More about rebuilding the gearbox on New Holland 358 mixer-grinder

For some strange reason I did not publish my post about rebuilding the gearbox on my New Holland 358. It was pretty straight forward rebuild as I did have a New Holland Service manual.

There were two difficult parts. Assembling and setting the preload on the input shaft bearings was a pain. Hint- don't bend the cotter pin over the end of the shaft... Removing the drive block was a bugger.

To set up the input shaft bearings you have to install the bearing race on the input end of the shaft first. Make sure you put the cup in the correct way because you are going to next install the race, then a spacer, then the second race, then the second cup. You line this all up perfectly and set the preload like you do a wheel bearing, but don't install the cotter pin. Because then it all slides into the gearbox and you have to remove the nut and install the bevel gear, recheck the preload but don't bend the cotter pin over the end of the shaft because when you adjust the backlash on the big pinion gear, the cotter pin will hit the gear or the funny little oil splasher thing that I have no idea if I installed correctly. The gear clearance is set by sliding that bearing/spacer assembly in the gear case and then locked in with a set screw. Seems a bit on the hokey side but what do I know? It was so far out of adjustment when I took it apart I suspect it is a problem area.

The input shaft pinion clearance is set by knocking the bearing assembly into the case until you have correct backlash between small and big pinion. Then you tighten the set screw on top. This may or may not work...

The drive block was rust welded to the output shaft. I heated it red hot and let it cool about five times. I applied ATF and acetone, finally I used some 100 year old Kroil  that I got from MuddyValley and let that soak over night. Next morning it had penetrated the splines. I put it in the press and the shaft popped out.

If you look closely you can see a faint red glow. It took a few heat cycles and every type of penetrating oil on the farm to break it loose. Also, a big press. Kroil actually soaked all the way down the splines.

I thought the seal kit meant it came with a seal. It is just a $150 shield. I used it instead of returning it as the enter hole was actually smaller on the new part. Plus it was shiny.

You can see the shield in place. It protect the seal on the output shaft.

It held up for 1800lbs of oat/alfalfa pellets of which most are sold so I consider this repair a success

Feed musings... I get rained out, I make a plan for Chicken feed

Today it is raining. Actually, it is a down pour.

I have had renewed interest in feed pellets. But now it is in 50lb bags and not 1000lb bags. Also, they want chicken feed and not oat/alfalfa pellets.

The mixer is full of oats and alfalfa. 

Yesterday I thought I could empty it out and fill bags. I had a customer coming for five bags and I filled ten earlier. I felt a pallet of 20 was just a good place to be. But it poured down rain!

I have potentially three chicken feed customers who use 500lbs per month. I think the mix will be corn heavy. I used CoPilot to come up with the mix. Which some times gives odd results. I will go back and change it a bit. 

One ton mix, 750lb Corn, 400lbs Barley, 200lbs Rye, 250lbs groates, 150lbs peas, 100lbs Clover seed screenings, 100lbs Canola, 80lbs alfalfa. 

One major problem is that I ended up needing storage so the rye, groats, and some of the corn got mixed together and when that bin was full I dumped another 1000lbs of groats on top of my bin of peas. I am going to end up guessing on the peas and groates so I think I will put in 300lbs of clover and drop the corn to 500lbs and I may add more alfalfa. I am almost out of peas which is a problem.

The nice thing about this mix is that is also good for pigs. I make 4000lbs and put it in a bin and then I can sell it as ground feed for pigs or pelletize for chickens.

I will probably just make 500lbs of chicken pellets at a time and then add red peppers and garlic to keep the rats out of the bags and also chicken people like peppers in their feed. It is also hilarious to see goats try to eat it.

 

Production capacity of 400lbs an hour would be fine if I was inside and the pellet mill was electric. This just takes forever to get anything done.

The M670 Super is working really well on the pellet mill. Fuel consumption is similar to the White 2-60 but rpms are lower, and hydraulics are more suited to the conveyers. I have been getting three days out of one tank fill up of diesel. About ten gallons a day. However, it took me three days to get 3,000lbs of pellets. I need to record the hours. It was not 23hrs of use.

Of course I had to pick up my daily bag of groates. 

Of course, I didn't start at 7 a.m. 

Of course, it started pouring rain just as my customer arrived.

The pathetic small scale of my operation is starting to wear me down. I have four ton of oats, four ton of clover seed screenings, 12 ton of barley, and a similar volume of rye. Plus a stack of alfalfa. Of course these material are stashed in bags, trucks, and bins all over my farm and two nearby farms.

I would kind of like to quit. 

The nice lady from AgDirect does not get back to me on the financing of the new pellet mill and I am starting to thing of better things to do with the money. Like, put a couple grand into retirement. Or buy a potentially better farm truck, or a mower tractor, or new coulters and press wheels for the Great Plains 1500, or just spend it on diesel and fertilizer for next year.

But I got a free tree yesterday. My nephew brought me one. It is my payment for hauling Christmas Trees.

This is really a nice tree! Now we just have to put it up.