How can you tell if a PTO slip clutch is slipping correctly?

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Here's a link to the PDF of the manual for my mower (a Rhino 172) with a slipclutch.

http://support.servis-rhino.com/RhinoManuals/operator/00781400C%20172%20OPS%20PUB%2008-12.pdf

Go to Pages 158 and 159 of the PDF file for an explanation of how to check and adjust the slipclutch.

In short, it says to loosen the nuts, mark the outer plates like I suggested above, then engage the PTO for an instant, and check the marks to see if there was slippage. Then it says to tighten the nuts until the belleville spring is flat and then loosen the nuts up two turns each.

 

[breadtrk]

I've had smoke a few times on my Woods 5ft tiller, due to the rock stuck between the tine and body.

How do you know when you have let all the smoke out and need to replace it?

 

[ovrszd]

Short answer is you typically take a straight edge and draw a line across both surfaces of the slip clutch. If it slips, you'll know it because the lines won't match up.

Yep. I don't even worry about a straight edge. Each Spring when I start using my brush cutter I loosen my brush cutter clutch and cut some weeds to make it slip. then tighten according to the manual. Draw a line across the plates and discs with a Sharpie. Cut some more under heavy conditions and then check for slippeage. If not I loosen it a little until I get it where I want it. Then later a quick check for too loose is cut for awhile, then touch the clutch assembly. If it's hot, it's too loose. If it's cold, then remark and check later. If no slippeage, loosen a little. I want the clutch to slip once in a while without getting hot.

 

[gabby]

How do you know if your slip clutch on a PTO shaft is working? I've had slip clutches on PTO shafts forever and I can't recall ever hearing one slip. But I don't know if you can hear them slip. How do you know?

This matters now because I got a new to me slit seeder but no PTO shaft with slip clutch. And for the $1,100 they want for a new one, the odds are zero I'm getting a factory replacement. So I'm going to buy an off the shelf PTO shaft with slip clutch so I don't damage my gearing.

But first I have to figure out which one to get and then to make sure I get it adjusted correctly. Anyone know anything about this so I don't screw it up? I figure if I hear it slipping too soon I can snug it up a little. but how do I know if it's slipping or not and do most slip clutches ever slip? Lots of questions and I have no answers so any help appreciated.

You can buy shafts with clutches online for a fraction of that price. I just had to replace the slip clutch and a u-joint on my Deere HX-10 mower. I bought new generic parts online and saved hundreds of dollars.

 

[gabby]

To make sure the clutch will slip I rev up the tractor pretty good then engage the PTO and watch and listen for a small amount of slippage as the blades start spinning up.

I keep wrenches with me to adjust the pressure bolts on the clutch because twice I have broken u-joints due to the clutch not slipping.

 

[ovrszd]

Gabby, you might try the Sharpie trick rather than engaging the PTO at high speed to determine if their's slippage. Might be a little easier on those U-joints.

When I bought my JDM1008 cutter the clutch discs were junk. It was very cheap to rebuild. But would probably give ya cost shock to buy the entire assembly.

 

[Baby Grand]

I've had smoke a few times on my Woods 5ft tiller, due to the rock stuck between the tine and body.

How do you know when you have let all the smoke out and need to replace it?

The smoke is the only thing holding those friction discs together :cloud:. Once the smoke is let out, the discs begin to fall apart. Happened on my tiller after the tines got loaded with clay. Looked like the Flintstone-mobile. Smelled like stink. Happened on a Sunday afternoon. Hint: get replacement discs now, so you can fix & get back to work when "smoke happens".

 

[gabby]

Gabby, you might try the Sharpie trick rather than engaging the PTO at high speed to determine if their's slippage. Might be a little easier on those U-joints.

When I bought my JDM1008 cutter the clutch discs were junk. It was very cheap to rebuild. But would probably give ya cost shock to buy the entire assembly.

Ovrszd, what if you use the Sharpie and you find out too late that it's not slipping?

I bought a whole new no-name slip clutch for under $200 online and mounted it to my JD HX-10. Deere wanted $35 for just one friction disk and nearly $300 just for the yoke part.

 

[oosik]

Ya know, all this talk about slip clutch and their expense makes a shear bolt sound pretty good. Had two size shear bolts on my snow thrower. Things weren't working right unless I'd shear a bolt or two on the first time clearing the driveway. Usually sheared because of a rock or large chunk of wood in the auger. And you don't need advanced clutch adjusting skills just a baggie of shear bolts.

 

[SPYDERLK]

How do you know if your slip clutch on a PTO shaft is working? I've had slip clutches on PTO shafts forever and I can't recall ever hearing one slip. But I don't know if you can hear them slip. How do you know?

This matters now because I got a new to me slit seeder but no PTO shaft with slip clutch. And for the $1,100 they want for a new one, the odds are zero I'm getting a factory replacement. So I'm going to buy an off the shelf PTO shaft with slip clutch so I don't damage my gearing.

But first I have to figure out which one to get and then to make sure I get it adjusted correctly. Anyone know anything about this so I don't screw it up? I figure if I hear it slipping too soon I can snug it up a little. but how do I know if it's slipping or not and do most slip clutches ever slip? Lots of questions and I have no answers so any help appreciated.

How does a slit seeder overload in a catastrophic manner that might break something? Sounds more like a job for a [small] shear bolt.
larry