Description
EP-L170 Corn Headers Gearbox — Replacement of Comer Code L170
Built for Brazilian Corn Harvesters and PTO-Driven Row Units
1. Technical Specifications — EP-L170 Corn Headers Gearbox
The table below summarises the mechanical, metallurgical and performance parameters of the EP-L170 as supplied for corn header row-unit replacement. Custom shaft spline, output flange and mounting variants are available on request.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Corn Headers Gearbox |
| Model | EP-L170 |
| Replacement For | Comer Code L170-B |
| Category | Corn Headers Gearbox / Agricultural Gearbox |
| Rated Input Speed N1 | 580 rpm |
| Rated Input Power N2 | 11.0 kW |
| Input Shaft Type | Type X (splined) |
| Output Torque M2 | 180 N·m (working) |
| Rotation | Bi-directional (matched to OE) |
| Housing Material | HT250 Cast Iron, ribbed |
| Gear Material | 20CrMnTi, case-hardened HRC 58-62 |
| Shaft Material | 42CrMo alloy steel, quenched and tempered |
| Gear Tooth Profile | Gleason helical / spiral bevel |
| Bearing Type | Tapered roller + deep groove ball |
| Seal Material | FKM (Viton) dual-lip |
| Lubricant | SAE 80W/90 API GL-5 |
| Oil Capacity | approx. 0.45 L |
| Operating Temperature | -15 °C to +85 °C |
| Surface Treatment | Sandblasted + agricultural powder coating |
| Color | Customisable per customer request |
| Protection Class | IP54 |
| Overall Dimensions (L×W×H) | 210 mm × 165 mm × 155 mm |
| Net Weight | approx. 9.5 kg |
| Mounting | OE-pattern, matches Comer L170-B |
| Warranty | 12 months from commissioning |
Remark: Shaft spline, output flange, rotation and colour can be customised for cross-brand replacement. Please send the original unit photo and installation drawing when requesting a quote.
2. Five Key Advantages of the EP-L170 Corn Headers Gearbox
1. True Dimensional Drop-In for Comer L170-B Applications
The EP-L170 replicates the Comer L170-B footprint: the input shaft type, the mounting bolt pattern, the housing envelope and the rotation direction all match the original specification. For Brazilian workshops in Maringá, Cascavel or Rio Verde, that means the EP-L170 drops straight into the existing row-unit bracket without modifying the head frame, the chain drive, or the row-unit shields. This true-replacement fit is the single most practical reason contract harvesters keep the EP-L170 on the parts shelf during the Brazilian corn season.
2. Shock-Load Tolerance for High-Density Stands
Brazilian safrinha corn reaches stand densities that push row-unit gearboxes hard, especially when stalks are tough, partially green, or mixed with weeds. The EP-L170 uses forged 42CrMo input shafts and case-hardened 20CrMnTi gears cut to a Gleason helical profile, paired with tapered roller bearings sized for cyclic shock rather than steady-state torque. This tractor pto driven corn headers gearbox absorbs the spikes that occur when the snap rolls hit a cluster of lodged stalks, instead of transmitting them into the chain drive or the central drive shaft.
3. Sealed Against Corn Dust, Pollen and Humidity
A corn header gearbox operates inside a permanent cloud of stalk dust, leaf fragments, pollen and condensate. The EP-L170 uses FKM dual-lip shaft seals combined with labyrinth deflectors at each output, plus a pressure-compensating breather that lets the housing equalise with ambient temperature without drawing contaminated air inward. Oil stays clean, bearing contamination is blocked, and the corn headers gearbox quality stays high across an entire season of eight-hour harvest days.
4. Field-Serviceable Without Removing the Row Unit
The drain, fill and inspection points on the EP-L170 are located for access from underneath the row-unit cover. A Brazilian farm mechanic can check oil level, change lubricant, or swap an input seal in the field using common hand tools — no lift equipment, no workshop visit. This practical service logic aligns with how cooperatives actually maintain their machinery between short harvest windows, where every hour of downtime translates directly into lost tonnage waiting at the truck scale.
