Help timing a baler

[jomifo]

Hello-

I'm new to balers and have recently obtained an old IH 420 baler. I had to replace the knotter drive chain and as a result have to time the baler. I have the operator's manual, but it lacks detail and can't seem to get things quite right. The manual states,

Rotate the flywheel in the normal direction of rotation to move the plunger to the rear and release the needles until the needles enter the bale chamber just after the pluger face extensions pass the point where the needle tips enter.

I have set the needles and plunger according to the manual and attached picture. My assumption was that the needles and plunger should be set-up this way when the plunger is LEAVING the bale chamber, but when I do this there isn't enough time for the needles to go back down before the plunger comes back. My questions are-

1. Is the needles and plunger supposed to be set-up like the attached picture when the plunger is going INTO the chamber (during compression) rather than leaving like I have done? The thought being this would give it more time so that the needles would be fully out of the chamber when the plunger comes back for the next stroke. Or
2. Is there some other settings that needs to be done to get the needles to retract "faster"?

Thanks much.
Joe

 

[zzvyb6]

Study this video carefully. All square bale systems use a process like this. I recommend that you roll the knotting cycle over very slowly on your baler to insure that the timing is satisfactory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoB_1meRa9A

 

[Tx Jim]

Plungerhead needs to be on a hay compression stroke IE traveling toward rear of bale case when timing needles to PH.

 

[jomifo]

zzvyb6- excellent video.. thank you. It confirms I was doing things wrong and also confirms what Tx Jim says as well. Thank you both. Will try again with this info.

 

[CDennyRun]

Study this video carefully. All square bale systems use a process like this. I recommend that you roll the knotting cycle over very slowly on your baler to insure that the timing is satisfactory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoB_1meRa9A

That's an excellent video! Thanks for posting.

 

[leeave96]

If it's anything like my New Holland, the plunger has slots in the plunger face that the needles, when fully pushed into the baler, delivering twine to the knotters, pass through when the plunger is mashing the hay. If the baler is in time, the needles cannot hit the plunger, but pass through these slots. So on my NH, you set the needles so the tips of them are just entering the bale chamber as the plunger passes by them on the compression stroke by maybe 3/4 inch. The needles never pierce the bale like you'd think, the plunger holds the hay off of them.

 

[Tx Jim]

If it's anything like my New Holland, the plunger has slots in the plunger face that the needles, when fully pushed into the baler, delivering twine to the knotters, pass through when the plunger is mashing the hay. If the baler is in time, the needles cannot hit the plunger, but pass through these slots.

All sq balers that I have seen have slots in PH for needles to pass through. PH doesn't break/bend needles when timing is off but hay that PH is pushing blocking access to slots in PH does the damage IF PH stop is inoperable.