Rotary Cutter bush hog drive shaft greasing questions

[sailorman]

I have a new Brushbull 48x. I 'm confused by the manual 's instructions on greasing the drive shaft. The instructions say:
1. Lubricate driveline slip joint every eight hours.
2. Lower cutter to ground, disconnect driveline from tractor PTO shaft, and slide halves apart but do not disconnect from each other.
3. Apply a bead of grease completely around male half where it meets female half. Slide halves over each other several times to distribute grease.

The diagram indicates "apply grease to square shaft ". Also plastic shield bearings ( location not indicated well in the diagram ).

I have a plastic safety shield over the entire length of the shaft.

Am I supposed to apply grease around the plastic shield or am I supposed to remove it some how to access what they call the square shaft ? Where are the shield bearings and what should they look like ? Please let me know if I 'm wrong about all this and steer me in the right direction.

 

[SunnyJim]

With the cutter disconnected from the tractor take appart the PTO shaft and smear grease on the metal part of the shaft. Re-assemble and grease your joints and then the plastic shielding. I pull the PTO shaft appart periodicly and that way its a whole lot easier to slide then next time I need to hook it up. I use a can of spray grease from amsoil that way there is no mess on my part. Ok maybe a little mess. I always spray the tractor PTO before I hook up my PTO shaft.

https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/glcspray.aspx

I should add grease everything. I know when I received all of my equipment none of it had been hit with grease at the dealer. So hit the tail wheel etc before you run it.

 

[sailorman]

With the cutter disconnected from the tractor take appart the PTO shaft and smear grease on the metal part of the shaft. Re-assemble and grease your joints and then the plastic shielding. I pull the PTO shaft appart periodicly and that way its a whole lot easier to slide then next time I need to hook it up. I use a can of spray grease from amsoil that way there is no mess on my part. Ok maybe a little mess. I always spray the tractor PTO before I hook up my PTO shaft.

https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/glcspray.aspx

I should add grease everything. I know when I received all of my equipment none of it had been hit with grease at the dealer. So hit the tail wheel etc before you run it.

Do you mean slide far enough so the plastic shield is completely apart exposing the metal shaft, but the metal shaft will not be completely apart ? Or take the two parts completely apart both shield and metal shaft ? I ask this because the manual says do not take the parts completely apart.

 

[greg_g]

I have a plastic safety shield over the entire length of the shaft.

The shield is typically in four parts: two bells, one at each end, two tubes. The tubes separate from the bells. The only reason they advise not pulling the metal half shafts completely apart is so that you don't accidentally get dirt and grease mixed. If you're careful - and it's more convenient for you - it won't hurt to separate them completely

Disconnect each tube from it's associated bell. Pull the metal half shafts (almost) apart. Move the tubes so the inner half shaft is exposed. Grease only the inner half shaft. Push half shafts back together. Reattach tubes to bells.

//greg//

 

[sailorman]

The shield is typically in four parts: two bells, one at each end, two tubes. The tubes separate from the bells. The only reason they advise not pulling the metal half shafts completely apart is so that you don't accidentally get dirt and grease mixed. If you're careful - and it's more convenient for you - it won't hurt to separate them completely

Disconnect each tube from it's associated bell. Pull the metal half shafts (almost) apart. Move the tubes so the inner half shaft is exposed. Grease only the inner half shaft. Push half shafts back together. Reattach tubes to bells.

//greg//

That seems reasonable. I have not figured out how to detach the bells from each half of the shield. Manual doesn 't indicate how to do it and I don 't want to break anything. Clues ?

 

[WH401]

After taking a look at the manual for your Brushbull 48x, and comparing it to what it says about greasing the slip joint in the manual for my PRD7200, I think if your slide the drive shafts apart, (not all the way completely), there should be an access hole that opens up to reveal a grease zerk to allow you to shoot grease into the slip joint. This is how the drive shaft is on my RFM and the diagram in your Brushbull manual is very similar to that of my PRD7200 manual.

 

[SunnyJim]

Taking the shaft completely apart is not really a big issue. When I bought my tiller the shaft was in 2 pieces when I brought it home. You just grease and re-assemble.

 

[Builder]

Lots of new equipment has a nice new paint job. Unfortunately, they paint the grease fittings, too. Take a second to peel the paint off the zerks or you'll go crazy trying to figure out why they won't take grease.

 

[jc7622]

Are you talking about the inner and outer shafts that slides one into the other. Mine would gum up and not slide. I read somewhere (on here maybe) that 90wt gear oil works better and lasts longer. It's working much better than greae for me so far. Still slides back and forth smoothly.

 

[Soundguy]

just use a lighter grade grease.. IE.. a nlgi 00# vs a 2/4

soundguy