L48 PTO Clutch RPM Problem

[ChompinBrush]

I've got an L48 that has a broken clutch lever to engage the PTO. The lever on top seems to work fine (that is it pulls the cable) but the spring loaded PTO clutch underneath won't move. I can get it to engage/disengage if I get under the tractor and move the lever by hand. It is getting tougher and tougher to engage and disengage it. Now I have to use a wood block and tap it with a hammer. It has gotten so bad that now I think it is effecting the PTO speed. I can't get the tractor RPM above about 1500 even when I give it full throttle. The engine seems to rev up but the RPM gauge won't go above 1500 RPM. Not nearly fast enough to get to the 540 RPM PTO speed I need to run most implements.

Anybody else have this problem? Any ideas on how to fix it?

Thanks!!