Rear Finish Mower Drive Shaft Stuck on PTO

[etbrown4]

Have a Woods mower that's been coupled to the pto for 25 years. Has the push button or pin type of release. After lots of wd and pb blaster, pin only goes down about 3/4 of its full length.

Tempted to hit with hammer with the thought that if fully depressed, it might release the pto spline.

Tips welcome

 

[Jstpssng]

I am tempted to say heat, but given the amount of spray you've applied a little flame may not be a good idea.

 

[WranglerX]

Try light taps ( or heavy if brave) with hammer around body of shaft (u-joint) and see if it will weaken or break rust bond which may release lock pin...

Dale

 

[MESSMAKER]

I would say it is catching on rust or hardened grease. I would soak the whole end in a bucket of solvent. Heat would help also.

 

[zzvyb6]

Wrap a hose clamp around the button to keep it depressed. Then take the mower for a bumpy ride and load it with some torque cycles at low rpm. It may even self-detach. Don't pry on it because the tractor's pto output shaft bearing may get very upset.

 

[jaxs]

I wouldn't turn the pto while pin is partly depressed. If shaft come's off, the momentum will whip the loose shaft around in all directions. Rust and dirt retained within the coil spring is going to be very difficult if not impossible to get out so that pin has room to move. Remove the horseshoe clip and use a drift punch to drive pin out. TSC sell's new pin-spring-clip assemblies.

 

[standup616]

I wouldn't turn the pto while pin is partly depressed. If shaft come's off, the momentum will whip the loose shaft around in all directions. Rust and dirt retained within the coil spring is going to be very difficult if not impossible to get out so that pin has room to move. Remove the horseshoe clip and use a drift punch to drive pin out. TSC sell's new pin-spring-clip assemblies.

Ditto Dont run without the retainer pin. The pto shaft end, yoke, is expendable, the tractor side not. unless you are an ace on a real torch, I would stay away from heat. that can melt the shaft seal on tractor and then that can be a whole nuther problem. After generous soakings and pin removed. Id park tractor and would put some tension on the yoke with a come along or similar pulling through the u joint and tap (not beat like it owes you money) around collar that on yoke and see if it starts to move. Increase tension tap harder until you arent comfortable with it. A decent air hammer good for things like this. I made my own head for u joint cups and pins on backhoe. If still stuck wrap a cotton(synthetics melt)rag around pto shaft at seal maybe an assistant to direct water on rag and the transaxle (preventing as much heat transfer as possible) while heating at the u joint end, not end closest to tractor and see if that helps. If you havent taken shaft totally apart where its just the piece(yoke) on the tractor you should now, to make easier access and just split the splined yoke end in half with an angle grinder being careful of heat transfer, not cutting too deep into you shaft itself and where you are sending the sparks flying. Im guessing most of these are just cast, not much heat treatment and once get most of way through a chisel would finish job and fall off

 

[Zebrafive]

I wouldn't turn the pto while pin is partly depressed. If shaft come's off, the momentum will whip the loose shaft around in all directions. Rust and dirt retained within the coil spring is going to be very difficult if not impossible to get out so that pin has room to move. Remove the horseshoe clip and use a drift punch to drive pin out. TSC sell's new pin-spring-clip assemblies.

If pounding the pin in does not work, do as jaxs suggests above. Remove the clip and drive the pin out

 

[Texasmark]

I wouldn't turn the pto while pin is partly depressed. Rust and dirt retained within the coil spring is going to be very difficult if not impossible to get out so that pin has room to move. Remove the horseshoe clip and use a drift punch to drive pin out. TSC sell's new pin-spring-clip assemblies.

"If shaft come's off, the momentum will whip the loose shaft around in all directions." Gravity prevails!

 

[etbrown4]

Jaxs suggested to remove the horseshoe clip (i assume under the pin) and drive the pin out.

Jaxs, would you drive it from the top of the pin or from the bottom (the clip side) ?