Military Vet/New farmer. Seeking grain head info.
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=200940
Printed Date: 28 Nov 2024 at 6:54am
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Topic: Military Vet/New farmer. Seeking grain head info.
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Subject: Military Vet/New farmer. Seeking grain head info.
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2024 at 7:11pm
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Good evening, Everyone, I'm new to this site. As I am new to farming. I recently got out of the military after 14 years in the Air Force as an aircraft engine technician. My wife and I bought some acreage that I plan on farming. I grew up in a small town and I always wanted to have my own farm. I recently purchased a M2 Gleaner that came with a 16ft grain head. I have been trying to find any and all information I can on it to replace some parts. I chose to join this site because I can across several forum topics about Allis-Chalmers questions. The head has seen its share of sun and the only bit of information I was able to acquire was the serial number from a data plate. The serial number is L-F42008J. This A-C head looks like a flex head based on the two outer snouts that are able to move up and down. The unit is in dire need of a new sickle bar. I want to go through Shoup's Parts, but alas they need the model number. Is there anyone here that could possibly help me figure this out? I appreciate any advice! M2 Gleaner 16Ft Grain head L-F42008J V/r Eric F. |
Replies:
Posted By: dp7000
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2024 at 8:44pm
| A picture could be worth a thousand words as they say. Welcome and I’m sure the forum will be helpful. Great group. And thank for your service! |
Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2024 at 9:03pm
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M2rookieGuy, welcome to the AC forum. Thank you for your valuable service to our great country. Probably have a gleaner series 2 header? -Factory Flex sickle? -Belt driven Wobble box sickle drive? (Not pitman) -Variable speed reel? Decent header for 1970s era. Sickle could be original or aftermarket? So best to measure sickle sections for width & height and cross reference to Shoup’s offered sections. Spend extra for section bolts/nuts over original rivets. Makes later bad section replacements a breeze. Unbolt header sickle where it mounts to wobble drive, then carefully slide entire sickle from header’s left side. Get a wooden rack wagon, or wooden trailer deck, or a solid 20’ 2x8 on the ground to support loose sickle. Then Rebuild your sickle by replacing its sections. A bad section will be dull to touch. Use your thumb & forefinger to lightly check if section teeth are sharp or dull. Sharp teeth WILL CUT you quick~ so be mindful. Mark bad ones. Use a sharp chisel or angle grinder to remove top of rivets if it still has rivets. Then punch/hammer out old rivets. If newer bolt/nuts then just unbolt. Buy some extra sections/bolts/nuts for on-hand field repairs. Check sickle guards(heavy forged fingers that sickle slides inside of) for wear grooves mostly on bottom. Bottom surface where sections slide should be flat. Straighten any bent fingers using a 2-3’ pipe that slides over front of finger. |
Posted By: Lars(wi)
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2024 at 9:11pm
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First, thank you for your service. Tell us a little about your acreage, and the general location of your farm, bottom river land? Hills? clay soil? Sandy loam? North? South? Central? Also, for a starting farmer observe what your neighbor’s grow. ------------- I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2024 at 9:27pm
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The unit is in dire need of a new sickle bar. the entire BAR or just the Sections ?? I did as AC7060 said when rebuilding a sickle bar... You need to check the bolt spacing as he said... I have 2 inch and 2-1/16 inch ... some dont fit !! Measure close. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2024 at 11:48pm
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Hello All, I have some pictures of the grain head for some perspective. uploads/24683/IMG_6241.jpg" rel="nofollow - IMG_6241.jpg uploads/24683/IMG_6240.jpg" rel="nofollow - IMG_6240.jpg uploads/24683/IMG_6242.jpg" rel="nofollow - IMG_6242.jpg |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2024 at 11:56pm
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Thanks Everyone for the warm welcome! I hope I can reciprocate as much knowledge as I receive from everyone. I checked the sharpness of the sickle teeth, and they are dull as they are rusty. Our little farm is 13 acres with 10 tillable. I registered our farm with the USDA and got the got me in touch with a local farmer who has been helping me out with soil samples and what advice he can offer. I showed and fired the M2 up and he smiled and said I'd be an expert Gleaner man after I fix her up. So we'll see! V/r Eric F. |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 1:14am
