Need to find out how to dismantle scraper blade pivot from hitch unit

[plumber mechanic]

I have a used scraper blade that I got for my Kubota some time ago. I currently have the blade disassembled from the 3 point hitch portion of the scraper for re-painting. I noticed shortly after I bought it that the blade was uneven and it appears that the pivot shaft must be bent. There isn't an exposed shaft with nut or bolts. Can anyone tell me how to get things apart to see if I can try to straighten the shaft? See pictures below.

 

[ruger1980]

Looks like they welded it together rather than bolting or coupling it somehow. I suspect they welded it crooked.

 

[nbryan]

It appears you'll need to cut off the blade mounting bracket at the weld with the rotating pipe. My only experience is with acetylene cutting torches, which I'd try and use to burn away the weld downward with a vertically held torch nozzle. Hopefully the pipe would survive the torching.

 

[plumber mechanic]

Looks like they welded it together rather than bolting or coupling it somehow. I suspect they welded it crooked.

Thanks for responding....just to make sure we are on the same page. My photo may not be the best as it looks like the vertical tube going up to the top flat plate is welded to the bottom triangle plate . However, that tube fits out over and swivels over the tube that is welded. I've been searching online for hours regarding this and I found a very old post on "tractor talks" that mentions what sounds like could be the same scraper as mine. It mentioned turning the top flat plate to a right angle from the blade and it should come apart. Not sure this is the same scenario as mine. I tried turning plate to a right angle, but nothing wanted to give. Before I go beating things up with a heavy hammer I would like to find out for sure if this is the way it comes apart.

 

[chim]

I can't see how turning the top plate is possible. Unless I'm missing something, the top plate is welded to the inner pipe which is then welded to the blade mounting plate.

Is there vertical movement between the inner and outer pipes? I'm thinking it would be helpful if the outer pipe could be held up enough to allow better access to remove the bottom weld (inner pipe to blade mount). Depending on the penetration, even after removing that weld the blade mount could still be pretty stuck on.

Even if you can remove enough of that weld, that wouldn't free the parts until the bottom end of the inner pipe gets cleaned up so the blade mount can be slid off.

One scenario may be to completely cut the inner pipe off of the blade mount so you can remove the pipe stub inside the blade mount and clean it all up.

What keeps the outer pipe from riding on the weld where the inner pipe and blade mount?

 

[nbryan]

The visible vertical pipe encloses a slightly smaller pipe. The smaller pipe is welded to the bottom of the upper adjuster plate (not visible in photos), and can turn inside the outer pipe for angle adjustment.

The blade-mounting bracket below has the inner smaller pipe passing through a hole its top plate and looks to be welded around from the top to the blade bracket.

It's that weld I would torch off from above, then grind clean the smaller pipe so it can pull upward out of the larger pipe.

 

[plumber mechanic]

The visible vertical pipe encloses a slightly smaller pipe. The smaller pipe is welded to the bottom of the upper adjuster plate (not visible in photos), and can turn inside the outer pipe for angle adjustment.

The blade-mounting bracket below has the inner smaller pipe passing through a hole its top plate and looks to be welded around from the top to the blade bracket.

It's that weld I would torch off from above, then grind clean the smaller pipe so it can pull upward out of the larger pipe.

Got it...it all makes sense now. Thanks so much for your help.

 

[NCL4701]

My blade isn’t precisely the same as yours, but construction is the same. Our then neighbor bought it new from Leinbach in the early to mid 1960’s. He ran it behind a 100+ HP tractor and bent it when he caught a big rock while grading a road. He sold it to my father and got a blade more appropriate to his tractor.

That’s the story I’ve been told. I hadn’t arrived when he bent it. As you can see in the pic, the frame is tilted slightly down on the right; the blade is tilted much more aggressively down on the right.

It still swivels fine except if you want to turn it backward one direction works and the other direction it hits the frame. I started using it 50 years ago. Inherited it when Dad passed in 2022. The frame is bent but not by so much that the 3 point won’t still adjust it wherever it needs to go. It’s just that the lift arms aren’t even when the blade is level, which is totally irrelevant to performance.

The point of all that:

1. If it still rotates freely, you’ve almost certainly got more problems than just the tube. Most likely the frame is bent. Hard to tell with the blade off and the frame sitting on the ground. If the blade rotates freely and the frame is bent, cutting the rotator assembly apart isn’t going to help. Straightening the frame, you’d have to tie down one end and twist the other. Not sure how you’d do that.
2. If it’s straight enough that your 3 point has enough adjustment to level it and tilt it, AND it rotates fully and freely, other than aesthetics I don’t know why you would straighten it.
3. If it doesn’t rotate, you have a problem in the rotator assembly and cutting it apart is likely appropriate. If it doesn’t rotate, it’s useless as is so even if your efforts destroy it, you haven’t made it worse. But if it rotates, it’s not making sense why you’d cut the rotator assembly apart to straighten a bent frame.

 

[plumber mechanic]

View attachment 156767
My blade isn’t precisely the same as yours, but construction is the same. Our then neighbor bought it new from Leinbach in the early to mid 1960’s. He ran it behind a 100+ HP tractor and bent it when he caught a big rock while grading a road. He sold it to my father and got a blade more appropriate to his tractor.

That’s the story I’ve been told. I hadn’t arrived when he bent it. As you can see in the pic, the frame is tilted slightly down on the right; the blade is tilted much more aggressively down on the right.

It still swivels fine except if you want to turn it backward one direction works and the other direction it hits the frame. I started using it 50 years ago. Inherited it when Dad passed in 2022. The frame is bent but not by so much that the 3 point won’t still adjust it wherever it needs to go. It’s just that the lift arms aren’t even when the blade is level, which is totally irrelevant to performance.

The point of all that:

1. If it still rotates freely, you’ve almost certainly got more problems than just the tube. Most likely the frame is bent. Hard to tell with the blade off and the frame sitting on the ground. If the blade rotates freely and the frame is bent, cutting the rotator assembly apart isn’t going to help. Straightening the frame, you’d have to tie down one end and twist the other. Not sure how you’d do that.
2. If it’s straight enough that your 3 point has enough adjustment to level it and tilt it, AND it rotates fully and freely, other than aesthetics I don’t know why you would straighten it.
3. If it doesn’t rotate, you have a problem in the rotator assembly and cutting it apart is likely appropriate. If it doesn’t rotate, it’s useless as is so even if your efforts destroy it, you haven’t made it worse. But if it rotates, it’s not making sense why you’d cut the rotator assembly apart to straighten a bent frame.

Hey thanks for the reply. I far as I can tell I have the same unit (Leinbach) as you. And yes if I adjust the 3 pt lift arm I can get it to be level (and it does swivel). As a matter of fact it tilts to the right and about the same angle as yours in the photo. pretty coincidental it makes a person wonder if they were made that way...LOL. I think I will let good enough alone and leave it the way it is. Thanks again and have a great evening.

 

[NCL4701]

As a matter of fact it tilts to the right and about the same angle as yours in the photo. pretty coincidental it makes a person wonder if they were made that way...LOL.

Could be they were made that way! In the past few years I’ve found out many of the stories my Dad told me were tall tales or “based on a true story”.