Ford 1900 Pto wont engage.

[paintman161]

So i went to use the brush hog the other day and the only way to get it to engage is to turn the tractor off engage the pto and turn on the tractor. If i try to engage it while the tractor is running (clutch pressed down) all i get is some grinding sound. I read someplace about adjusting the clutch, but i am unsure if that is just the clutch pedal or is there one for the PTO clutch? I have a pdf manual for it and looked through it but all i could find was the one for the clutch pedal. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Qapla]

The 1900 has a 2-stage clutch. The same pedal engages both the transmission and the PTO. At times, particularly when seldom used, the PTO clutch will "stick", could be rust, and it won't matter how far or hard you press the clutch, it will not turn lose.

At a shop they can use a machine that will apply pressure to the PTO while revving the engine that will, sometimes, break the PTO clutch lose and will work fine after that.

It is possible to do this yourself, but it is not always easy or safe. It may work by "popping" the clutch while the motor is revved the PTO is engaged with the mower attached ... but, if you have a 4' mower, it will pop the shear pin before it releases a stuck clutch.

If you have a 5' mower (hope you have weight on the front of that 1900 if you are mowing with it) you may be able to put a hardened bolt in for a shear pin and "pop" the clutch. If you try the hardened bolt in the 4' mower, you may damage the mower since the 4' is no where near as heavy duty as a 5' or 6'.

If you have a 5' or 6' for another tractor you could try it with the heavier mower, just don't try it with the mower lifted "off the ground" as the 1900 is not designed for that much weight (yes, we used to have a 1900)

 

[paintman161]

I do have a 5' mower with a fel. Its weird because it worked fine just this last winter, thought i did not have the brush hog attached but engaged the pto, just to make sure it would not seize up.

 

[paintman161]

So without the brushnhog attached the pto turns on without any issues. But with it attach it just gronds, am i doing something wrong? When engageing the pto withnthe bush hog attached?

 

[jimmysisson]

When you say you get a grinding noise is it when you let out the clutch pedal? If the pedal is depressed and PTO not engaged, can you then engage the PTO? That's when it grinds?
Also, if you start the engine with the PTO engaged (no safety interlock?), can you mow with it - or is it slipping?
Something's odd in the PTO clutch, or a PTO shaft bearing or gear...
Jim

 

[paintman161]

It grinds when the clutch is disengaged (pedal pressed down) and i try to engage the PTO. If I have have the tractor off and engage the PTO and start then start the tractor it will mow fine. This is only with the bush hog attached, with out it attach the PTO engages without any issues.

 

[Soundguy]

adjust the clutch freeplay to minimum and see what it does. possible it is worn so that correct geometry cannot be reached. OR possible that it is stuck.

 

[paintman161]

So i was able to engage the PTO while the tractor was running, just set the tractor RPM to 1000 rpm. and engage the PTO (still a grinding sound and went in hard) but it did engage. Not sure if this is normal but it seemed to work great all day until my V-belt broke!

 

[Soundguy]

not normal.

timing belt?

 

[paintman161]

meant V-belt, LOL