L3 Straw Walkers Turn Very Hard
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=188017
Printed Date: 06 Oct 2025 at 6:20pm
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Topic: L3 Straw Walkers Turn Very Hard
Posted By: CrestonM
Subject: L3 Straw Walkers Turn Very Hard
Date Posted: 02 May 2022 at 2:32pm
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I haven’t been able to find a service manual for my L3 yet, and I’m 115 miles from my operator’s manual. I was under the impression that with the chains removed, one should be able to rotate the walkers easily by hand. With all my might I can’t turn the sprocket, unless I drape the chain over the teeth and really tug hard on the chain. Then they’ll start to turn. I don’t think they should be this tight. It looks like the previous owner put new wood blocks in, but I’m wondering if there should be shims to increase the clearance. Thanks! |
Replies:
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 02 May 2022 at 7:34pm
| I think you need to install the chain and not worry about it. Those walkers are 10 ft long and weigh 50 pounds each and there's five of them. If the blocks get hot, they're too tight. If you see the sides of the combine where the crank bearings are wobble, you have a bent crankshaft. That will make them operate hard. |
Posted By: MACK
Date Posted: 02 May 2022 at 8:54pm
| My guess is a bent crank. MACK |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 02 May 2022 at 9:22pm
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I'll have to rotate them and check for flex around the bearings. Thanks! How does a crank usually bend?
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Posted By: Adam Stratton
Date Posted: 02 May 2022 at 9:54pm
| Surely whoever changed blocks did it correctly but I have seen some (don't remember if it is an early vs late or corn special thing or what) some L series have a line where each block rides and the block has a groove to match, and some don't. Hopefully it wasn't mixed and matched incorrectly. If you're a skinny guy you can crawl in and look between the pan and the walkers and make sure there's nothing visibly wrong. I had our late L3 lock up this bean harvest and had the tin wear through on walkers where they just rubbed a little and caught them together. |
Posted By: MACK
Date Posted: 02 May 2022 at 9:54pm
| chopper plugs filling walkers with straw. MACK |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 02 May 2022 at 10:20pm
| Just so you know...I put new cranks in my F2 and the walls still move a small amount. I'd say they need to really move before you have a problem...my opinion...and yes you can make paper shims plus don't over tighten. Packing the walkers because the chopper plugged is called "baling". A real chore to dig out!!! |
Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 12:34pm
| One of the things I liked so much about the Gleaners of all the MH (I think 6 different MH2 and 1 MH)I ran never every plugged the walkers. The only time the buzzer went off for the walkers was some long mustard stick stuck and hitting the switch, which would of plugged if not cleaned out. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 12:37pm
| Green-stemmed soybeans + dull chopper knives = disaster !!! |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 1:27pm
Definately not worth trying to get by with the questionable dull knife. The time and aggravation/damage are NOT worth it!
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DrAllis wrote:Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 7:48pm
| And when this happens, it is always early in the season and the sun is shining and you're unplugging the rear end of the combine. |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 9:14pm
| I will have to post a photo of mine when I can get one, I think this is pretty ingenious. The previous owner removed all the rivets from the back square of sheet metal on the straw hood, and installed a piano style hinge at the top. Now that piece just swings up easy for access to the straw walkers. He had two combines that way. |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 9:18pm
So....the side walls just flop?
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Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 9:43pm
| No, everything is just as sturdy as it was, but that galvanized square sheet just hinges up. |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 11:07pm
| I re-read it .Removed rivets so framing still there. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 03 May 2022 at 11:28pm
| Have seen that done before. Always figured they didn't know how to set or operate a combine if they did that. Bent walkers cranks would be proof, wouldn't it ?? |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 04 May 2022 at 8:17am
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I would think so, Dr. It was a wheat/bean combine before I got it, so I don’t know what all it encountered. The owner seemed knowledgeable and honest, though. Only crops I’ll ever cut with it are wheat and maybe milo, so I doubt I’ll have the plugging issue. But as a kid I was taught to routinely scan for 3 things: grain coming in the bin, tailings through the return, and straw out the back. If you’ve got all 3, you’re good to go. |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 04 May 2022 at 10:04am
| .....any time you cut a green patch of anything keep an eye on the chopper till it's spewing dry stuff again. |