4300 PTO won't disengage.

[billt102]

OK, Right off the bat, I have a bad feeling that i am going to hate how this discussion ends up.

Yesterday I hooked up the brush hog to my 4300 (standard trans, synch-reverser) for the first time since I bought the tractor in January. I pushed in the clutch with the tractor at idle engaged the PTO.
Immediately the shaft started turning... odd i thought, seems like the PTO should not engage until the clutch is released.

i started off to mowing... about a ten minutes in, i noticed my brush hog was losing its momentum everytime i hit heavy brush. I looked down and it looked like the PTO lever was not pushed completely forward. I idled down, pushed in the clutch and shoved the lever forward. it seemed to "lock in" and I'm thinking, that's weird, guess it either slipped out or was never engaged all the way, anyway it did not lose momentum any more after that, it was fully engaged and mowed great.

well when I was done with one area I tried to disengage the PTO lever and it would move back freely a little ways and then just stopped like the linkage was bound.

Sensing "issues" i took the tractor, pto still running the mower, to a decent place where I could work on it and turned it off, thinking maybe it would disengage with the tractor off. Nothing. could not get it to disengage. Better yet it will not start, of course, with the PTO engaged.

Anyone have a similar issue? is it possible it is a linkage issue?

IF it is the dreaded PTO clutch issue known to plague 4300's would it meet these symptoms? I heard no noise from it. no clunk, no grinding. I am hoping it is linkage related, but the fact that the PTO does not disengage with the clutch... well that sounds like PTO clutch.
Thanks guys. I still have not finished my FEL hydraulic rebuild project that I have another thread on... wanted to get some grading and shredding done before i took the thing out of service...

 

[jd110]

First of all, the foot clutch does not release the pto. The 4x00 series have an independent clutch setup. The pto lever engages the pto clutch. I would first check that there is nothing obstructing the movement of the pto lever. If the lever and linkage are clear, I would then lubricate all the pivot points on the linkage. If that doesn't help, then you have an internal clutch problem.

 

[arrabil]

I second the lubrication. I would get some kind of silicone spray onto every moving part of every linkage under there. I had to do it three times over the course of a three months before I was happy with all the knobs and levers. And I mean saturate the crap out of them.

 

[kennyd]

Get some Fluid Film:thumbsup:

 

[billt102]

OK.
This is the first time I have used the PTO. Every other tractor i have ever used (not an extensive list) engaged and disengaged the pto with the clutch I was pretty sure it was the linkage, the "bind" feels like it is right at the bottom of the lever.

that is better news than I expected. I will get the pesky cover off this afternoon and see what i find.

 

[beenthere]

Do you have the mid-PTO on this model?

Like already said, the PTO clutch is separate from the tractor clutch. There are three positions to the PTO lever. Forward is engaged, mid-position is neutral (the PTO shaft will turn free) and full-back which is disengaged and braked.

The mid-PTO engages/disengages mechanically and cannot be engaged when the Rear PTO is running. Grinding of gears and possible damage. The idea is to engage the mid-PTO and then operate it with the PTO lever in one of the three positions.

Hope you find it binding, and no internal damage.

 

[billt102]

Yes it does have the mid PTO. and the mid pto was disengaged (the lever pushed down).
I will let you know how it comes out.

 

[billt102]

It is not the linkage. The "lever" outside the case is moving about 10 degrees, but it appears to be hitting something solid. seems like that rod is maybe out of line with whatever it pushes or pulls to engage or disengage the PTO clutch internally.

SO IN I GO. I guess i will go in through the back. I am going to read the "4300 rebuild" post as i know he rebuilt the PTO clutch. hopefully it is not too major.

 

[mr.offroad]

Got a manual? read up on one online otherwise. No surprises as to how they operate, then!:thumbsup:

 

[beenthere]

billt102
Attached are a couple pages from the tech manual, on PTO clutch and brake removal.

Thought the least I could do was post them for a place for you to start.