Grain dryer - donkey engine?

[GrantMo]

Not faced this yet, but I can soon pick it up with the telehandler and put a tractor there. Have stopped and started it with oats in recently just to try it. If there was an engine problem I can slide the PTO off, fix the problem, and hopefully it will restart. The test will be wet wheat?

Sounds like the simplest and easiest way to do it then. I did price one of those comer gearboxes from Kramp, was going to be about £750 - did you buy yours new too?

Take it you already have your hydraulic pump, tank etc as I did notice a belt driven hydraulic pump on this combine?

 

[GrantMo]

Exactly what I meant but other chaps idea of Large water tank Instead of radiator is very good. Leave rad attached incase it doesn’t work! Depends on size of pulleys for correct speed of pto as combine drum usually fast but at 2200 engine rpm

Water tank idea is a good one, how big a tank would you need though I wonder? If the tank was too big would you not end up running cold water through the block all the time?

 

[quattro]

Water tank idea is a good one, how big a tank would you need though I wonder? If the tank was too big would you not end up running cold water through the block all the time?

It was old small slurry tanker I used as a water bowser

 

[farmerdan7618]

Got an old lorry engine and gearbox here too if anyone wants one for a drier.

 

[quattro]

ive one here rigged up for a dryer. and also a ford engine and gearbox in a frame which was driving a fan for a drying floor

 

[EdC]

An interesting thread and very timely as I'm also looking for an engine to drive a centrifugal fan, which I think will need to turn at about 1,500rpm.

I don't know the exact requirements as all the labels of the fan have weathered off since my father installed it in 2001, but it is a dual intake Rekord fan which I was told needs about a 50hp motor (when I was looking to put in a 3 phase motor and generator - but that idea now seems far more complicated than it needs to be). It's a clockwise drive, but if mounting an anti-clockwise spinning engine so the driveshaft faces the fan, this will actually spin the fan the correct way without needing a gearbox, so I was thinking about just using an engine and clutch and sizing belts and pulleys to match.

Where is the best place to look for suitable engines (in Lincolnshire) - breakers yards? Any pointers gratefully received!

 

[Richard Smyth]

Best option for a clutch is a centrifugal clutch. Used on nearly every water pump round here.

 

[quattro]

An interesting thread and very timely as I'm also looking for an engine to drive a centrifugal fan, which I think will need to turn at about 1,500rpm.

I don't know the exact requirements as all the labels of the fan have weathered off since my father installed it in 2001, but it is a dual intake Rekord fan which I was told needs about a 50hp motor (when I was looking to put in a 3 phase motor and generator - but that idea now seems far more complicated than it needs to be). It's a clockwise drive, but if mounting an anti-clockwise spinning engine so the driveshaft faces the fan, this will actually spin the fan the correct way without needing a gearbox, so I was thinking about just using an engine and clutch and sizing belts and pulleys to match.

Where is the best place to look for suitable engines (in Lincolnshire) - breakers yards? Any pointers gratefully received!

Engine I have is a 6cyl ford in a frame c/w gearbox/clutch and short sfaft that was driving a pellcroft engineering fan

 

[GrantMo]

Engine I have is a 6cyl ford in a frame c/w gearbox/clutch and short sfaft that was driving a pellcroft engineering fan

Is the output shaft on that turning the right or the wrong way?

 

[Farmersboy]

Sounds like the simplest and easiest way to do it then. I did price one of those comer gearboxes from Kramp, was going to be about £750 - did you buy yours new too?

Take it you already have your hydraulic pump, tank etc as I did notice a belt driven hydraulic pump on this combine?

Yes, the gearbox was new from them at about that price. The hydraulic pump I fitted and tried recently was off a MF combine, but it needs to be higher output. From my calculations based on the requirements stated in the dryer handbook it needs to be between 25 -30 litres per minute. Just sourcing that at the moment. The tank was off the same combine. The valve block off the Browns flat eight loader. I have belt driven the pump, stepped up to 1750 rpm. Mounted the pump on a hinged arm so that it only needs to run when required, not pumping all the time. The engine by the way looks to me like it is straight out of a Claas combine on its own subframe with the radiator attached. I removed a big Alvan Blanch belt driven radial fan from the engine first

 

[Meallydave]

ive one here rigged up for a dryer. and also a ford engine and gearbox in a frame which was driving a fan for a drying floor

what size of dryer was your engine fit to run?

 

[Farmersboy]

An interesting thread and very timely as I'm also looking for an engine to drive a centrifugal fan, which I think will need to turn at about 1,500rpm.

I don't know the exact requirements as all the labels of the fan have weathered off since my father installed it in 2001, but it is a dual intake Rekord fan which I was told needs about a 50hp motor (when I was looking to put in a 3 phase motor and generator - but that idea now seems far more complicated than it needs to be). It's a clockwise drive, but if mounting an anti-clockwise spinning engine so the driveshaft faces the fan, this will actually spin the fan the correct way without needing a gearbox, so I was thinking about just using an engine and clutch and sizing belts and pulleys to match.

Where is the best place to look for suitable engines (in Lincolnshire) - breakers yards? Any pointers gratefully received!

This engine originally came from Les Carter at Pinchbeck, through someone else to me.

 

[fredf]

Years ago I put together a Perkins 6-354 engine out of a MF 525 combine to DB PTO gearbox on a old chassis we had on the farm this gives out 540 or 1000 rpm speed and the right direction. First on to a genny too drive a static dryer then we bought a mobile (master) and to the PTO on the dryer.

Tom

 

[GrantMo]

Years ago I put together a Perkins 6-354 engine out of a MF 525 combine to DB PTO gearbox on a old chassis we had on the farm this gives out 540 or 1000 rpm speed and the right direction. First on to a genny too drive a static dryer then we bought a mobile (master) and to the PTO on the dryer.

Tom

Something like this?

David Brown 1390 PTO Housing with Good Gears in Good Condition | eBay

Find great deals for David Brown 1390 PTO Housing with Good Gears in Good Condition. Shop with confidence on eBay!

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[fredf]

Yes that is the gearbox the tricky bit is joining the two together.

Tom

 

[quattro]

Is the output shaft on that turning the right or the wrong way?

what size of dryer was your engine fit to run?

27ton

 

[GrantMo]

Yes that is the gearbox the tricky bit is joining the two together.

Tom

Thanks, I don’t suppose you have any photos of how you did it?

 

[fredf]

Sorry no pics and the engine got traded with Master drier for the new Mecmar last year. please PM me your no and I will try and talk you through.

Tom

 

[quattro]

On

Is the output shaft on that turning the right or the wrong way?

the ford it’s wrong way it would a reverse drive box

 

[GrantMo]

Just an update for those of you that were thinking of doing something similar - here’s the (almost) finished product. Anyone remember scrapheap challenge?!!

Took a lot more time than I expected but mainly because the combine engine needed a full rebuild. The actual skid itself didn’t really take long.

Anybody aiming to do something similar feel free to ask away, I’ve wired this one up to shut down on loss of oil pressure or high temperature which is why there’s 3 lights on the control panel (solenoid power, oil pressure & high temperature)
Big thanks to @fredf for talking it through on the phone and for giving us the inspiration for using the davie brown gearbox!