Sickle section rivets

[Solo]

I was looking at sickle section rivets today at TSC. I don't understand the way they are sized on the package. They are marked 9/16 - 5-1/2. I can see they are 9/16" long but what does the 5-1/2 indicate? Is it diameter of the head, the shank or what? Just curious.

Solo

 

[zzvyb6]

Ah yes: the #5 - 1/2 rivet is .211 inches in diameter.

But you were in the wrong section: Go to BOLTS & NUTS when replacing sections !

 

[Solo]

How does 5-1/2 relate to .211" ? I'm looking for rivets for my Gravely sickle mower. They are 5/8" long by 3/16" (.187) diameter. What # rivet does that translate to?

Solo

 

[zzvyb6]

Parts and Diagrams for Troy-Bilt 34064 5HP-42" ELEC. (S/N 340640200101-340640199999)

 

[Solo]

I thought about switching over to nuts and bolts, but I just bought a new rivet tool. Smith Tool - R3030 Rivet Tool Maybe next year I'll switch.
Do you have one of the Troy Built mowers?

Solo

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I thought about switching over to nuts and bolts, but I just bought a new rivet tool. Smith Tool - R3030 Rivet Tool Maybe next year I'll switch.
Do you have one of the Troy Built mowers?

Solo

I've got one, and a John Deere issue version of the same. They work OK, but are EXTREMELY slow when doing an entire bar. They are handy for in-the-field repairs without removing the section bar. Best/fastest/simplest way to do an entire bar, off the mower, is a good heavy anvil and a 4 lb hammer to shear the old rivits, a nail set to punch out any old rivets that don't fall out, then the same anvil and a good heavy ball peen hammer to re-set the rivits. With 37 years to practice, I've got fairly quick at changing sections that way. I can remove and replace sections on a 7' bar in about 1/2hour. Bolts make in-the-field section repairs easy, but all things being equal, I'd rather do rivits still.

 

[zzvyb6]

Rivets are fast if you do preventive maintenance before the first cutting. I use my large vise to blast (shear) the rivets. Park the knife in the vise with the bar laying across the jaws. Blast with hammer. 2 points if you score both rivets with one hit.

However, that being said, my mower stores a 2nd bar in the frame cross tube. When a skip starts in the field, I either change the knife on the fly if cutting in daylight, or change the bar if dusk (mosquito issue). This means keeping your header, shoes and hold-downs straight and level so the bar slides out easily.

I changed over both bars one day five years back. Its not that hard but if the holes are oblonged from loose rivets, the bolt splines won't bite. Use a peen hammer to tighten them. I use a battery impact to get the nuts close. but torque by hand, else the impact might shear a few off (PITA).

 

[milkman]

Rivets are fast if you do preventive maintenance before the first cutting. I use my large vise to blast (shear) the rivets. Park the knife in the vise with the bar laying across the jaws. Blast with hammer. 2 points if you score both rivets with one hit..

When I was a kid, that was my job to hold and slide the sickle bar through the jaws of the vise as dad blasted the rivets with the hammer, didn't take long to learn to keep the bar level with the jaws of the vise. A couple of good stings and I caught on real quick. Bam Bam, just about as fast as I could slide it through, he's have the sections flying. Of course we had safety glasses on back then.