abbey topper

Muckit

Have a 7' topper with two rotors. Was tidying up a few bits before putting it away for winter. Anyway hit a stone and now the flails on one rotor are clipping the other ones on far side every so often. Anyone ever had this problem?

If someone has a 7' or 8' abbey can you pm me please. Should the rotors be offset from each other so this can't happen? Perhaps the flails just need changing. All help appreciated

Sharpshooter82

Muckit wrote: »

Have a 7' topper with two rotors. Was tidying up a few bits before putting it away for winter. Anyway hit a stone and now the flails on one rotor are clipping the other ones on far side every so often. Anyone ever had this problem?

If someone has a 7' or 8' abbey can you pm me please. Should the rotors be offset from each other so this can't happen? Perhaps the flails just need changing. All help appreciated

I thought they should be offset from one another to stop the blades from hitting

Muckit

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

I thought they should be offset from one another to stop the blades from hitting

See l'm thinking now that something slipped after hitting stone and caused them to line up. If someone had a two rotor topper and could check how offset they should be, I'd be in business

whelan1

Muckit wrote: »

See l'm thinking now that something slipped after hitting stone and caused them to line up. If someone had a two rotor topper and could check how offset they should be, I'd be in business

oh says 45 degree angles away from each other

Sharpshooter82

Muckit wrote: »

See l'm thinking now that something slipped after hitting stone and caused them to line up. If someone had a two rotor topper and could check how offset they should be, I'd be in business

did a bolt break or something to allow it to slip

Muckit

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

did a bolt break or something to allow it to slip

Nothing broke. Thought first it was gearbox bolts that had come loose, but no. Now thinking that gearbox must have slipped cogs . All I need do is open the drive between the two rotor gearboxes and move one on a bit, then bolt up again

dharn

Those rotors are usually on splined shafts and should not slip, you need to remove the rotor the split pin in shaft then 36 mm bolt, and drop down the carrier, then you can see if the splines are damaged or if the nut came loose etc most toppers use comer gearboxes and the above applies to comer gearbox

Muckit

dharn wrote: »

Those rotors are usually on splined shafts and should not slip, you need to remove the rotor the split pin in shaft then 36 mm bolt, and drop down the carrier, then you can see if the splines are damaged or if the nut came loose etc most toppers use comer gearboxes and the above applies to comer gearbox

See l was thinking the same. But trying to eliminate things and find out what causing the problem. There is no grinding from gearboxes so don't think there's any damage done there.

If someone had a similar setup of topper they could tell me how offset rotors should be

dharn

I have a connor 7000 and have them at probably 90 deg but I do notice a bit of stem left in the middle sometimes, so perhaps I have them too far apart, ...how come your shear bolt bibnt snap

whelan1

think i have book belonging to it will look in morning

Sharpshooter82

dharn wrote: »

I have a connor 7000 and have them at probably 90 deg but I do notice a bit of stem left in the middle sometimes, so perhaps I have them too far apart, ...how come your shear bolt bibnt snap

Hardly to strong a bolt on the pto

Justjens

Best to have the rotors at 90* to each other, flails won't touch and heavy material (rushes) won't get blocked between rotors.


Something has shifted that shouldn't have if flails are now touching, as suggested check the rotor arms haven't slipped splines underneath, also check the doughnut isn't bent and that there's no twist in the d'shaft between g'boxes.

If you have to go into g'box to find problem, then it's serious, woodruf key may have sheared in one of the boxes, probably the first T box, and is now jammed, the next time you hit something it twists further and may split the 90* sprocket in two.

Don't ask me how I know all these things;);):eek:

Sharpshooter82

Justjens wrote: »

Best to have the rotors at 90* to each other, flails won't touch and heavy material (rushes) won't get blocked between rotors.


Something has shifted that shouldn't have if flails are now touching, as suggested check the rotor arms haven't slipped splines underneath, also check the doughnut isn't bent and that there's no twist in the d'shaft between g'boxes.

If you have to go into g'box to find problem, then it's serious, woodruf key may have sheared in one of the boxes, probably the first T box, and is now jammed, the next time you hit something it twists further and may split the 90* sprocket in two.

Don't ask me how I know all these things;);):eek:

The joys of repairing things yourself

delaval

One at 6 o clock the other at 3.15 from memory

iverjohnston

I suppose the circlip holding the side into the outer gearbox is still place?
Has the rubber shock absorber ever been replaced? perhaps one third of a turn out?
Is the shock absorber bolts twisted enough to let the rotors tip? Or a combination of all 3 things.

Muckit

iverjohnston wrote: »

I suppose the circlip holding the side into the outer gearbox is still place?
Has the rubber shock absorber ever been replaced? perhaps one third of a turn out?
Is the shock absorber bolts twisted enough to let the rotors tip? Or a combination of all 3 things.

