# New Holland 479 haybine - reel chain tightening



## Dave5264 (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi Folks, i have an older new holland 479 (just got it). It needs the reel chain to be snugged up a bit. I have the manual, It refers to an eccentric plate on the inside of the Bine near the top right of the Rolers, which I have successfully located.

My Question is, once I loosen the bolt, anyone know which way I turn this plate to tighten the chain. My eccentric plate is moved clockwise from where it is shown in the operators manual, so Im wondering if im out of adjustment.

thanks for any help


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Curious if you figured this out. I have a 479, but have never had to adjust this. Please let me know how it worked out and if it made a difference. TIA.


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## Dave5264 (Mar 31, 2010)

will have a look this weekend, I figure ill remove the bolt and just play with it, see what i get..

will let you know


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks Dave


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## leenertshay (Mar 17, 2010)

Its been a while sense I have had to do it but i believe it is clockwise to tighten. I also remember it being a big pain to get it to move.


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## Dave5264 (Mar 31, 2010)

Yep, it was a breeze, loosen the bolt, used a hammer to tap it clockwise, moved fairly readily.

ran the chain and sprokets througha few cycles and checked the tension again.

Snugged up the bolt...all done.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Does the info above also hold true to a 478? My wife was mowing hay Tuesday and the chain that drives the reel jumped off. I told her it looked very slack before she started. This is the chain on the right side where the door lifts up. I put a new chain on with the correct number of links and it liked about an 1/8" coming close together enough to get the master link in so I put a half link but that gave almost as much slack as the worn out original chain. I'm having a hard time seeing any adjustment for the slack. I'd like to get rid of the half link.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Just me, but I'd have to add an spring loaded idler to that.


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## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

In that picture. There looks to be a tread rod at the bottom. Looks like that might be what you tighten. I'm just looking at the picture so I could be wrong. Looks like if you turn that treaded piece, your big sprocket will rotate back to tighten the chain. The more I look at that, looks like washers or spacers? Maybe not treaded? Just taking a stab at it.


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

The 478 tightens the same way as the 479, 469, 488, 477, 472. Rotate the plate clockwise. Loosen or remove the bolt and rotate the plate down.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

mike10 said:


> The 478 tightens the same way as the 479, 469, 488, 477, 472. Rotate the plate clockwise. Loosen or remove the bolt and rotate the plate down.


Thanks Mike. This is great. She just told the reel looked like it loping or hesitating at times. I'll save the pdf in our New Holland folder.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

mlappin said:


> Just me, but I'd have to add an spring loaded idler to that.


Thats SOP for me. I dislike any tension adjustment on anything other than a spring loaded tensioner arm with an appropriate idler or plastic slipper shoe, reason being, manufacturing tolerances allow most sprocket to sprocket drives to run a bit eccentric so correct tension at one point may be too much tension at another. A spring loaded idler removes that situation with constant tension irregardless of sprocket runout.

Don't forget to lubricate that chain as well, White grease in a spray can on a warm (used chain) is great. Better than the advised motor oil.

Finally, if a chain stretched to the maximum allowable adjustment, chances are the sprocket teeth are shot as well. replace the chain as well as the sprockets. Easy to tell if a sprocket(s) are shot. If the teeth come to a sharp point or are hooked over, the sprocket is shot.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

I might add that a spring loaded constant tension idler will remove all the reel 'snatch' associated with an out of adjustment chain. The idler compensates instantly and removes the slop which causes the 'snatch'.


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