Ask the Mechanic

Steve Thompson, Contributing Columnist

READER: I have a John Deere 3032E with a John Deere 305 loader that I have used since purchasing in 2007. I took the loader off a month or so ago because I wanted to do a bunch of tilling, and I can see better with the loader removed. The 305 loader is not a "quick tach" like the newer models; it is a "slow tach."

My question seems simple on the surface, but my problem is that I am having a difficult time getting the pins to line up with the holes where the cylinder and arms fit on the main frame. I got one to go easily, but I have had trouble with the others. I have loosened all the mounting bolts and loader braces, but I can't get them to align. What could be the problem?

STEVE: Believe it or not, your problem has been a problem for many of us who have had "old-school" loaders on a tractor. Many older loaders had pins that were the same diameter for their full length, usually with a cotter pin in each end of the loader pin.

More recently, many loader manufacturers began making the outer head of the pin elliptical, allowing it to fit in the frame and not twist. The loader pin does not need to twist, and if held in place, the loader frame moves around it rather than the loader pin twisting in the frame. This allows for extended life. Your problem is simple, so put away the hammer and look at the photo. Do you see that all you need to do is twist the pin until the head fits the hole? You are not alone on being fooled by this new pin design that is also easy to grease.

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-- Write Steve Thompson at Ask The Mechanic, 2204 Lakeshore Dr., Suite 415, Birmingham, AL 35209, or email mechanic@progressivefarmer.com, and be sure to include your phone number.

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