Adjusting the Cultivator Spring Lift Rods

[farmergiffIV]

Hi,

I am attempting to mount my basket weeder again and I seem to need some help...

I cant get the tractor to lift the implement evenly: I need the both left and right tool bar arms to lift together while keeping the tool bar below them as level as possible. Any tips on how I can set and tune the spring lift rods properly in general? I've already tried this while setting them both the same length, however one side is still off, it could be the spring tension but that seems tricky to nail just right and I had an incident in the past where the little bolt holding the spring lift rod in place came real snug to my kill switch off the distributor and stumped me for a few days when I couldn't get the tractor to spark later this winter. Anywho I'm stumped.

[Jim Becker]

Not exactly sure what you are trying to set and what problem you are having. I take it that you have the basket weeders mounted on the universal mounting frames and you are trying to get the pressure springs (that connect to the front rockshaft arms) on each side adjusted. Setting them both at 23-1/4 long is a good starting point.

I usually have pretty good luck this way:
Park the tractor on a reasonably smooth hard surface (shop floor is ideal).
Let the cultivator rest on the floor.
Loosen the setscrews on both pressure springs.
Set the Touch-Control rockshaft to somewhere around half way. The pressure rods should self-adjust as the arms move.
Tighten the setscrews.
Set the stop on the Touch-Control handle to keep from whacking the bottom of the tractor with the cultivator.
After seeing how it works you may want to redo with the rockshaft in a slightly different position.

You may need to do some small adjustments (particularly if some parts have a lot of wear).

[AL Farmall Boy]

I would like to add that it might make it easier to remove the pressure rods, disassemble them, and clean them up with a wire wheel and lightly paint them. Alot of them haven't been adjusted much and given their age they are usually sticky to adjust. It'll work much easier if they are clean and lubed up. It just takes 10 min or so of your time to go the extra step.

[farmergiffIV]

Not exactly sure what you are trying to set and what problem you are having. I take it that you have the basket weeders mounted on the universal mounting frames and you are trying to get the pressure springs (that connect to the front rockshaft arms) on each side adjusted. Setting them both at 23-1/4 long is a good starting point.

I usually have pretty good luck this way:
Park the tractor on a reasonably smooth hard surface (shop floor is ideal).
Let the cultivator rest on the floor.
Loosen the setscrews on both pressure springs.
Set the Touch-Control rockshaft to somewhere around half way. The pressure rods should self-adjust as the arms move.
Tighten the setscrews.
Set the stop on the Touch-Control handle to keep from whacking the bottom of the tractor with the cultivator.
After seeing how it works you may want to redo with the rockshaft in a slightly different position.

You may need to do some small adjustments (particularly if some parts have a lot of wear).

Are you adjusting both set screws on the spring rods or just one? Each has two screws. I’ll try your method here after a light cleaning and see if I have any luck.

[farmergiffIV]

I would like to add that it might make it easier to remove the pressure rods, disassemble them, and clean them up with a wire wheel and lightly paint them. Alot of them haven't been adjusted much and given their age they are usually sticky to adjust. It'll work much easier if they are clean and lubed up. It just takes 10 min or so of your time to go the extra step.

Thanks I will do a quick cleaning.

[Jim Becker]

Are you adjusting both set screws on the spring rods or just one? Each has two screws. I’ll try your method here after a light cleaning and see if I have any luck.

You should be able to do what you need just using the setscrew on the end with the smaller diameter.

[Willy]

That's pretty much how I adjusted mine when I put the Universal Mount Frame back on the Cub. While I had it off, I took it all apart and cleaned it all up and lubed everything. I've got a cross bar running between both sides though which probably helped a bit on adjusting it out.

Edit: Those pressure rods on mine were pretty frozen up when I took them apart. Had to to some light finessing with a shop hammer and penetrating oi to free them up.

[farmergiffIV]

Jim Becker's tips worked just fine for me to get the lift rods properly assembled.