem. It's the Merc 6 cylinder lump, same as some unimogs etc. 120hp. So top spec engine for that model at that time. Other engine options were, I think, Perkins 4cylinder and ford turbo 4 (probably wrong on that)
We've cut wheat,barley, oats,linseed,beans, peas and soya with it fine.
No major problems. Always do a bit every year to keep on top of things. I do really like engine being out the way 👍, especially with no air con or cooler. The cab would be even more unbearable.
Now done about 2080hrs. Brought for yr 2000 harvest on 980hrs ish.
I'd like to think it'll see me good for many years yet 🤞🤞🤞
 
Last edited:
12ft header.
Power never a problem. It's the Merc 6 cylinder lump, same as some unimogs etc. 120hp. So top spec engine for that model at that time. Other engine options were, I think, Perkins 4cylinder and ford turbo 4 (probably wrong on that)
We've cut wheat,barley, oats,linseed,beans, peas and soya with it fine.
No major problems. Always do a bit every year to keep on top of things. I do really like engine being out the way 👍, especially with no air con or cooler. The cab would be even more unbearable.
Now done about 2080hrs. Brought for yr 2000 harvest on 980hrs ish.
I'd like to think it'll see more good for many years yet 🤞🤞🤞
that is some combine ! look after it ,thats when claas made combines to last !
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
that is some combine ! look after it ,thats when claas made combines to last !
Certainly try to!

Replaced fuse board on it to spade lug commercial type from crap glass bullet fuses. Much more reliable and less likely to get hot. Ran direct earth lead too so no earthing problems.
Reverse camera. Work lights all replaced for LED lights (less draw of power = less chance of fire) plus extra lights, around 10 total all round. New fuel lines to tank after they got brittle, also fitted one way valve so no fuel run back to tank. Fires up better now. Drum bearings been done plus newmourous others over the years. Upgraded knife drive pulley and cam (no wobble box on these ones) upgraded bottom auger plus bearings from 25mm to 30mm (without checking think that's what we did, everything written in perminant marker on the combine so doesn't get forgotten)
The header has reel speed variation and fore and aft adjustment as well as a reverser (very handy in linseed!) Elevator chains.
Probably drum bars in next 5 years as getting worm, but we wait till crop fit so thrashing not a problem.
Various belts. Normally change one a year.
Oil and filter change every year.
Plenty of other things I'm sure I've forgotten.
Seems a lot but do a bit every year so not all at once or all worn out at once. It's got to last a while.....
 
Certainly try to!

Replaced fuse board on it to spade lug commercial type from crap glass bullet fuses. Much more reliable and less likely to get hot. Ran direct earth lead too so no earthing problems.
Reverse camera. Work lights all replaced for LED lights (less draw of power = less chance of fire) plus extra lights, around 10 total all round. New fuel lines to tank after they got brittle, also fitted one way valve so no fuel run back to tank. Fires up better now. Drum bearings been done plus newmourous others over the years. Upgraded knife drive pulley and cam (no wobble box on these ones) upgraded bottom auger plus bearings from 25mm to 30mm (without checking think that's what we did, everything written in perminant marker on the combine so doesn't get forgotten)
The header has reel speed variation and fore and aft adjustment as well as a reverser (very handy in linseed!) Elevator chains.
Probably drum bars in next 5 years as getting worm, but we wait till crop fit so thrashing not a problem.
Various belts. Normally change one a year.
Oil and filter change every year.
Plenty of other things I'm sure I've forgotten.
Seems a lot but do a bit every year so not all at once or all worn out at once. It's got to last a while.....
Crumbs you have been busy with the spanners ! i thought the 68/78 /88 combines all had a different knife drive arrangement to the older combines
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Certainly try to!

Replaced fuse board on it to spade lug commercial type from crap glass bullet fuses. Much more reliable and less likely to get hot. Ran direct earth lead too so no earthing problems.
Reverse camera. Work lights all replaced for LED lights (less draw of power = less chance of fire) plus extra lights, around 10 total all round. New fuel lines to tank after they got brittle, also fitted one way valve so no fuel run back to tank. Fires up better now. Drum bearings been done plus newmourous others over the years. Upgraded knife drive pulley and cam (no wobble box on these ones) upgraded bottom auger plus bearings from 25mm to 30mm (without checking think that's what we did, everything written in perminant marker on the combine so doesn't get forgotten)
The header has reel speed variation and fore and aft adjustment as well as a reverser (very handy in linseed!) Elevator chains.
Probably drum bars in next 5 years as getting worm, but we wait till crop fit so thrashing not a problem.
Various belts. Normally change one a year.
Oil and filter change every year.
Plenty of other things I'm sure I've forgotten.
Seems a lot but do a bit every year so not all at once or all worn out at once. It's got to last a while.....
Did you see the 66 on Facebook? It was sort of too good to break but not good enough to use. I don’t know how many parts would be interchangeable anyway
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
Did you see the 66 on Facebook? It was sort of too good to break but not good enough to use. I don’t know how many parts would be interchangeable anyway
No I didn't unfortunately.

66 has different drivelines to a 68 etc as engine is behind the cab same as 76/86/96.
There will be some commonality on parts as Claas of that era did that.

When looking for bits and cross referencing when our ex dealer trained/time served mechanic is here, there is quite a few bits on the 78/88 etc that are the same.

Seems Claas had 3 distinct ranges with the "small" 8 series (38,48,58,68) medium 8s (78,88,98,108) and large with the megas (202,204,206,208)
I realise the above isn't a comprehensive overview but as a summary it does enough (haven't mentioned the cs range etc)

I don't know why the decision was made for the small 8s to have the engine at the back but all the rest with engine behind cab 🤷‍♂️

Just to try and drag this thread back on topic 😂,
a very good friend has this beauty 😍
WP_20150811_001.jpg
 

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