Removing PTO driveshaft from RC

[Soundguy]

If it does indeed take a shear pin.. then there won't be a key way.

I wonder if there is a slot amchined around the shaft, and this 1/4" screw is used as a 'locater' in case the shear pin breaks.. so that the yoke doesn't fly of f the shaft? ( bad design if so.. however.. i've seen worse designs. .. most good designs use a circlip or e-ring in a groove near the end of the shaft to retain the yoke.. etc.. )

Soundguy

 

[Pooh_Bear]

I managed to get it off finally. Been working on it for 4 hours.

First, I took a propane torch and heated the yoke up real good,
then started twisting the nut I welded on. It broke off.

Next, I drilled down as deep as I could get with a small bit.
Then I drilled it out with a 1/4 inch bit. Still no go.

I figured there can't be much material left. Maybe I can shear it off.
So I took the tractor down by the river and found a small stump.
I backed over the stump and set it at full throttle.
Then I lowered the brush hog on the stump. Till the motor stopped.
Yeah, stupid thing to do. But I did it about 10 times.
That bolt refused to shear off. I gave up on that idea.

I took it back up to the shed, got a slightly bigger drill bit,
I sharpened it up real good and went at it. Used cutting oil this time.
This drilled out some more material. But it still wouldn't come off.

So I got the propane torch and heated it up again real hot.
Then I took a sledge hammer and beat the yoke off there
with just a few blows to it. It had a wooddruff (half moon) key in it.
The gearbox shaft had a keyway for a wooddruff key
so that is why I couldn't see it. But the yoke had a plain keyway in it.

When I put this all back together it is just getting a shear pin.

And I got pictures this time.

Thanks for the help.

Pooh Bear

 

[Soundguy]

I was figuring there must be a key in there.

Glad you finally got it off.

Soundguy

 

[Pooh_Bear]

I still don't understand why it was put together that way.
Absolutely no shear protection at all.

Glad I don't use this thing very often.

Pooh Bear

 

[Soundguy]

Perhaps an aluminum or brass key could have been used for shear protection??

Soundguy

 

[Donman]

Playing a lot of heat around the welded nut (not on it-might weaken the weld) so as to get it dull red, then take your wrench and wiggle back and forth might loosen it it enough to get it out. I've been amazed quite often what heat can do.

 

[BTDT]

I still don't understand why it was put together that way.
Absolutely no shear protection at all.

Glad I don't use this thing very often.

Pooh Bear

The woodruff key is the shear protection. That's the same setup as a magneto/flywheel on a small gasoline engine (Briggs & Stratton)

 

[Pooh_Bear]

Then why didn't it shear when I ran it up to full throttle
and dropped the brush hog on a stump. It sure stopped the engine.
I did this 8 to 10 times before I gave up. Hope I didn't damage the tractor.

When I was drilling out the bolt, when I got to the woodruff key,
I had to keep sharpening the drill bit. I think the key was hardened.
Otherwise I should have been able to drill thru it easier than the bolt.

Pooh Bear

 

[Atlas]

Not wanting to believe a company would design and market a brush hog without shear protection, I'd say a previous owner didn't care about or understand the concept.

 

[Willl]

The woodruff key is the shear protection. That's the same setup as a magneto/flywheel on a small gasoline engine (Briggs & Stratton)

While your correct that the briggs key (aluminum) is for shear protection, his steel woodruff key is not.
(note; do NOT use a steel key in place of the aluminum key on a briggs.)

Pooh, is it possible the shear protection or slip clutch was on the tractor end of that driveline ?