Help with whisper chipper maintainance

[treefmr]

I have removed the blades and have flipped the cutter bar to a new edge and the cutter bar is back in place, but I'm confused about the settings...

the manual says that the cutter bar "is set to 0.020" below the 12" bore of the chipper housing". Is the 0.020 below the drum (rotor)? If so, then the blade setting doesn't make sense ("... all blades [should] have 0.032" clearance from the cutter bar.") because then they would have to be recessed back behind the drum and of course that isn't right.

So what is the "chipper housing" that the cutter bar is supposed to be 0.020" below?

The only thing that I can figure is that it's the slightly bigger circle on each end of the drum/rotor... my manual calls it the bearing cover and shows one on each side of the drum.

Thanks for the help.

(one more question to follow in seperate post)

 

[ropensaddle]

I have removed the blades and have flipped the cutter bar to a new edge and the cutter bar is back in place, but I'm confused about the settings...

the manual says that the cutter bar "is set to 0.020" below the 12" bore of the chipper housing". Is the 0.020 below the drum (rotor)? If so, then the blade setting doesn't make sense ("... all blades [should] have 0.032" clearance from the cutter bar.") because then they would have to be recessed back behind the drum and of course that isn't right.

So what is the "chipper housing" that the cutter bar is supposed to be 0.020" below?

The only thing that I can figure is that it's the slightly bigger circle on each end of the drum/rotor... my manual calls it the bearing cover and shows one on each side of the drum.

Thanks for the help.

(one more question to follow in seperate post)

Look at the rotor then slide your eyes over to its housing you will see an edge machined into the cover on both sides. That raised edge is a guide for setting blades stick the blade on top the adjusters slide it into the cover on each side and you should see what I speak of! Set your blades height to that shoulder and tighten them down then set your cutter bar .020 to the blades or like me by
eyeball. After that has been done always double check the rotor turns without hitting the cutter bar because sometimes tightening
tweeks things a little


Ok also double check blade height I usually slide them side to side to the shoulder until they are both even with the sight edge. I learned this in the field but when you raise one adjuster it affects the other slightly so double checking is needed to ensure a true setting!

 

[treefmr]

Thanks so much for the help, but I'm still not following you. Here are some pictures of the drum/blade assembly... images #2 and #4 have white and blue lines on them to highlight a couple of the landmarks... can you somehow be a little more specific as to where that "raised machined edge" is located??? thanks
View attachment 101643
View attachment 101644
View attachment 101645
View attachment 101646

 

[ropensaddle]

Thanks so much for the help, but I'm still not following you. Here are some pictures of the drum/blade assembly... images #2 and #4 have white and blue lines on them to highlight a couple of the landmarks... can you somehow be a little more specific as to where that "raised machined edge" is located??? thanks
View attachment 101643
View attachment 101644
View attachment 101645
View attachment 101646

The white line in 4 is the bore adjust blades to it by sliding them and adjusting till they are even with the white line! The blades are In backwards I believe turn them around!

 

[ropensaddle]

you will need to lower the cutter bar first it is way too high drop it way down then set blades to the white line then adjust cutter bar .020 below blades snap a pic double check all setting as you go and make sure everything it torqued. Most use anti seize on the bolts to make it easier the next time! Post a pic after all that is done!

 

[treefmr]

Great...thanks.. that makes a whole lot more sense. I'll post after it's all done.

 

[treefmr]

Okay, here is one in.... see if I did it correctly
View attachment 101766

 

[ropensaddle]

Okay, here is one in.... see if I did it correctly
View attachment 101766

Looks better to me make sure the blades are not rubbing the cover and always go over torquing each bolt three times or so to make sure they're tight. get them all adjusted like that and then set cutter bar .020 and tighten torque the same three times then make sure the blades clear the cutter bar by hand turning rotor and you will have a mean machine!

 

[treefmr]

Great. Thanks

 

[ropensaddle]

No thanks necessary just post some pics of some nice chips when you get it going!

 

[treefmr]

Okay.. got it all back together, no big deal, just time....

Fired it up and got some chipping started... mostly small sweet gum branches, some over 3", and had just started some pine branches (more like 3" average) when it clogged again.

One observation is that it handles a bit differently than before... before it would yank the branch out of my hand and I did not experiance any kick backs... now it still will yank a small branch, but bigger branches tend to get sucked in for a few feet and then kick out - not really really hard, just back onto the feed deck. Was this because the blades were not set correctly? Not correctly set up now??

What about my chute (see attached picture)?... is it at the correct angle?? I thought that it (or the snout cover) might be such that it was impeding chip flow....View attachment 102107

It seems that it can handle short stuff (4' and under) and get all the chips out, but if you put a long, mediums size branch in - and it chips it all in one pass instead of kicking out the last 3' - then it can't get the chips out of the chute fast enough and they backup and clog????

