[Fhunter1]

Hello,

I recnetly picked up a 1978 446 and so far I am pleased with the performance. I am slowly workign through some bugs and trying to make everything like I want it to be. The latest is I put on the the Utility blade ( J54?) and I can get very little lift. I fabed up the lift bracket I found around here or the Yahoo forum, but it only lifts the blade about about 3 inches off the ground. Not enough to move around the yard and certainly not enought to use on my driveway this winter. I'll never get that over the "curb".

Any tricks to getting more lift on the blade? My lift "rod" is 24 1/2 inches long. Is that correct? I also see 2 "pivot" locations on the mule. How do I determine which is correct short of taking it apart and trying it?

Thanks for any insight.

Frank

 

[Hydriv]

Welcome to the group, Frank.

If you have a J-blade, then the lift arm will pass UNDER the front axle and you will need an adapter plate to bolt onto the standard bell-crank of the hydraulic lift so you can attach the arm to it. You indicate that you have some sort of plate on there but it may not be the correct one. Here at this site we have a Tech Library that is chock full of original manuals. Here is one of several in the Operator's Manual section under Utility Blades that may be of help and interest to you.

http://www.manuals.casecoltingersoll.co ... marked.pdf

Please read and review the contents of that manual as it pertains to your issue. If you have further questions, please ask away. I think that we also have a measured drawing of the OEM adapter plate in the Tech Library as well. One of our members will locate it and put the link in this thread.

 

[Bill.H]

Couldn't find it in the lbrary, but went back and dug up this thread.

BTW, when I hook mine up for working in the woods I need extra lift height. Easiest way to do that is to raise the blade all the way up and support it on something, then detach the lift bar from the plate. Lower the plate and reconnect the arm at the next hole. That gives me extra height yet still allows the blade to come all the way down.

 

[Fhunter1]

Thanks to all. The picture above is the lift plate I have fabbed up. Bill - The idea of lifting the blade up and indexing to a different hole is brilliant and so obvious I am a bit embarrassed. I'll give that a try tonight when I get home as I have more than enough down force so maybe I can find a better lift rod position to reduce down force and provide more lift...

Thansk again

 

[Fhunter1]

SO I played around with using alternate lift holes on my bracket to see if I could get more lift and less down force and I just can't seem to get it. I have tons of down force but almost no lift. Is there more than one length of lift arm? I figure an inch or 2 longer and my problem would be solved.... Seems strange the lift rod would be the incorrect length. Mine is about 24 1/2 inches and does show some wear. Is the lift rod the same for long and short wheel base 446s?

 

[Hydriv]

Yes. The arms are all the same regardless of year and model number. The extra 2" of wheelbase found in 400/4000 Series tractors was added behind the dash pedestal and forward of the seat pedestal. That means the bell crank for the implement lift is the same distance from the Snap Fast pins on all of the garden tractors. When you are measuring the distance the blade will lift off of the floor, are you taking that measurement when the blade is straight or on an angle? If you have the blade fully angled and are referring to the amount of lift on the angled side of the blade, that will always be close to the ground because these blades do not use parallel arm mechanisms.

 

[Fhunter1]

I am measuring with the blade straight and in the middle. I could fab up a new link rod as a last resort, but I am puzzled about why I am getting very little lift with the factory parts unless I have some incorrect parts for my blade. I looked again at the manual posted on line for the K54 and noticed the mule on my blade has 2 positions for blade mounting. Looking at the geometry that might help to move the blade to the upper hole, but not alot. Why would there be 2 sets of holes in the mule? FYI the blade is labeled as an Ingersoll not a Case, if that makes any difference.

 

[Donkman]

We talked about this before and have found at least 6 different adapter plates made! You should disconnect the arm, move the lift lever forward until it stops then see where you need a hole. Either drill a hole if there is room or make a new plate up! :smile:

 

[Donkman]

For your info. I went out and measured the arm on my 446 and its the same, 24-1/2 " My blade sits up about 8" with full lift.

 

[Hydriv]

I wonder if your HyLift is damaged. You need to crawl under your tractor with a trouble light and inspect the crossbar that anchors the cylinder. Perhaps the problem is that you are not getting the proper rotation of the bell crank.

 

[Fhunter1]

Best that I cna tell there is no damage underneath and the hydralift is working properly. I did notice many of the pivot points on the plow are worn and loose particularly when it mounts to the "Mule" the pivot pins and slots. I'll pull it apart on the weekend and see what I am working with.

I put the blad eup on blocks to about 8 inches and them ran the lift "up" lined up the lift rod to a hole in the adpator bracket. Once I pull the blocks it drops 5 inches or so. My guess is everything is worn in the blade mount. So once I pull it down I can figure out hte next step(s).

Keep the good ideas coming. I think I'll need to bush some of the pivots to get everything back to where it should be...