Diameter of Hold Up Rod for sicklebar

[DickB]

Due to homemade adaptations, my sicklebar has a larger than normal hod out rod (1" sq. steel tubing) that the hold up rod slides on. Tim makes the rods but his won't work...I've emailed him on this. So I've got to make a hold up rod from scratch. The holes in the bar will take 1/2" dia. rod, but 3/8" might be easier to get in and out, and perhaps the 3/8" rod will twist and bend if not large and robust enough. What diameter is the IH hold up rod?

And, Home Big Box sells rods 3' and 4' -- do I need the 4 footer to be on the safe side? Could of course go out to barn and measure this, but it is early and I'm on the 1st coffee of the day.... If there's some good photos of the hold up rod, that'd be appreciated as a bit of guidance on the bending beforehand cannot hurt.

Will probably make up, as well, a nut in a holder or a thicker chunk of metal with a tapped threaded hole for holding the sicklebar in place. I had seen, on some older post, that IH-Case sells (or sold, once upon a time) a cast handle which looked nice. Does anyone know it's availability, code number, Forum link to this, and (that dream breaker) the price?

[Peter Person]

Dick,
Here's a photo with dimensions of the IH Crank Handle Nut;

[tst]

the factory rod is 7/16"

[DickB]

Picked up the sole 7/16" x 4' rod. So, on to it. Anyone with a photo showing shape of the rod?

[Slim140]

Picked up the sole 7/16" x 4' rod. So, on to it. Anyone with a photo showing shape of the rod?

Here's some photos from TM Tractor, you can see the shape of the rod in them.
http://www.tmtractor.com/tm-tractor/gim/cub22_001.htm

[Bob McCarty]

PM sent.

[DickB]

Picked up the sole 7/16" x 4' rod. So, on to it. Anyone with a photo showing shape of the rod?

Here's some photos from TM Tractor, you can see the shape of the rod in them.
http://www.tmtractor.com/tm-tractor/gim/cub22_001.htm

Very helpful. Thank you, Shane.

[Glen]

Hi,
The rod has a bend at the bottom end, above the loop, and a bend and a twist at the top end, so it will go through the cutter bar.

The top end has an area where the metal was evidently originally heated and made into a tapered, or flare shape, so the end of the rod goes through the cutter bar a certain distance.
You will probably need to weld something on the rod in the right place, to act as a stop.
The rod sticking out from the flare, with the threads is 1 9/16" long. The threads don't go the full length of that.
You can see the shape of the rod in the TM Tractor pics.

I don't know if Bob told you the length of the rod or not. Mine measures 24 7/8" from the top of the hole in the loop, to the outer end of the threads.
The MA 487 nut with crank handle for it was not available from Case IH when I asked some time ago.
Below are pics of a rod.

[Bob McCarty]

Glen, I had sent info about the crank nut. On the threaded end, I've addressed that by either having a carriage bolt welded on, or threading on a washer and filling in behind it.

[DickB]

Really nice info, Glen. Many thanks. I'll soon be on to it.

[Glen]

Hi,
The 24 7/8" is measuring over the top side of the rod.