Any other thoughts???

Thanks.

 

[ropensaddle]

Okay.. got it all back together, no big deal, just time....

Fired it up and got some chipping started... mostly small sweet gum branches, some over 3", and had just started some pine branches (more like 3" average) when it clogged again.

One observation is that it handles a bit differently than before... before it would yank the branch out of my hand and I did not experiance any kick backs... now it still will yank a small branch, but bigger branches tend to get sucked in for a few feet and then kick out - not really really hard, just back onto the feed deck. Was this because the blades were not set correctly? Not correctly set up now??

What about my chute (see attached picture)?... is it at the correct angle?? I thought that it (or the snout cover) might be such that it was impeding chip flow....View attachment 102107

It seems that it can handle short stuff (4' and under) and get all the chips out, but if you put a long, mediums size branch in - and it chips it all in one pass instead of kicking out the last 3' - then it can't get the chips out of the chute fast enough and they backup and clog????

Any other thoughts???

Thanks.

Blades should be good They will kick it back a little on long big stuff What is your wide open speed set on your tach? At first I thought it may not have a blower but I see the hose is attached. Its hard to tell in the pics but if the blower is in fact intact and operating you likely are running too low on wide open throttle in which case governor may not be kicking in soon enough. When you feed does the motor rev up some? It is a fine line getting it governed and correct engine speed. The blower will clean the chute out only if enough rpms are present to generate enough air flow.

 

[ropensaddle]

After looking at your picture again it seems the blower may in fact be missing it is hard to tell by the photo so is there a blower in the housing where your hose goes into the rotor shroud? The blower clears the chute out as rpms drop! Anyway check blower and adjust wide open to the limit in your manual I know secrets that can make that thing eat a twenty foot long limb in a second but I dont recommend it on someone else s machine.

 

[treefmr]

I'm not sure mine has a tach on it.... I'll have to look.

Yes, there is a blower fan in the housing and it is blowing air. Enough?? not sure how to tell.

Now, this might be part of the issue. There is a black knob by the ignition button on the motor that has a button in the middle and can be turned. I know that it has something to do with the governor, but honestly I don't know how or what I'm supposed to do with it??? Maybe I'm not using it properly. Do I screw it in when in use? Is the button in the middle the release??

 

[ropensaddle]

I'm not sure mine has a tach on it.... I'll have to look.

Yes, there is a blower fan in the housing and it is blowing air. Enough?? not sure how to tell.

Now, this might be part of the issue. There is a black knob by the ignition button on the motor that has a button in the middle and can be turned. I know that it has something to do with the governor, but honestly I don't know how or what I'm supposed to do with it??? Maybe I'm not using it properly. Do I screw it in when in use? Is the button in the middle the release??

Sounds like the throttle push the button and pull out the knob to wide open ! Take a pic of it if it is not the throttle ! Some have a screw down lock to keep throttle from backing off hope this helped?

 

[treefmr]

I believe you are right about it being the throttle... this one does screw... so I'll push the button and pull it all the way out while running and try that...

you know one problem is that the "manual" on this thing does not include any instructions on usage... it just has the schematics, parts lists, and instructions on how to change blades, etc....

 

[ropensaddle]

I believe you are right about it being the throttle... this one does screw... so I'll push the button and pull it all the way out while running and try that...

you know one problem is that the "manual" on this thing does not include any instructions on usage... it just has the schematics, parts lists, and instructions on how to change blades, etc....

Ehhhhhhhhhh you do know to feed it from the side of the chute right?

 

[treefmr]

yeah, you said that earlier

 

[treefmr]

Okay, here are pics of the blower (View attachment 102188).. one thing I have not done is to take off the black flexi pipe and check the bottom air pipe as it comes out of the blower fan - will do that soon - I have taken the pipe off with it running and the air is blowing out pretty good... also it is worth noting that the blower is powered by the lateral shaft of the drum which means that if the drum slows or is placed under a drag by a big branch the blower fan would also be slowed.

Also there are pics of the "controls" for the engine (View attachment 102187 and View attachment 102186 ) with labels...

 

[ropensaddle]

Okay, here are pics of the blower (View attachment 102188).. one thing I have not done is to take off the black flexi pipe and check the bottom air pipe as it comes out of the blower fan - will do that soon - I have taken the pipe off with it running and the air is blowing out pretty good... also it is worth noting that the blower is powered by the lateral shaft of the drum which means that if the drum slows or is placed under a drag by a big branch the blower fan would also be slowed.

Also there are pics of the "controls" for the engine (View attachment 102187 and View attachment 102186 ) with labels...

Did you try it again at full throttle and yes the blower is controlled by rotor speed which is why it needs to be at full throttle when chipping. Yest you have the control's labeled correctly!