4540 rear PTO seal leak

[Captainde]

I was trying to replace the PTO seal on my 2015 Mahindra 4540 and when I took the cover plate off and pulled the seal off, the shaft came right out of the rear of the tractor. I cleaned it and now I cannot re-install the shaft. Is there a secret or an alignment trick to getting the shaft back in? I have it parked on a slope to save the 10 gallons of tranny fluid but not sure what to do to get the shaft reinstalled.
Plz help

 

[Harry in Ky]

The parts diagram shows a splined coupler that connects the shaft you pulled out to the shaft that drives it. It looks like the lever to engage/disengage the PTO slides that coupler back and forth between those two shafts. Can you shine a light through the hole and see that coupler?

 

[Captainde]

The parts diagram shows a splined coupler that connects the shaft you pulled out to the shaft that drives it. It looks like the lever to engage/disengage the PTO slides that coupler back and forth between those two shafts. Can you shine a light through the hole and see that coupler?

yes but the shaft slide out so easy i thought it would slide back in

 

[Harry in Ky]

It probably does slide in as easily as it slid out, but you probably need to slip a pipe or something over the shaft so you can counter balance the weight of the other end. It has to mate up with the collar on the inside (which you can't see while doing this) and match the splines as well. Can be tricky. Hopefully the collar is still in place and not at the bottom of the housing.