BX skid plate and MMM

[Tdog]

I have the Bro Tek skid plate on my BX22. Yeah, I bought it AFTER I had the plastic fan replaced. The MMM drive shaft will fit on the PTO with the skid plate in place - - I did it a few times last year. However, for me it is much harder to get the lock collar on the pto with skid plate in place. As geezerdom approaches, my arm and wrist strength are not sufficient to make things fit through that little opening. I wanted to put the mower deck on last week and after many attempts, finally gave up & removed the skid plate - - after that the deck went on fairly quickly. I'm guessing the mower deck will function as my skid plate for a while. Looks like I'm going to have to switch back & forth between the skid plate & the MMM.
Just wondering if anyone has a secret formula to attach the MMM while the skid plate is on?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[ampsucker]

lots of thin type spray lube? don't know which driveshaft you have on the mower, but mine kind of locks into place in the open position and then snaps closed when placed over the pto shaft. i can easily see this getting gummed up with yard debris and not working so smoothly over time. i would try cleaning it and lubing it up really good.

don't knock geezerdom, it's also known as wisdom ;-) (i hope)

amp

 

[Tdog]

Amp - - thanks. Not gummed up here. If fact the collar tends to snap closed too soon. My real problem is that I need to see the PTO & have room for both my hands - - neither of which can I do with the skidplate on.

BTW age is a terrible price to pay for wisdom. Besides, sometimes it seems like I've got a lot more age than wisdom.

 

[ampsucker]

sorry, that was just a guess on the lube. seems like anything you do to make less force necessary would help out the situation. did you check the inside of the collar and the tip of the pto shaft for grease buildup that might make it more difficult to get things latched?

the way i do it is pretty much out of the instruction manual. since the pto shaft is on the driver's left side, i always reach from that side. i kneel down behind the mower deck and support myself with right hand on top of the tractor and reach under with left and do the connection by feel. i always open the collar first and try to be careful not to bump it on anything or it will snap closed before it gets into position.

is it the bending or the reaching that gives you problems? maybe if you enlarge the hole in the skid plate that would help?

i suppose you might also be able to jack up the left side of the tractor a bit to get more maneuving room?

just some ideas. i'm sure the brilliant minds on this board will help you find a solution that works.

amp

 

[Lockport]

I hear ya on the collar snapping closed too soon. I take mine on and off all the time but have relatively smaller hands. Its tight but things need to align because I have limited movement of my wrist and getting the grooves lined up while trying to turn the shaft is the biggest problem. Typically my ring snaps closed and then I have to get it off to lock open again as that presents the limited space. I wonder if cutting an arc out of the plate a few inches in would be the resolve of your woes?

 

[DGS]

Hi
Why not give Bro-Tec a call or e-mail him
He seems very helpful
I know that the shaft is in a difficult position and would think that any other obstructions make it even worse
Regards
DGS

 

[Tdog]

Well I solved the problem this time by simply removing the skid plate. I will put it back on when the mower deck comes off. The hole in the skid plate that accommodates the drive shaft is my problem - - it is just not large enough. That, and my left hand is not my most useful appendege.
Here's what I have found I have to do to connect the MMM. 1st, I hike the tractor up with the FEL & BH stabilizers. I put the PTO selector on rear PTO only - - that lets me spin the middle PTO freely. I scoot under the tractor from the rear far enough so that I can see the PTO and the MMM shaft And yeah, I put 4x4 blocks under the rear tires just in case . . . . I slide the collar on the PTO shaft till I feel it go part way, THEN I pull the collar back & hope it stays back long enough for me to slide the shaft on the PTO the rest of the way. I wait for that solid 'click' to tell me it is locked on.
Removing the skid plate is an extra step I don't need, but guess it's what I'll have to do.

Jack