Gleaner N5 plugging the tailings elevator

Hi all, I keep plugging the tailings elevator and breaking the belt on my 85 N5 I have tried opening the bottom sieve a little at a time but no change, adjusting air from 5 to 7 the same way, sample in bin gets pretty dirty at 5 but is clean at 7. The less air it gets the more shelled pods I get in the tailings but is mostly grounded up beans. It does not slip the clutch but snaps the belt, does not burn it. Any advice?

DrAllis wrote: Plugging it with what ?? clean soybeans?? open the lower sieve a little more.  Plugged with ground up straw bits ?? close the top chaffer a little. You CANNOT use a round tip deep tooth corn chaffer in beans. It won't work. The tailings elevator has a slip clutch on it. Must not work ??  Is the tailings elevator CHAIN tensioned correctly ??? What setting is the concave at ?? rotor speed should be 500-600 normally.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/86kxMbteWATtuaB1A
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MPfp4ai32Z6XroU3A
Picture of both what is plugging it and my chaffer, I have been running around 600 on the cylinder and 1/2 on the concave, and looks like I need to take slip clutch a part and see why it’s not working and chain seems reasonably tight.

DrAllis wrote: Looks like a "square tip" CORN chaffer, which is a little better, but still not ideal for an N-series. It appears to be waaaay too open to suit me. Use a 5/16" bolt and use it as a feeler gauge to set the chaffer tooth opening. You might try closing the concave a little tighter and then a little more open as an experiment, but adjust the chaffer FIRST and see what you get before making any other changes. Have you combined soybeans before with this machine??????????

I have, not every year, most of the time it runs corn, I’ve never had an issue with it plugging the tailings in soybeans. Was always able to set it by the book and adjust from there to do acceptable job.

AC 426 power, maybe try this approach? Your 1st pic of the medium that is plugging your return consist of “large” grain & ground up plant debris. This medium is exiting the N5’s rotor/concave & being shot thru a significant fan air blast via machine’s accelerator rolls. Obliviously the plant debris is too heavy to be blown out over top of chaffer. So,,, it is being allowed to pass thru your wide set chaffer with “ALL” of the grain ~ not good.


1. With machine cleaned out “empty,” COMPLETELY CLOSE chaffer & Sieve ~ both flattened completely..!! OPEN FAN AIR TO MAXIMUM.
2. Harvest about 20’ then shut down machine so grain/debris is resting ontop of chaffer.
3. Shut off engine for quiet for good hearing.
4. At chaffer, slowly open it to begin to hear grain falling onto closed sieve. STOP opening chaffer when “no more grain is heard falling thru.”
5. Do the same for the SIEVE opening width.
6. Start up machine, engage threshing & let machine clean-out.
7. Harvest another 50’ & check Chaffer/Sieve conditions again. If any grain is still lying on either, then open just 1/16”~ just a crack? ALSO while there behind rear of machine, CHECK THE GROUND TO KNOW IF ANY GRAIN IS being DISCHARGED. THIS INCLUDES THRESHED GRAIN & UNTHRESHED PODS !!

Adjust CHAFFER ONLY as needed for ANY ADDITIONALLY discharged grain.
This should put machine in close adjustment? Might need fine tuned for nonstop capacities??

Take Aways;
Adjust CHAFFER to keep ALL GRAIN in machine & not on ground.
Adjust SIEVE to allow “THRESHED GRAIN ONLY” to clean grain elevator.

IF unsatisfactory conditions still exist, then look to the threshing areas for improvements? That is,,,, IF ALL/ANY of the MACHINE’s mechanicals are not the issue?

Edited by AC7060IL - 19 Oct 2024 at 10:14am

Hey Dr and AC7060IL I really appreciate both of you guys chiming in, I think a lot of issues are the machine is getting some wear and I’m going to have to make a decision on whether to do some serious maintenance or just start looking for another combine.

AC7060 I Checked out my my fan and the mechanism inside the cab and it all seems to be working fine, I’m not desperate to run beans with this machine so I switched to corn for a bit if I decide to try beans again I’ll give your process of shutting it down tight a go. Sounds like a great idea. Again thanks for the information.