| The USDA got me in touch with a farmer* should've done a grammar/spelling check. |
Posted By: darrel in ND
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 5:29am
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Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your military service. If you were closer to North Dakota, I would come and have a look at your purchase, try to help you out. I wish you the best of luck on your farming venture. It's a great way of life, but can be grueling. I hope that your M2 turns out being a good purchase, some allis chalmers tractors in your fleet would be awesome. Upon what you've said so far, I guess my advice has already been said; set your cutter bar up for bolt on sections. Darrel |
Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 7:31am
| M2rookieGuy, what books did you receive with your new purchase? Do you have the M2 OM(operators manual)? M2 PM(Parts Manual)? Header OM? Header PM? |
Posted By: jiminnd
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 10:01am
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Good luck, you made a good purchase, ran an M2 for 20 years, good machine for me, I had about 800 acres most years, also did a little custom work in the first couple years I had it. ------------- 1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner) |
Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 2:07pm
| If you are using this head for small grains you have to lock it up, so it doesn't float otherwise it is very hard on bushings. You leave it float when cutting soybeans. Look up in the book how to lock it up. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 4:56pm
| The header is a "Series 2" floating cutter-bar head (FCB) with a wobble box sickle drive. You MUST slow down the variable-speed header drive on the combine (if it has one) to the slowest speed and disconnect the hydraulic hose to keep from overspeeding the wobble box which will DESTROY it. Get a combine owners manual. |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 4:59pm
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AC7060IL, To answer your question, I have the M2 Operators Manual, and the M2 service manual. Unfortunately, the grain head had no literature to go with it. Based on the pictures I uploaded do you think I need to know the model number? Or just as others have posted I could get sections of the sickle bar instead? Although having the model would probably help in the long run for part replacements. V/r Eric |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 5:05pm
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DrAllis, Thank you for your input! You just saved me a lot of hassle and potential damage to the head. So just to clarify I don't want to hook up the two hydraulic lines? What are they there for? V/r Eric |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 5:08pm
| Those are for the reel and YES, you want to use them. The hose I'm talking about is on the COMBINE header drive. |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 5:12pm
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jiminnd, After doing extensive research on a combine that was within financial and realistic goals, I decided on the M2 and by chance the one I purchased was 37 miles away. When I looked at it in early February, he said it hadn't run since November. It started in less than 60 seconds with ZERO ether. It has the 301 A-C turbo diesel. It sounds strong. The unit has no oil, or hydraulic leaks. For a 77 model it has some areas that need attention. I would like to get all the idiot lights fixed on the dashboard. That will come with time. V/r Eric |
Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 6:32pm
Apart from the basic Gleaner header production series ( Series 2), it’s my understanding that the “combine models & header width” (L/M16) denote a header’s ID. So a gleaner L/M“ series 2” header could mount on either a Gleaner L,L2,M,M2 combines. To my earlier posting of a Gleaner “grain” header OM, I mis-spoke. The Gleaner Cornheads DO HAVE an OM. For Grain Headers, most of the operator's info is shared inside your combine’s OM. Yes, each Gleaner header series will have a PC (parts Catalog) book that covers all variants per combine models. So “Parts Catalog” Grain Headers(except hillside) is book “Form 9005173 October 1977” which covers combine models; K2 & F2, M2 & L2, M2 & L2 Rice. But,,, if you don't have the book, you can use the agcopartsbook.com online parts source to view everything that a Gleaner Parts Catalog list. Don't know if their weblink allows a person to copy/paste their online address, but here goes. http://parts.agcocorp.com/us/en/apbsearch?q=gleaner/79004874/l&name=GRAIN+HEADER+-+K2+PRIOR+38501%3B+F2+PRIOR+65001%3B+L2%2FM2+48000%3B+MH2#" rel="nofollow - http://parts.agcocorp.com/us/en/apbsearch?q=gleaner/79004874/l&name=GRAIN+HEADER+-+K2+PRIOR+38501%3B+F2+PRIOR+65001%3B+L2%2FM2+48000%3B+MH2# Yah, the agcopartsbook weblink does work... Problem solved. Try removing one of your header's sickle sections & use it to reference any measurements when ordering from Shoups. Here is a weblink to Shoups "AGCO/Gleaner, Platform, Series 2" page. Looks like Shoups carries lots of SCH components. http://www.shoupparts.com/shop/manufacturer/agco-gleaner/machine-type/platform/model/series-2" rel="nofollow - http://www.shoupparts.com/shop/manufacturer/agco-gleaner/machine-type/platform/model/series-2
