Alamo FALCON 15/10 - Manual (Page 144)

MAINTENANCE
FALCON 15/10 03/09 Maintenance Section 5-8
© 2009 Alamo Group Inc.
MAINTENANCE
BLADE CARRIER REMOVAL
Remove cotter pin and loosen slotted nut on gear box shaft. Loosen but do not remove the nut until the blade
carrier is loosened. Use a suitable two-jaw gear puller to pull carrier off tapered gear box shaft. If gear puller is
not available use long bar inserted through blade bolt access hole with end against rotor bar. Strike opposite
end of bar with sledge hammer. Rotate blade carrier 180 degrees and repeat process.
BLADE CARRIER INSTALLATION
Clean the splines on both the blade carrier and output shaft. Position carrier on the gear box output shaft and
install flat washer and 1" hex nut. Tighten nut holding blade carrier to minimum 450 ft. pounds, strike the
carrier on the hub several times with a heavy hammer to seat the hub. Use a suitable spacer over the nut to
prevent damage to the nut and threads. Retighten the nut to 450 ft. pounds. Install and spread cotter pin.
NOTE: After a few hours of operation always recheck blade carrier retaining nut torque.
Avoid personal injury. Do not work under cutter without support blocks to keep frame from
falling.
Blades should always be replaced in pairs. Blades of different weights can cause serious
imbalance and damage to the machine and personnel. When replacing the blades, also
replace the blade bolt, nuts and washers. Once the nut has been removed from the blade
bolt, it will not fasten tightly on the bolt again. Never weld or modify the blades. The blades
are made of a high strength steel and heat treated to give maximum strength and resistance
to chipping and wear. Any welding or surfacing applied to the blades can severely reduce its
strength. A blade failure could result in a blade segment being thrown at high speeds out
from under the machine.
Spindle
Check the spindle to make sure it is properly
tight. To do this, grab the blade carrier and pull
outward and push inward. See Image Mnt-R-
0229. There should be no noticeable movement.
If the spindle is loose, refer to assembly and
disassembly of Spindle Housing on Section 5-17.
Nuts & Bolts
Most nuts and bolts on the Falcon will stay tight. However, operating over rough terrain can loosen the tightest
nut and bolt. If a nut or bolt became loose and failed to perform its function, a part of the machine could fail.
Check the following nuts and bolts for proper tightness each morning before start up.