Is this safe? (PTO shaft/rotary cutter)

[dex3361]

As others have said take it apart and clean it up. That Clutch looks like one I had on an old Ford 5 foot mower a few years back. I think the clutch adjustment is between the yoke and the clutch disc and pressure plate adjusted with a large hex nut or spanner nut. If I am not mistaken it has a bellville spring for pressure. I usually mark the clutch disc and pressure plate and yoke and start with the cluch very loose cut a few seconds with the intent of making it slip. Remark for alignment tighten it a little cut a few seconds check the alignments of marks proceed until it doesnt slip on the heaviest stuff that your rotary can safely cut. It has worked for me and it protects the tractor from damage. More detailed pictures would help on whether that is how it is adjusted or not.

 

[greg_g]

The cutter is a Hardee E60.

Too bad we didn't know that up front. What you're looking for is likely here: Hardee and the slip clutch is probably similar to the repair guide page 7. If true, it uses compression springs - not a Belleville.

//greg//

 

[bill333]

As others have said take it apart and clean it up. That Clutch looks like one I had on an old Ford 5 foot mower a few years back. I think the clutch adjustment is between the yoke and the clutch disc and pressure plate adjusted with a large hex nut or spanner nut. If I am not mistaken it has a bellville spring for pressure. I usually mark the clutch disc and pressure plate and yoke and start with the cluch very loose cut a few seconds with the intent of making it slip. Remark for alignment tighten it a little cut a few seconds check the alignments of marks proceed until it doesnt slip on the heaviest stuff that your rotary can safely cut. It has worked for me and it protects the tractor from damage. More detailed pictures would help on whether that is how it is adjusted or not.

Thanks.This is one of those situations though, that while I understand every word in your post, I'm not sure what it all means! (Not that I'm criticizing your helpful suggestion, just that I"m an idiot. This must be what it feels like when I"m explaining net present value and cash flow to one of my clients).

I just don't have a sense for what "slipping" looks like/feels like.

I did manage to get a hold of someone at Hardee. He told me the following:

1. most of the cutters they sell don't come with either shear bolts or slip clutches. (Although I noticed on their web page that shear bolts come standard with many of the mowers). I asked him if this meant that people added them later and he said no, they run them without either, and he has been himself for years. (not suggesting this is correct, just that this is what he said).

He agrees with both Greg and Soundguy that there is a good chance it is frozen. To adjust it/unfreeze it (?) he said I should do the following :

1. remove the 4 bolts on the flange which holds the clutch in place.

2. remove the e clip on the front.

3. loosen the large nut on the back . He said the nut holds everything in place.

4. Retighten.

He didn't say anything about mowing first, or how much to retighten, but he might have just figured I understood that was needed.

p.s. he said if it were his he would just go ahead and mow with it as is!

 

[tommu56]

Here is a good link on replacing the ujoint
I had to replaced a axle one last weekend and after hammering and trying to press it o it with a vise and sockets for hours I had to take it to a shop the guy had it apart in 5 minuets using this method I haven't ever seen before.

JeepWire - Changing Axle Shaft U-Joints


it removes one cap at a time.

tom

 

[bill333]

Too bad we didn't know that up front. What you're looking for is likely here: Hardee and the slip clutch is probably similar to the repair guide page 7. If true, it uses compression springs - not a Belleville.

//greg//

Sorry, I thought I had mentioned the make (but not the model number) earlier.

I looked at that repair guide. The cutter looks similar but the slip clutch is different. The one in the guide looks like the ones I've seen at TSC; it just slips over the spline. Mine has some kind of bolt arrangement, although it might have splines and I can't see them. I don't really understand where the springs are and what they do.

I"m going to try to go to a place that sells rotary cutters (which is unfortunately an hour away) and see if I can get a salesman to explain to me how it all works so that I'm not wasting everyone's time with these stupid questions!

