Massey 38 straw walker bearing

[ploughman1963]

I would like to change the centre bearing on the rear straw walker crank on our MF38. How does it come apart? Is the crank in two parts that meet in the bearing? Advice gratefully received.
Thanks

 

[goldeneagle]

I would like to change the centre bearing on the rear straw walker crank on our MF38. How does it come apart? Is the crank in two parts that meet in the bearing? Advice gratefully received.
Thanks

Don’t know about how the six Walker machines are put together but had to do the centre bearing on a 7256 which has 5 Walkers.
Assuming it’s the same assembly but wider you have 2 options.
The first is to buy a complete shaft with bearings installed and just undo the walkers and replace, once the bearings are dismounted at the side it just needs corkscrewed out the side.
The second option is to change the bearings which is the cheapest but more tricky option. If it’s the same as the 7256 the bearings are mounted in the crank with split shells so my explanation follows what I did.

Measure shaft distance relative to machine frame and note down.
Dismount support bearings either side of crank. Remove shaft from machine.
Measure the distances of bearings to be removed and make clear note for reinstalling later.
Remove bearings on selected side to remove.
Remove split shells from shaft where bearings sat, measure location these are mounted also making clear note for reassembly. If reusing shells label for refitting in same location.
Remove bearings from shaft to get to centre bearing.
Clean shaft area where removed shells are installed.
Replace centre bearing. Stick it in the oven and get it toasty before fitting so it slides over shells. Ensure it is installed at noted location.
Refit shells on shaft for next bearing. There is a loctite adhesive to use and will look up number later as can’t remember off top of head.
Refit remaining bearings as before talking at required location.
Refit shaft as per previous measurement.
Reattach to straw walkers and set clearance between machine frame and each Walker.

The back crank shouldn’t be too bad , I did the front crank on ours without removing walkers. Was tight but I am not the stockiest of build and took a good day to do by time dismount walkers and support then do repair and set everything back up again.

I have a mitre chop saw and cut different size bits of timber to use as gauges to set Walker clearances. Had the workshop manual for our machine and set it up as per factory settings. If you can’t get hold of settings for the 38 may be worth finding out your clearances before you start, from memory think it was 5 to 7mm gap between Walker and side of machine and 3-5mm between walkers.

Last thing I would add is ensure your Walker hood blocked switch is working. Ours had trouble with walkers and can put a lot of this down to the wiring loom having been chewed for the switch (tunnel installed in fills with chaff, makes a nice home in winter for mice, always clean and bait it before winter storing). We have some hilly fields and when conditions are marginal the straw does struggle to clear bridging at the back, the switch alerts to a plugging scenario before becomes an issue. For this reason I check it with a broom each time put fuel in combine.

hope this is if some help.

 

[goldeneagle]

The loctite compound for the bearing shells is 638 and some excerpts from various literature i have which may be of assistance although not for your particular machine.