BX-2350 - Abrupt engagement of mid-PTO

[fish6942]

I do typically read manuals but I must have missed the part about engaging the PTO at half-throttle. I'll give that a try next time. I'll also give the moving parts on the deck a good examination next time it's off the machine.

Thanks All!

 

[Gator6x4]

I've owned this machine since it was new. Over the past year or two it seems that when I engage the 60" MMM the engagement is much more abrupt than it used to be. It almost sounds like a muffled bang and there's a cloud of smoke from the exhaust resulting from the partial stall of the engine. I always set the RPM to idle or just off idle when I do engage it. It also doesn't seem to matter how slowly I move the engagement lever.

As a comparison, I also run a Farm King 60" rear blower on the same BX. With this, I can slowly move the lever and it will engage MUCH smoother. In fact, I can "bump" the lever a little and pull back and see the drive train engage and disengage just slightly. I could not feather it like that with the MMM. This comparison is especially interesting considering the blower has much greater inertia to overcome.

Is there some wear item somewhere or an adjustment I should be looking at?

I can take some video if need be.

Thanks!

With the engine off, grasp the mower drive shaft and see if it has movement at the U Joint. It sounds like you have worn U joints on one or both ends of the mower drive shaft. Vehicles make the same "Clunk" noise when the U joints in the driveshaft are worn. Most of the time for some reason it is the rear U joint on a vehicle.

 

[radioman]

I never had my engine do a abrupt change when engaging the mid pto. I always feather it in. I hold it abobut one or two fingers lengh away from full engage and wait for the spindles to start spinning and then go full on. engine never lugs this way, nor blow smoke.

 

[fish6942]

I never had my engine do a abrupt change when engaging the mid pto. I always feather it in. I hold it abobut one or two fingers lengh away from full engage and wait for the spindles to start spinning and then go full on. engine never lugs this way, nor blow smoke.

That's exactly how I engage the rear PTO when the blower is on. When I try this method with the mower deck it seems to be all-or-nothing, no partial engagement available.

I did go out last night and try engaging the deck at half-throttle and surprisingly it felt much smoother and easier on the machine overall.

Gator6x4 - I will take a closer look at the u-joints when i have it off next time, good point.

 

[radioman]

I find that a bit odd -- since your BX and mine is basically the same. I didnt realize you had it at full throttle though. I always engage mine at 1200 or so. It not exact science, I just bump it up above idle/non lugging point when using HST. silly question - is the pto selector in MMM only, not in mid and rear?

 

[oldnslo]

The clutch on the BX**50 models is hydraulic not electric. According to service manual I have for the BX1850 & BX2350 the priority flow supplies oil to the steering circuit and the steering return powers the PTO. The PTO operating pressure is supposed to be 145 - 189 PSI at max engine RPM and oil temp of 113 - 131 degrees F.

Rough engagement would indicate higher pressures, grabby clutch discs, or more likely cause as others have said external binding causing the clutch to get to lock up and then breaking the binding component loose.

 

[dodge man]

I don't know, mine engages pretty abrupt also.

 

[CHDinCT]

I never had my engine do a abrupt change when engaging the mid pto. I always feather it in. I hold it abobut one or two fingers lengh away from full engage and wait for the spindles to start spinning and then go full on. engine never lugs this way, nor blow smoke.

I tried your way since reading it hear somewhere, but so far no change in engagement. Maybe I need to hold it away from full engagement for a few more seconds to see if it starts a slow spin.

 

[radioman]

I just used my 60" MMM today and , like I said - very smooth. I watch my spindle on the left side of mower and wait till it starts to spin then go full on. again - no lugging- smoke.

 

[94BULLITT]

I tried your way since reading it hear somewhere, but so far no change in engagement. Maybe I need to hold it away from full engagement for a few more seconds to see if it starts a slow spin.

There is no feathering it on a 60 series at least. It is in on out.