5. Documentation Ready for Brazilian and MERCOSUR Import
The EP-L170 is manufactured under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system, and every shipment includes material certificates, heat-treatment records, dimensional inspection reports, and a declaration of conformity referencing ISO 6336 (gear load capacity) and ISO 281 (bearing life). This package supports INMETRO conformity review, NR-12 safety documentation, customs clearance at Santos, Paranaguá and Rio Grande ports, and wider MERCOSUR distribution into Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay without document rework.
3. Working Principle — How the EP-L170 Corn Headers Gearbox Operates
The corn headers gearbox working principle follows the classical PTO-driven power flow, shaped specifically around the duty cycle of a corn harvester’s header. Rotational power originates at the combine engine, passes through the header drive shaft, and arrives at the main input shaft running along the back of the corn header. From this main shaft, a short chain or U-joint drive transfers torque laterally into each individual row-unit gearbox. The EP-L170 accepts this input through a Type X splined shaft and immediately converts it through a spiral bevel gear pair — turning torque through the required angle and stepping speed to match the snap-roll requirement.
Inside the housing, helical engagement delivers power progressively across multiple tooth contacts at once, which is the mechanical reason a corn headers gearbox how does it works question always leads back to tooth geometry. Straight-cut gears would clatter and chatter under the irregular load of incoming corn stalks; helical teeth spread that load and damp it. The output shaft then drives the snap rolls of the row unit, which grip each stalk and pull it downward at high speed, shearing the ear off at the snapping bar above. A second output path, where fitted on a given head design, drives the gathering chain that carries stalks and ears toward the centre auger.
Throughout operation, internal oil is distributed by gear splash, cooling the meshes and flushing wear particles toward a magnetic plug where they can be inspected at service. The breather manages internal pressure as the gearbox warms through the harvest day and cools after sunset. Operators who understand this corn headers gearbox operation sequence can identify early warning signs — unusual whine, oil film changes, small temperature rises — and intervene before a routine service becomes a major repair. That diagnostic literacy is what separates a corn headers gearbox that delivers a decade of safra service from one that dies in its third season.
4. Materials and Construction
Material selection is the quiet reason a corn headers gearbox lasts a decade of Brazilian safras instead of failing before its third. The EP-L170 housing is cast from HT250 grey iron, a grade valued for its graphite microstructure that damps mechanical vibration and absorbs the micro-shocks transmitted from snap rolls. The casting is normalised and stress-relieved before CNC machining at the bearing bores to the tight tolerances that precise gear alignment demands. A sandblasted exterior anchors a heavy agricultural powder coating that survives the acidic conditions of corn dust and silage residue without blistering.
Internal gears are forged from 20CrMnTi alloy steel — the industry-standard carburising grade that combines surface fatigue resistance with adequate core toughness. After the teeth are hobbed and shaved to final profile, the gears are gas-carburised in controlled-atmosphere furnaces, quenched and tempered to yield a surface hardness of HRC 58–62 with a tougher core around HRC 30. Input and output shafts are machined from 42CrMo, quenched and tempered to deliver uniform tensile properties across the full cross-section, resisting the bending and torsional loads typical of corn-head service.
Around those rotating components, every supporting element is chosen for field reality. Tapered roller bearings come from established manufacturers whose dimensional standards are interchangeable worldwide, which matters for Brazilian technicians who prefer to source replacement bearings locally in São Paulo or Londrina. Shaft seals are FKM dual-lip for resistance to elevated ambient temperatures and fasteners are Class 10.9 rolled-thread bolts chosen to resist vibration loosening. Together these material choices turn a good engineering drawing into a corn headers gearbox replacement that earns its keep on working farms.
5. Application Scenarios
The EP-L170 corn headers gearbox is specified in every scenario where a Comer L170-B unit is the factory-fitted row-unit gearbox. Below are the most common Brazilian and Latin American applications.
