Gleaner L2 head feeding troublle

I know it has been discussed a lot but I have had an 82 L2 with 318 head and I am having feeding trouble.

The combine is a beast and I have it tuned well but ever since we have had it I have had trouble feeding beans. It wants to slug and plug the feeder beater. I have all eight springs in the clutch and adjusted between 1/4 and 5/16" as the book says

It does well in good dry beans but two days ago we had a good dry day and no dew over night. Rain was in the forecast the next night so I took a vacation day to cut beans. It was overcast all day and The beans were 11% but the stems and pods had some moisture in them and would build up on the cutterbar and slug the feeder beater. It wasn't bad on the outside rounds but in the taller beans in the middle they would be so heavy I couldn't clean it out without dropping the header

Problem is the neighbor has been helping with his 1620 and 15' head because he would rather run his than our F2. He was able to run while I sat plugged up. I rode with him a couple round while he was cutting and the beans just fell in nice and even. I know if my head would feed like his I would have been walking right along beside him.

I have been looking at R52's but if the heads don't feed any better than I think I'm going to a 1680. I think the gleaner is a superior combine but if the heads won't feed it doesn't matter. I am so discouraged. It was embarrising having a bigger combine and sitting watching with the landlord while the help kept running.

I'm going to get some 3" suction pipe this week and bolt it behind the sickle. I have belt paddles bolted to the reel does anyone have any other suggestions. I'm so disgusted that I'm thinking of going red.

Edited by wekracer - 04 Oct 2017 at 10:03pm

First thing, cylinder bars. If cylinder bars are worn, beater will over feed cylinder. Next cylinder belt, if it is worn out, it slows cylinder while beater over feeds cylinder.
Fighting on header auger. Use a square on fighting. It should lean toward center of head. Is auger as low as it will go without hitting bottom of pan? Is it as far back as possible with out hitting back stripper? Is feederbeater up as far as possible?
If it is a full range cylinder speed, take torque sincere apart and clean up then grease it good. Grease fitting on outer dial. Of shelve.    
Most likely the beater is not the problem.    MACK

the suction hose helps - it is an old Deere trick used in Ar. tuff conditions. Most important feeding issue on 300 heads is to get the reel back as close to the auger as possible. We used to run them with the tines almost ticking the auger flighting.

Not your beaters problem. Like others have already said, your reel needs to assist beans into cross auger. If your reel is already set back to cross auger, then from the cab adjust it's proper height & speed?
This may seem against your better judgement, but try lowering your reel all the way in its down position(but not running in the dirt), then match its speed to what speed your sickle can cleanly cut.
Reel should cleanly sweep across cutter bar also.
Too high of a reel setting will tip plants into head, but will not force them into cross auger.

And gloves. Use with the combine not the wife.

Are the beans piling up at the cutter bar? If they pile up there and then come back as a slug, then you will have problems. As others have said, the suction hose bolted behind the cutterr bar help. We also added a Crary Wind System. It blows the soybeans back into the auger. After the problems I had earlier, it is really nice to have a smooth flow of soybeans in to the header.

I also have a 318 head on a L3, it does not feed good either. Dad has a older M2 that feeds much better. If I could figure how to make the header control work I would put a green head on it

Feeder beater has to be UP ALL THE WAY.  Reel has to be back as far as possible and fingers slightly tipped rearward. 3 inch hose will help. Short beans are your enemy. We used to bolt a mud flap to one reel bat over each row to give the beans a push.

Thanks for the input, I think I'm going to get some 3" hose, and give that a try.  if it works I'm due for feather sheets and I will look into getting raised sheets.  I guess if nobody makes them anymore I will look into having some bent.  I am also running the reel paddles that shoupe sells.  they work pretty good but weren't helping much that day. 

I still have my 2 1440's for sale. very seldom any clump problems

You'll also have to move the reel forward to clear the auger after this change.

Why don't you spend an hour and move the auger clear forward and up 3/4" inch or more??  You might be surprised what that will do in soybeans.

The 900 series are a good head. 920-922 and ect. They are a simple head underneath. Don't have all the ball joints to ware out and brake. Just a much better head than Gleaner, and I have rebuilt a lot of Gleaner heads. MACK

So what does 3 inch suction hose do for feeding? I've never heard of doing that.

OK, I picked up a piece of 3" suction hose and have a dozen 1 bolt clamps.  I plan on putting one every 18"-2' and bolting it to guard bolts.  my question is how to set the reel afterward.  do I just raise it up or movie it forward and down.  if it's the latter I think It would pick up laid over beans better but I can see where that might hurt the feeding as well.  thanks in advance.