Woods RM59-How to remove driveshaft

[Boomer33]

Does anyone know how to to this? I have been struggling with removing the driveline fo several days on & off. I removed the bolt from the collar and spread the collar with a wedge.I can wiggle it back & forth and can pull out & push in about 1/4 inch, but it will not come off the splined shaft! Is there a blind pin that I can't see? Please help if you have the answer!
Arthur

Boomer33

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Look for a "retaining ring" in the front section of the spline...{look inside the yoke assembly}

This is the "safety valve" if the shear bolt "shears"; this ring prevents the pto shaft from slipping forward and disengaging from the gearbox spline spinning wildly @ 540 rpm...

 

[djradz]

Hello again B33
I'm not sure if were talking about the same thing, but I just completely rebuilt my RM306 and had the drive shaft, amongst everything else, all apart. On mine there is a pin, but in my case it wasn't so "blind" it went through the collar and shaft and had to be driven out with a punch. On my 306 the pin was about 5/16", so it shouldn't be easy to miss if your's is the same. Could there be a lot of paint on it?? I just looked at an old Woods catalog and the 59 looks just like the 306 except only 5 ft. vs. 6 for the 306. What concerns me is that you can wiggle the shaft at all. With the pin in mine, there is no moving it no matter how far the collor is spread. Let me know if this doesn't sound right.

 

[Boomer33]

Thanks for the reply! I can't believe that a pin of 5/16 dia. could be hiding on me. Does your spline also have the offset bolt & nut running through the outside edge of the shaft? If so, where in relation to the bolt was the pin. Was it a solid or rolled pin? Any ideas might help. Thanks again,
Arthur

Boomer33

 

[djradz]

Mine has a bolt and nut through the outside of the yoke/collar. However, the bolt did not actually hit the outside of the shaft, but was completely just in the collar. It appears to me the bolt just tightened the collar around the shaft. Mine also has a key which in addition to the pin would keep the collar from rotating. The pin went through the collar and shaft, about 1/2" from the end of the shaft. The bolt is located more toward the other end of the collar, more like 1-1/2" to 2" from the shaft end. Maybe on the smaller mower Woods just used the key and bolt - I don't know.

I have to stop at my Woods dealer the afternoon for another part. If I remember I'll ask to look at a RM59 parts picture, and get back to you. Oh ya, on mine, the pin is a rolled pin and extends about 1/16" to 1/8" out both sides of the collar. As I said, don't think you could miss it!

By the way, if you are removing the drive shaft to get at the flywheel and seal behind it, Woods has made a mistake in the size of the replacement seal. I ended up getting mine from a local bearing and seal specialty shop (previously know as Detroit Ball Bearing) because the Woods replacement was oversized by a few 1000's.