PROVEN ADJUSTMENTS FOR OPTIMIZING TITAN & TITAN II COMBINES

by Duane K. Wallin

Platform

1.  In most dry cutting conditions, short or tall cutting, we have found very good results with the cutter bar set in the forward position.

2.  It is critical that the knife hold-downs are adjusted evenly, both fore and aft, as well as tight to the knife, within a match book cover thickness. This aids in faster and cleaner cutting.

3.  Best results in cutting, with a great reduction of "Flagging" can be achieved using the 13 ½ inch diameter sheave on the L.H. back shaft to drive the wobble instead of the normal 12 5/8" sheave. Again this aids in faster and cleaner cutting.

4.  Platform cross auger flighting opening should be cut back to a minimum of 48 inches on 8820's or 45 inches on 7720's. Widths up to 56 inches on 8820's and 50 inches on 772O's has been quite effective on better full width feeding to the separator. A power shut down will verify if the amount of flighting cut back is enough. A full compliment of auger fingers must be used.

5.  Platform floor strippers will greatly enhance smooth feeding at the platform cross auger. The material is forced under and in front of the platform cross auger. This stops any bunching or platform cross auger carry over. Better controlled feeding is the result.

6.  Problems with short crop feeding can be corrected by using corn head rubber paddles and the paddle mounting strips. They can be found in the parts catalog in the corn head cross auger section.

Threshing and Separation Area

1.  To gain all the threshing and separating capacity possible, the concave should be as tight as possible and the cylinder speed as slow as possible, for a given grain. This will also help provide less cracked grain. This becomes particularly important in irrigated wheat and barley with the exception of TAM 105 and possibly TAM 107, where the concave may be run as wide as number 6 on the concave sector.

 2.   As a "last" resort, snap-in concave filler strips can be used on extremely hard to thresh wheat. An increase in grain damage may be seen, as well as excessive chaff generation to the cleaning shoe and straw walker areas.

3.  When encountering higher than normal walker losses on a corn-soybean combine, the finger bar under the beater can be raised from the lowered position up above the raised position. The side flanges of the finger bar will rest on top of the top positioned bolts. Large washers should be used to clamp the side flanges of the finger bar to hold it in place.

 4.  Controlling walker loss can be adjusted with curtains and risers or fish backs. In heavy straw conditions the curtains should be removed and no risers should be added, other than those from the factory mounted on the 3rd step of the walkers. If conditions of walker loss still exist, a set of additional side risers should be installed. With this set, the top 4 inches of the top tooth of the riser should be cut off. They should be positioned with the front edge of the riser approximately 10 inches back from the front of the walkers. No curtains should be in place at this time.

 5.  Another possible solution for reducing walker loss, is to pull every other concave rod forward 10 inches and cut off. This will allow a higher percentage of separation to occur at the concave.

 6.  Experimenting is now being done with faster walker speeds. By taking off the production 49 tooth walker drive sprocket and installing a 45 tooth drive sprocket, a walker speed increase will be seen from 157-172 RPM. Walker durability at this speed is yet unknown. Do this only at your own risk.

 7.  Walker extension pans should be pulled out at the rear of the walkers, if so equipped. This can not be done on the two outside walkers if the combine is equipped with the Harvest-Trak grain loss monitor.

Cleaning Shoe

1.  The progressive method of adjusting the cleaning shoe is highly recommended. The basic theory of this method is to run as much air volume as possible through the fan speed, while regulating the air velocity with the chaffer opening. Grain test weight should be above 57 lbs. to use this method.

2.  The 1 5/8 inch chaffer, regular or deep tooth, are recommended to obtain the greatest shoe capacity. Starting points for adjustments are as follows:

                    1 5/8 inch regular chaffer should have the main body set at 7/8 inch open and the extension at 1 1/16 inch. The fan speed should fall between 950 to 960 RPM in wheat and even higher fan speeds in milo and corn. The 1 5/8 inch deep tooth chaffer should be set with the main body at 15/16" and the extension set at 1 1/4". The fan should be running at 930 to 940 RPM in wheat, and again even higher in milo and corn. If the 1 1/8" chaffer is used a fan speed 900 RPM should not be exceeded.

 3. The front of the sieve should be set in the lowered position except for rape or flax. This will give a heavier air blast at the front of the shoe and then taper to the rear of the chaffer.

4.  Caution should be used not to run with the sieve adjusted too tight. This will destroy any benefits of using the progressive shoe settings.

 5.  Shoe finger covers will not be needed in milo when using the progressive method of shoe settings. This will give 8 to 10 inches more length to the clearing shoe in milo. If needed, install the covers with the center sections cut out. Fan speeds in milo may reach as high as 1080 RPM.

6.  On Titan II grain machines, prior to mid 1986, the seal between the conveyor auger trough and the wire fingers at the front of the cleaning shoe MUST be installed to stop grain from falling into the cleaning fan housing.

 7. The progressive method of cleaning shoe adjustments should NOT be used on '83 and prior (serial 600,000 or below) unless the cleaning fan update bundle has been installed.