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M2rookieguy22 wrote:Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2024 at 10:57pm
| There is a hose on the left side that hooks to the variable speed under the cab step area. When you hook up a grain head you set that speed as slow as it goes. It's been so long since I ran an M I was thinking that hose then goes on the grain head for reel speed but I could be wrong you just disconnect it so you don't speed up the head. |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2024 at 7:36am
| You're right Dan |
Posted By: jiminnd
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2024 at 5:41pm
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Just one question? Is it a hydro or gear drive? Mine was a basic gear drive so did not have variable speed on the header drive. If it is gear drive keep an eye on the bushing in the sheave in the variable speed for the ground drive, will wear and then take the big shaft down and have a vibration. ------------- 1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner) |
Posted By: jvin248
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2024 at 11:06pm
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. Looks like a great start on the harvest machinery! How is the putting seeds in the ground part doing? Many do the heavy tillage, heavy chemical, hybrid seed, and hope commodity prices are good enough. Others go the no input path Regenerative Ag with niche heirloom seeds to keep costs low. Since you'll have to study either path as I did, I took the second. Study YouTube presentations by Rick Clark, he's growing 5k acres Regen Ag and selling premium to food companies. The key with smaller farms is keep the debt low/zero. You have the right start with the used combine. .
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Posted By: Unit3
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2024 at 10:30am
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Should there, is there a lock out ring for the variable speed? ------------- 2-8070FWA PS/8050PS/7080/7045PS/200/D15-II/2-WD45/WD/3-WC/UC/C |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2024 at 9:08pm
Never saw a lockout ring before rotorys. I'm sure it's like my F2. Slow it all the way down and unplug it.
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Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2024 at 3:27pm
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jiminnd, The M2 is gear driven. V/r Eric |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2024 at 3:39pm
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jvin248, The USDA got me in contact with a local farmer named Joe. He has offered to assist me with the planting this season. Joe suggested to do no till/drill for my first season of beans. They will be treated seeds, and according to the soil sample the field needs lime, potash, and AMS before planting. I was informed that it is a bit late in the season for the lime to be spread on the field though. I'll have to take a look at that regenerative path as you suggested. V/r Eric |
Posted By: M2rookieguy22
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2024 at 4:50pm
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jiminnd, Here are some pictures of the M2 for reference. The second to last picture shows the variable speed clutch sensor that's inop. Unfortunately, the clutch has also been bolted directly to the drive pulley. So the feeder and head is always spinning as soon as I crank the engine over. I'm not too worried about this though, as the owner claimed this unit had run 80 acres of corn for the past couple years like this. He seemed like a straight shooter. He didn't hide anything and was happy to take my calls weeks after I bought the unit. If I can get 2-3 seasons out of this M2 and be profitable, I will most likely part the machine out and upgrade to a newer unit. Hope the pictures help! uploads/24683/M2_cab.jpg" rel="nofollow - M2_cab.jpg uploads/24683/M2_cab_switch.jpg" rel="nofollow - M2_cab_switch.jpg uploads/24683/M2_front_cab_1.jpg" rel="nofollow - M2_front_cab_1.jpg uploads/24683/M2_cab_2.jpg" rel="nofollow - M2_cab_2.jpg uploads/24683/M2_combine.jpg" rel="nofollow - M2_combine.jpg uploads/24683/V_speed_clutch_.jpg" rel="nofollow - V_speed_clutch_.jpg uploads/24683/Variable_speed_clutch_pulley_system.jpg" rel="nofollow - Variable_speed_clutch_pulley_system.jpg V/r Eric |