Commercial Corn Harvesting on Row-Unit Heads
Commercial operations in Mato Grosso, Goiás and Paraná run self-propelled combines fitted with 8-, 10- or 12-row corn headers where each row unit uses a dedicated gearbox. The EP-L170 serves as the row-unit drive, powering the snap rolls and the gathering chain. The corn harvester’s header gearbox performance directly affects harvest speed, kernel loss rate, and the time a combine can stay in the field before service.
Safrinha Corn Harvest Under Tight Weather Windows
Brazilian safrinha corn is harvested into June and July, when afternoon storms can shut down operations within an hour. Operators cannot afford a row-unit gearbox failure when a cold front is approaching. The EP-L170 is specified specifically as a corn headers gearbox replacement for these high-pressure windows — a shelf-ready spare that keeps combines running until the last acre is harvested.
Contract Harvesting Fleets Across Multiple Farms
Contract harvesters operating mixed fleets of combines across dozens of fazendas in a single season need standardised spare parts. The EP-L170 fits a wide range of row-unit heads originally built with Comer L170-B gearboxes, simplifying inventory and mechanic training. A single corn headers gearbox model on the truck solves row-unit failures across brands during the rolling Brazilian corn harvest.
Seed Corn Production and Specialty Hybrids
Seed corn producers in the Brazilian southern states demand gentle handling to preserve kernel integrity on the cob for certification. The steady helical engagement of the EP-L170 delivers consistent snap-roll speed, reducing shatter loss and kernel damage — a decisive advantage when the product of each row unit is seed rather than grain.
Sorghum and Sunflower Row-Unit Harvesting
Although designed for corn, the Comer L170 row-unit architecture is also used on sorghum and sunflower headers operating across Brazilian and Argentine plantations. The EP-L170 corn headers gearbox parts and drive characteristics are compatible with these alternate crops when the header frame uses the same row-unit geometry.
Cooperative and Equipment Dealer Spare-Parts Programmes
Cooperatives and agricultural equipment dealers across the Brazilian corn belt maintain spare-parts programmes to support member farms during safra. The EP-L170 is stocked as a high-turnover corn headers gearbox for sale — the kind of part that moves quickly during harvest peak and is usually the first to sell out.
6. Regional Compliance and Regulatory Framework
Agricultural gearboxes and their drivelines are governed by a layered set of national and international standards. For Brazilian buyers, the primary references are NR-12 (Norma Regulamentadora 12 — Segurança no Trabalho em Máquinas e Equipamentos), which regulates guarding and lockout requirements for rotating power-transmission components, and NR-31 governing rural labour safety. MAPA (Ministério da Agricultura) oversees agricultural equipment used in commercial food production, while INMETRO conformity procedures apply to imported mechanical components placed on the Brazilian market. ABNT NBR standards complement this framework for materials and testing practice.
Outside Brazil, the European Union applies Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (succeeded by Regulation 2023/1230), with harmonised standards including EN ISO 4254-1 for agricultural machinery safety and EN ISO 5674 for PTO driveline guarding. The United States references ANSI/ASABE S205 and S318 for torque ratings and test methods of agricultural gearboxes, plus OSHA 29 CFR 1928 for tractor and implement safety. Argentina applies IRAM standards, Canada follows CSA, and Australia and New Zealand reference AS/NZS adaptations of ISO. This patchwork defines how a corn headers gearbox must be documented, guarded and tested.
The practical consequence for buyers is that a reputable corn headers gearbox manufacturer must deliver both the physical unit and the traceable document package — material certificates, heat-treat records, dimensional inspection reports and a declaration of conformity referencing the relevant ISO clauses. The EP-L170 ships with this package as standard, simplifying customs clearance in Brazilian ports and supplier qualification reviews typically performed by Argentine, Uruguayan and Paraguayan cooperatives before first order.
7. About Us
We are a dedicated manufacturer of agricultural gearboxes with more than two decades of continuous production experience. Our facility integrates CNC gear hobbing, gear grinding, heat treatment, CNC housing machining and a dedicated dynamometer test bench under one roof. Every corn headers gearbox we produce is run under load on the test bench before shipping, and each unit is accompanied by the inspection records generated during its production. Engineering, production, quality control and export documentation sit in one building, so Brazilian buyers get clear technical answers quickly when they need compatibility verification or troubleshooting advice.
