Bush hog shaft frozen

[Gunny]

I'd keep working on it, at some point it becomes one of those me or it deals and I'd refuse to let a rusty shaft win! Spyderlk has a great point on a straight pull versus one slightly off center, it's surprising how much difference it makes in getting something to slide free.

Stick with it, be diligent, work it some every day and eventually you'll break it free

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I've never had one that I couldn't pull apart, but I'm thinking my tractor had a bit more pulling power than yours... lol

Anyway, in this case, HEAT is your friend!!!

SR

 

[SPYDERLK]

Good setup​

Get a friend to hold another hammer against the shaft while you hit opposite side all up and down the telescoped overlap. If theyre different, use the larger hammer as the reaction mass. It would be better to strike a piece of steel rather than the actual shaft. You dont want to dent it but get flex of one portion around the other. It may move very slightly at first, but once it moves you know youve got it. Watch tension force youre applying. Huge tension applied even a little off center has a component that tries to bend it. - - If you were on center you could jerk a little.

Which on 2nd thot suggests something:
. . . You are currently bowing the shaft slightly as you apply tension. Try releasing tension and rotating each chain hookup 180. This will apply an opposite bow when re tensed. And repeat. - - Tiny movements CAN break the bond. :confused3:​

 

[mcfarmall]

I completely freed up a 1934 John Deere Big No. 4 horse drawn sickle mower that had sat in a fence row for the last 45 years. It just takes patience and time. I look at myself as a physical therapist for machinery. Try a little movement each day with some gentle application of heat and KROIL. Once you get it to move it's only a matter of time, patience and persistence.

 

[muddstopper]

I have heated and twisted and hammered and banged on a few things trying to break them loose before. If you leave the shaft under tension while heating and hammering, it should start to move. Heating and beating with out the tension might work eventually, but if you can apply pressure to pull apart while hammering, it will work faster. I would hook up the truck or what ever you are pulling with and pull as hard as you dare and then start wacking on it with a small ball peen hammer, or better yet, use a air chisel. Forget the heat. Penetrating oil is your friend. If you do use heat, try heating just one side of the shaft, moving the flame back and forth along the lenght of the shaft. It dont need to be cherry red. 2-300 degrees should work. Trying to heat to cherry red or heating all sides of the shaft will heat up the inner shaft as well as the outside shaft. Both shafts expand and nothing comes loose.

 

[Teachu2]

If you have a plating shop in your area, you might ask them to hot-tank it for a day or two - soak it in hot solvent. If not, find or make a pipe or trough big enough to hold it and submerge it in ATF or hydraulic fluid or even diesel for a couple of days. Even a box made from heavy cardboard and lined with plastic would work - or dig a trench and line with plastic. Anything to submerge it in light oil for a few days.

If it's not bottomed out, you may have better luck forcing it further together to break loose the bond.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have heated and twisted and hammered and banged on a few things trying to break them loose before. If you leave the shaft under tension while heating and hammering, it should start to move. Heating and beating with out the tension might work eventually, but if you can apply pressure to pull apart while hammering, it will work faster. I would hook up the truck or what ever you are pulling with and pull as hard as you dare and then start wacking on it with a small ball peen hammer, or better yet, use a air chisel. Forget the heat. Penetrating oil is your friend. If you do use heat, try heating just one side of the shaft, moving the flame back and forth along the lenght of the shaft. It dont need to be cherry red. 2-300 degrees should work. Trying to heat to cherry red or heating all sides of the shaft will heat up the inner shaft as well as the outside shaft. Both shafts expand and nothing comes loose.

Yes -- and glowing red will anneal the shaft, not to mention cooking lubricants to lacquer. - - - Clean the metal surface and look for a surface change from clean silver to straw-brown. Bluing happens next. There and up is the danger. You can ruin the shaft.

 

[handirifle]

Well am in Phoenix right now but will be back home in a couple days. I have rotated the chains wondering a out binding, but so far no change. The last time I was working on it I had the wire in the truck at idle pulling on it while I was tapping with the hammer. No luck. So I unhooked the truck and dropped the front of the shaft and put as much penetrating oil in as it would take. Wait for it to go in the repeat many times. Will get back at it when home. I have not put huge effort into trying to remove the shaft from the mower but the shear pin does not want to give up easy either. More later

 

[jaxs]

I have heated and twisted and hammered and banged on a few things trying to break them loose before. If you leave the shaft under tension while heating and hammering, it should start to move. Heating and beating with out the tension might work eventually, but if you can apply pressure to pull apart while hammering, it will work faster. I would hook up the truck or what ever you are pulling with and pull as hard as you dare and then start wacking on it with a small ball peen hammer, or better yet, use a air chisel. Forget the heat. Penetrating oil is your friend. If you do use heat, try heating just one side of the shaft, moving the flame back and forth along the lenght of the shaft. It dont need to be cherry red. 2-300 degrees should work. Trying to heat to cherry red or heating all sides of the shaft will heat up the inner shaft as well as the outside shaft. Both shafts expand and nothing comes loose.

Since you have btdt,I have a question. If it doesn't come apart rather quickly. Does :muttering:help?Have you tried?:duh:How about?:hissyfit:

 

[handirifle]

Lol haven't quite got there yet.