IH 120 disc harrow bushing question

[Board shortener Tom]

Hello folks!

I've got a manual for my disc coming Thursday but I am hoping someone here can enlighten me on the bushings that hold the gangs to the mounts. These have not been greased in a long time from what I can tell. There is a 1/4" of slop, up and down, where the gang goes through the "bushing retainers." I have no idea what the proper name for these pieces are. Anyhow, what is inside of these as far as a bushing is concerned? Does this thing just get filled with grease and that is the bushing? I'm just hoping to get a head start on any repairs before the manual gets here.

Thank you!

 

[workinonit]

That's the bearing. Typically, it has a grease fitting. I've never looked at my 140 disc but I will now.

 

[Board shortener Tom]

That's the bearing. Typically, it has a grease fitting. I've never looked at my 140 disc but I will now.

Thanks workinonit. There are grease fittings on all of these that I have noticed. So just pump it full of grease and it's good to go?

 

[workinonit]

I don't think that cavity is as large and open as you imagine it to be but yes I grease mine until some starts to seep out. That also helps to keep dirt out.

 

[Super A]

IH called them "grey iron bearings." Basically a cast iron sleeve that rotates inside the bearing shell. Most if not all the parts are NLA from caseIH. Those don't look awful, I'd grease them good, and regularly, and run them.

My dad has a 6' 120 with those bearings and they are worn completely out. I have the IH parts lying around to convert it to ball bearings, which were optional on these disks. One day I'll get around to it!

Al

 

[Board shortener Tom]

Thanks guys! Sometimes I just scratch my head at how things in agriculture equipment are so much different than automotive and manufacturing. Often agricultural stuff is actually designed to be serviced by the people who use the equipment. It's definitely not that way anywhere else I've had experience in.

 

[staninlowerAL]

Here's a link to a topic similar to your question on the FARMALL CUB forum: https://farmallcub.com/community/threads/help-with-a-disc-harrow.118088/
I've disassembled several of these old discs over the years and found that the design is basically the same. The main problem that I've found is there is nothing to keep the soil out of the bushing so as it mixes with the grease it just wears out. I've never tried the ball bearing conversion but I'm sure it is an improvement at least until the seal fails then it has to be disassembled and replaced. A big problem is the grease fittings and passages get plugged and then ignored when greasing. Getting them cleaned out to accept grease usually requires some disassembly. JMHO Stan

 

[Super A]

Here's a link to a topic similar to your question on the FARMALL CUB forum: https://farmallcub.com/community/threads/help-with-a-disc-harrow.118088/
I've disassembled several of these old discs over the years and found that the design is basically the same. The main problem that I've found is there is nothing to keep the soil out of the bushing so as it mixes with the grease it just wears out. I've never tried the ball bearing conversion but I'm sure it is an improvement at least until the seal fails then it has to be disassembled and replaced. A big problem is the grease fittings and passages get plugged and then ignored when greasing. Getting them cleaned out to accept grease usually requires some disassembly. JMHO Stan

The trick to any disk bearing lasting is frequent greasing and not dragging the bearing in the dirt.

Daddy bought a brand new IH 424, 309A plow, and 6' 120 disk. The disk has those old grey iron bearings. He's told me several times that the 424 was the first tractor they'd had that could really "boss its implements around." It could drag that disk up our sandy hills buried to the axle---and past it. That kills a disk bearing.

The ball bearings they sell for these disks are the same from the 60s through now. They are widely available through caseIH and aftermarket. When one fails you take the gang apart, and remove three bolts and replace the whole thing in one piece--flange and all.

Al

 

[Board shortener Tom]

Thanks Stan and thanks Super A! I was thinking I should take them apart to at least clean them out. I've got time since nothing will be getting turned up until this fall.

 

[Board shortener Tom]

Today I removed a gang and the bearings look quite nice. They had a coating of hard grease in them yet. I'm guessing this disc hasn't been used in a long time and just sat somewhere. I scraped out the hard grease, cleaned them up in the parts washer, gave them a quick sand blast and primed the inside. Tomorrow I will install them and do the same thing for the rest of the gangs. I didn't realize there was a gasket on each bearing so I had my wife use her laser to cut some out for me from gasket material I had lying around. She's a wizard on that machine so now I've got more ideas!