 

[MarkV]

Bill your slip clutch looks different than mine and may be an older style that not many of us are familiar with. Don't give up, someone usually will run across a thread like this and know all about it.

In general a slip clutch is used to protect the tractor if the mower were to hit an immovable object. As the name implies the clutch is suppose to slip so the tractor does not have to absorb the sudden impact. Slip clutches have a cluster of metal disks that are spring loaded. The springs are tightened to a point where there is enough friction between the disks to allow for normal operation. When you exceed the amount of friction for normal operation, like hitting that immovable object, the disks will slip against each other to protect the tractor from the impact. A shear bolt serves the same function of protection by breaking a bolt, that has to be replaced, as the slip clutch does by slipping.

Where slip clutches have a problem is when they are left in the elements and the disks rust together. They then lose their ability to slip and protect the drive line. Annual maintenance for many of us is to loosen the springs until the clutch will slip, then retighten to normal operating tension. That way any rust is broken free and we know the clutch will work if needed.

I do wonder if you got ahold of the wrong person at Hardee. I don't think I have ever heard of a rotary mower that did not have a shear bolt or a slip clutch. I know I would not buy one that didn't.

MarkV

 

[dex3361]

Too bad we didn't know that up front. What you're looking for is likely here: Hardee and the slip clutch is probably similar to the repair guide page 7. If true, it uses compression springs - not a Belleville.

//greg//

I cant find the repair guide that you are talking about could you link it?
I think that the item bill333 has marked with the "what is this" is the slip clutch. I also think that it has a bellville spring because from the looks of it it is to thin for coil type springs. But of course I have been wrong before and I am sure I will be wrong again.

 

[aczlan]

I cant find the repair guide that you are talking about could you link it?

Try this: http://www.hardeebyevh.com/images/shopcart/items/31.pdf

I think that the item bill333 has marked with the "what is this" is the slip clutch. I also think that it has a bellville spring because from the looks of it it is to thin for coil type springs. But of course I have been wrong before and I am sure I will be wrong again.

I agree that it is a slip clutch and it could be a Bellville spring slip clutch (at least if a Bellville spring looks like a flatwasher that has been bent so that it is sort of funnel shaped). If that is the case, the clutch is very different from the one the the linked manual.

Aaron Z

 

[dex3361]

Thanks.This is one of those situations though, that while I understand every word in your post, I'm not sure what it all means! (Not that I'm criticizing your helpful suggestion, just that I"m an idiot. This must be what it feels like when I"m explaining net present value and cash flow to one of my clients).

I just don't have a sense for what "slipping" looks like/feels like.

I did manage to get a hold of someone at Hardee. He told me the following:

1. most of the cutters they sell don't come with either shear bolts or slip clutches. (Although I noticed on their web page that shear bolts come standard with many of the mowers). I asked him if this meant that people added them later and he said no, they run them without either, and he has been himself for years. (not suggesting this is correct, just that this is what he said).

He agrees with both Greg and Soundguy that there is a good chance it is frozen. To adjust it/unfreeze it (?) he said I should do the following :

1. remove the 4 bolts on the flange which holds the clutch in place.

2. remove the e clip on the front.

3. loosen the large nut on the back . He said the nut holds everything in place.

4. Retighten.

He didn't say anything about mowing first, or how much to retighten, but he might have just figured I understood that was needed.

p.s. he said if it were his he would just go ahead and mow with it as is!

Bill 333
See if these pdf attachments help cause a picture is worth athousand words. Look in the Hardee manual on pages 3 and 4 it has a clutch adjustment procedure. the other pdf is a good example of the type of clutch that you have.

 

[Soundguy]

I'd like to add that running any driveline without the protection of a slip clutch or shear pin / bolt is just asking for pto or transmission problems. these units that suposedly don't have a clutch or shear pin..if their if your gearbox has a smooth shaft .. I'd use a grade 2 bolt in it.. notheing harder.. if it's a splined connection on both sides.. then clutch for sure..

soundguy