No that donut/shock absorber never replaced. But I was thinking of opening bolts and spinning connecting shaft a little to give enough offset/clearance. Must check rightly underneath but nuts on rotors not loose.

satstheway

I have an abbey. It's on heavy splines so should not slip and rotors are at right angles. you can pull out split pin loosen castle nut and drop a rotor and turn it to correct position. But I wonder have you taken cogs of a gearbox.

Muckit

If I sheared splines off cogs in gearbox wouldn't it b nosey and running rough? It's running very smoothly save for once a minute or so when flails clip each other.

I'l open the outside rotor nut tomorrow, drop rotor and offset it. Think 90º so like what few lads said. Hopefully does trick. Fingers crossed

Sharpshooter82

Muckit wrote: »

If I sheared splines off cogs in gearbox wouldn't it b nosey and running rough? It's running very smoothly save for once a minute or so when flails clip each other.

I'l open the outside rotor nut tomorrow, drop rotor and offset it. Think 90º so like what few lads said. Hopefully does trick. Fingers crossed

best of luck with it

whelan1

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

best of luck with it

Looked for book can't find it. Oh says 90 degrees would be right can you ring the local dealer for them and run it by them

Muckit

Well ....

Bad news..... big pool of oil under outside rotor gearbox. When I tied up
the inside rotor the outsde one can be moved around.

I'm hoping that the cogs are on a sleeve that is keyed into shaft, if it's just the key that has sheared mightn't be too bad. I don't think the cogs have sheared as its moving very smoothly.

I think that donut thing cushioned the shock going back to the shear bolt and that's why it didn't shear. Really I think there should be a separate shearbolt nearer the outside rotor to protect it. Anyway....

Didn't open the gearbox yet. Has anyone ever opened one of them?

iverjohnston

Muckit wrote: »

Well ....

Bad news..... big pool of oil under outside rotor gearbox. When I tied up
the inside rotor the outsde one can be moved around.

I'm hoping that the cogs are on a sleeve that is keyed into shaft, if it's just the key that has sheared mightn't be too bad. I don't think the cogs have sheared as its moving very smoothly.

I think that donut thing cushioned the shock going back to the shear bolt and that's why it didn't shear. Really I think there should be a separate shearbolt nearer the outside rotor to protect it. Anyway....

Didn't open the gearbox yet. Has anyone ever opened one of them?

just a big internal circlip holding the "side" into the gearbox.
If you have a pool of oil, bearings and seal prob. need replacing as a matter of course. What price is a new replacement?

Muckit

Ah ya if it's just the seal and bearings I'I be happy out iver. I'I drop it down to ya in the morning

Haven't priced parts yet til I know open and know exactly what I need.

I definitely won't be as finicky from now on about getting in tight to the ditches!

iverjohnston

I'd want to fix my own one first! Its been working on the "total loss lubrication" method for the last year. ( this would be familiar to land-rover owners)

dharn

Muckit wrote: »

Well ....

Bad news..... big pool of oil under outside rotor gearbox. When I tied up
the inside rotor the outsde one can be moved around.

I'm hoping that the cogs are on a sleeve that is keyed into shaft, if it's just the key that has sheared mightn't be too bad. I don't think the cogs have sheared as its moving very smoothly.

I think that donut thing cushioned the shock going back to the shear bolt and that's why it didn't shear. Really I think there should be a separate shearbolt nearer the outside rotor to protect it. Anyway....

Didn't open the gearbox yet. Has anyone ever opened one of them?

Ya muckit yer in luck im an expert !! I have just been rippling my topper , I only recently realized my middle gearbox was bone dry, too late all the bearings destroyed in it, so ripped it, circlip type ring , needs to be levered out with flat blade screwdriver, this is a very thin 3/4 ring of steel that sits in a slot in front of the cover that the input shaft goes through, when this ring is removed the full shaft with the front plate hammers out from the back, the 3rd gearbox ie end one seems to have that ring on the end side opposite the input shaft, remember this ring is very hard to see at first,

iverjohnston

Muckit, if there was a shear bolt between the 2 gearboxes, every time it sheared there would be the possibility the 2 rotors would hit "end on", and probably blow up the topper.

dharn

Iver shear bolt is on input to 1st gearbox ,so they always stay in sinc

iverjohnston

on mine the only shear bolt is on the PTO shaft at the tractor end. Been the cause of more twisted hardy-spicer yolks than I care to remember. My one now sports a heavier shaft between the first 90 degree gearbox and the first rotor box, plus a Class slip clutch as well.

Muckit

Keyway

Muckit

Key

Muckit

Just got around to having a look at gearbox at weekend. Turns out that the top shaft is keyed ( as l had hoped! )

A €2 key plus seals and oil refill and all hunky dorey. €50 should see me right.

Comer gearbox is common on a lot of toppers so hopefully this info will help others that fall into similar difficulty down the road.

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions.

Muckit