Bush hog shaft frozen

[ruffdog]

Good job!!!! Now, Your tractor doesn't have a rounded off drain plug you need help with...does it?

 

[handirifle]

Not that I know of, why?

 

[SPYDERLK]

Ok SUCCESS! Finally. What I ended up using was something my brother in law learned from some aircraft builders he hangs with. A 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF. I worked a bunch of that in, waited an hour or so, and after multiple slams with the truck and chain, still no go. So I heated the snot out of the whole shaft. Now bear in mind, this is a propane weed burning torch. Not enough heat to get anywhere near red or blue, but after heating the entire length, and a few more slams I heard something different. A quick look told me it had moved a couple inches. For the record, a SLAM is back the truck up to let the shaft drop to the ground, then put in drive and idle it forward, till the chains snap tight. This is my 7200lb 4wd diesel truck and that hit it pretty hard.

With all that still too 4-5 more slams to break it apart. What I discovered was it was nearly fully compressed. Only about 2" short of full compression. As it turns out I had to cut about 4" off the inner shaft to fit it to my tractor PTO. Took it out and gave it a go in one of my fields. The mower works fine, but my poor little MF1010 is on its last legs, sadly. Overheating often (I think its a blown head gasket) and SOO much blowby its embarrassing.

Thanks to all for the encouragement and advice. I always know there are many decades of experience here on this site.

Yay-aay

 

[Oldoak]

Good job!!!! Now, Your tractor doesn't have a rounded off drain plug you need help with...does it?

Not that I know of, why?

It's a joke. You have to see how many pages of comments there are here under that one topic. 167 pages and still counting......

 

[handirifle]

Ok, I am sure this drive shaft was a similar type situation. I was looking to see if there was a magic method that I wasnt aware of.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Dang! I was beginning to think I was going to have to load my tractor up and pull it out there to get that thing apart for you!

SR

 

[handirifle]

Lol me too. Was about to look for a tractor pull and pay em to put between a couple of them.

 

[handirifle]

Got a question about this mower. Seemed about half way through the field, it started shaking more than before. I raised it up and looked (tractor off of course) and the blades spin fine, but I thought the blades swiveled on the center flywheel? They are sticking out 180* from each other, so LOOK normal.

These seem rigid on the flywheel.

If they are supposed to be rigid, I assume they are out of balance. How do you go about balancing those blades?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Any rotary cutter I've owned, the blades should swing...

I balance them by weighing them, but they don't have to be perfect...

SR

 

[SPYDERLK]

Got a question about this mower. Seemed about half way through the field, it started shaking more than before. I raised it up and looked (tractor off of course) and the blades spin fine, but I thought the blades swiveled on the center flywheel? They are sticking out 180* from each other, so LOOK normal.

These seem rigid on the flywheel.

If they are supposed to be rigid, I assume they are out of balance. How do you go about balancing those blades?

Theyre probably stuck big time and at different angles, causing the imbalance. You probably hit something that displaced one blade from its normally flung straight out condition. And since its sticky it didnt return to position. ... Use penetrating lube. Beat on em with a big lead hammer or a small log used like a battering ram. Make em move some back and forth. Then normal usage will free em the rest of the way.