PTO connect battle

[TractorGuy]

I have just been through the worst battle trying to connect a PTO shaft ever. Part of the problem is my little JD855 locks the output PTO shaft when the the PTO is turned off. That shaft cannot be turned by hand under any circumstances. Connecting my finish mower is usually somewhere between a cinch to very limited frustration getting the shaft connected. Hooking up the mower with the quick hitch is a breeze. I am usually hooking up the finish mower and everything is still where it got turned off at the last use. The other day I used my brush mower and when I tried to reconnect the finish mower it wasn't having it.

I took a hint from the dime in the glove tip I saw in another thread but I decided to weld a flat washer to the button on my yoke instead. This made the button MUCH easier to push and may have weakened the spring a little.

It still would not hint at engaging the splines so I used a saw chain sharpening stone on my dremel and went over all the male spline edges and beveled them slightly. I had previously cleaned, filed and felt everything and didn't see any burrs or anything but after cleaning it all up with the stone the shaft slid on like it was supposed to.

 

[npalen]

Good thinking!

 

[Fuddy1952]

Lube it also.

 

[claitner]

Lube it also.

Yes! I spray WD40 on both male and female to lube AND to wash off the dust. Today I still could not get it to slip forward - GRRR - so t pulled it back, lubed it again and made sure the locking balls moved freely with the collar pulled back and then was successful.

Is there a clever way to push the drive shaft coupling forward besides just holding ackwardly in my two hands and weakly pushing?

 

[bcp]

Not sure how you are doing it, but I ignore the lock until the yoke slides on the 1/2 inch or so until the lock hits. Then operate the lock and push the yoke all the way on. Holding the lock "open" while trying to align the splines is too awkward.

Bruce

 

[rustyshakelford]

If you turn the tractor off can you spin the shaft? That’s what I have to do with mine.

Brett

 

[npalen]

Something that helps me when hooking to my rototiller is to connect the PTO before the 3PH. Leaving the tractor just a few inches ahead leaves more room to access the PTO and makes connection easier. This is assuming there is enough extra length on the PTO shaft
Having said that, there may be a safety issue of which I'm unaware.

 

[TractorGuy]

If you turn the tractor off can you spin the shaft? That’s what I have to do with mine.

Brett

Not so on the 855.

 

[TractorGuy]

Something that helps me when hooking to my rototiller is to connect the PTO before the 3PH. Leaving the tractor just a few inches ahead leaves more room to access the PTO and makes connection easier. This is assuming there is enough extra length on the PTO shaft
Having said that, there may be a safety issue of which I'm unaware.

That is how I connected the shaft this time after working on the splines. Quick hitch makes connecting the 3 pt a breeze but gets in the way of connecting the shaft.

I usually try to engage the splines before pressing the lock. Hard to rotate the shaft from the mower end. It would help a great deal if you could get the PTO shaft to free wheel on this tractor.

 

[TractorGuy]

Lube it also.

All my shafts and splines are sprayed with dry moly lube. Keeps them lubed while not collecting dirt.