Across the last two decades, our export team has delivered corn headers gearbox units, PTO shafts and related agricultural transmission components to customers across Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, Türkiye, Egypt, Ukraine and Southeast Asia. We operate under ISO 9001:2015 with full traceability: raw material certificates, heat-treatment curves, dimensional verification records and final test torque are documented for every batch. Each export shipment leaves with a bilingual document package designed to move through Brazilian and MERCOSUR customs without rework.
WorkShop
8. Related Products — Full Agricultural Driveline Support
The corn headers gearbox is only one element of a complete corn-header driveline. We also manufacture compatible PTO shafts, motors, sprockets and agricultural roller chains engineered to work together with the EP-L170. This one-stop supply approach shortens procurement, simplifies compatibility verification, and gives Brazilian and Latin American buyers a single technical contact for the entire corn header drivetrain — from combine feeder house to individual row unit.
PTO Shaft
Our heavy-duty PTO shafts pair directly with the EP-L170 corn headers gearbox and the broader row-unit driveline. Telescopic tubes, wide-angle cross-journal joints and ISO 5674-compliant safety guards deliver torque from the header drive to the row units without the play that leads to early failures. Friction clutches and shear-pin couplings are available for additional shock protection in tough corn stands.
Sprockets and Roller Chains for Corn Header Drives
Alongside the corn headers gearbox, we supply induction-hardened sprockets and agricultural roller chains used across gathering chains, snap-roll drives and feeder drives. Tooth profiles conform to ANSI standards, and shaft bore diameters match common corn header brands, making replacement parts stocking straightforward for Brazilian farm mechanics working on mixed fleets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What lubricant specification should a Rio Grande do Sul operation use for corn headers gearbox functions in warm ambient conditions?
A1. We recommend SAE 80W/90 API GL-5 mineral gear oil for most Brazilian corn-growing regions. In consistently hot safrinha windows in the central-west, SAE 85W/140 GL-5 offers additional film strength under the sustained high-temperature operation typical of long harvest days.
Q2. How to replace corn headers gearbox units on a row-unit head without removing the entire header platform?
A2. Disconnect the lateral drive chain or U-joint, unbolt the four mounting fasteners at the row-unit bracket, slide the failed unit out of the snap-roll assembly, install the new EP-L170, torque mounting bolts to 45 N·m, and refill with SAE 80W/90 GL-5 oil to the inspection plug level.
Q3. Where are the fill, drain and inspection plugs located when servicing this corn headers gearbox on a row-unit head?
A3. The fill plug and breather sit on the upper housing face, the oil-level sight plug is positioned mid-side at the shaft centreline, and the drain plug is at the lowest point of the housing. All three are accessible from underneath the row-unit cover without removing the gearbox from the head.
Q4. What maintenance schedule do agricultural engineers recommend for corn headers gearbox operation during Brazilian safrinha conditions?
A4. Check oil level and seal condition every ten operating hours, change oil after the first 100 hours of break-in and then every 500 hours or once per season, clean the breather filter every 250 hours, and perform a complete bearing inspection at season-end teardown.
Q5. What warning signs suggest a corn headers gearbox needs urgent inspection before the next row-unit harvest begins?
A6. Watch for audible whining or grinding under normal load, visible oil seepage at the input or output seal, perceptible play when rocking the output shaft by hand, and oil temperature rising noticeably above 80 °C after one hour of harvest operation in typical corn stands.
Q7. Why choose corn headers gearbox units with Gleason helical teeth over straight bevel designs for Brazilian corn?
A8. Gleason helical and spiral bevel teeth engage progressively across multiple flank contact lines at once, distributing load and absorbing the shock that arrives when snap rolls hit lodged or clustered stalks. Straight bevel gears would transmit those spikes directly into bearings, shortening service life in dense Brazilian stands.
Editor: PXY
