What slippery prod to put on screw thingie on trac

rox · Jan 29, 2006

My husband and I are still learning about the equipment that cmae on the farm. I jsut helped my huband for the first time put on the big huge rototiller on the 3ph. Man was that scarey!!! He had to stand between the tractor and the rototiller while I slowly backe upt he tractor. He has put on the rototiller himself befroe and it takes him a couple of hours.

Bear with me because I don't knwo the right names for everything. After the rototiller is hooked up to the 3ph there is a long metal brace type thing. In the middle of the brace is a screw. this brace thing is under the tractor sorta near the tires, and goes back towards the rototiller

My husband says after he hooks up the tiller to the 3ph he has to tighten that brace thing by tighting up the screw, the tiller needs to travel tightly, so in other words he is removing the sway.

One of the screw things is H*ck to turn! He has been putting WD40 on it and I wonder if that is the right product? What slippery oil/grease type product should we put on that screw and it is a real long screw, you basically turn a nut to tighteng up the sway. What shoudl we put on the screw so the nut will turn better.

I don't think WD40 is right becasue I think it wears out after a while. I so much do not like the 3ph equipment. We ahve to much put it on take it off type work. We till and we spray. I totally understand the person who wrote on this forum a tractor for every implement! Yes I can see that! We basically jsut need one more tractor. We have a little tractor that has a wagon like thing on the 3PH, and we use that to move around in when we throw out fertilizer by each tree and moving brush and things.

The sprayers are monsters, big huge things, then there are 2 different ones, so between the sprayers and the rototiller getting the equipment on and off is a PIA!!! A tractor for every implement is the way to go, or a Toolcat....

Got diverted, qustion is what to put on that screw. Thanks to all....

JerryG · Jan 29, 2006

WD40 will work, but I prefer PB Blaster. I quit using WD40 about two years ago and will never look back. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

shvl73 · Jan 29, 2006

Please be careful, standing between the attachment and a moving tractor sounds a bit dangerous.
I'll add my vote for PB Blaster if it can be found over there.

SnoFalls · Jan 29, 2006

If it were me ...

Stop using the "penetrating oils" (aka wd40).

Ensure the threads are clean of *all* corrosion first, then slather some thick grease that will stick (e.g. a few squirts from a grease gun rubbed in).

Penetrating oils (and yes pb blaster is all I use in that category any more), are NOT a lubricant. They are made to get rusty stuff apart. They can also "clean" the protective grease off of stuff so it just corrodes easier /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

A clean surface, well oiled/greased, can take the elements for quite a while. The grease/oil is necessary to keep the metal surface from air/water to it's surface (theerby causing the corrosion).

automech · Jan 29, 2006

I vote for pb also but wd40 is better than nuthin. Take it all the way apart, clean the threads shiney with a wire wheel or brush and lube with Never Seeze/ then reassemble. You will never have to lube it again. Don't hurt yourselves hooking up.

beenthere · Jan 29, 2006

A real good cleaning (take them apart and wire brush) is likely what it will take, with some grease when re-assembling.

midlf · Jan 29, 2006

As stated by others, and as you have found out, WD40 is not a lubricant. It is best for Water Displacement. Illusions of lubrication are temporary. As stated, clean the threads, WD40 can help with that, using a wire brush and then grease with a light grease. To be effective this will have to be cleaned and regreased occasionally.

Please figure out a way to attach your implements without standing between them and the tractor while backing up the tractor.

ToadHill · Jan 29, 2006

The "thing" you are talking about is called a toplink. When I've had toplinks that get hard to work I take them to a vice and use a pipe wrench to take them apart. Then wire brush the threads, using pb blaster to clean them. Then a good coat of grease on all the threads. I found if you do this once a year they stay easy to adjust. If it gets to the point that the threads are destroyed, they sell them at Traactor Supply for under $20 for a catagory 1 link.

ronjhall · Jan 30, 2006

<font color="blue"> The "thing" you are talking about is called a toplink. </font>
I do not think that is what she is talking about. She is talking about the stabilizers to stop sway. Here is a drawing that shows the different parts of a 3PH. Click Here Items 7 is Top Link. Item 27 is sway control (one on each side). Item 8 is tilt control.