How to Clean inside PTO Shaft

[JJT]

I simply give it a good spray with white lithium.

 

[stuckmotor]

The grooves got messed up in mine once. I tried lubricant and cleaning without success. Finally I took a file and tried to make everything in there smooth. Never saw any particularly high spots, but it did the trick. I was careful not to over do the filing.

 

[Raul-02]

build up of grease and dirt

Kerosene and a rag.

 

[HighTwelve]

What do you guys use for grease on PTO shafts? I've been just using whatever's in my grease gun, squeezing some out on a popsicle stick or something and smearing it over the shaft. Seems to work, but I'm wondering if it might be a bit too heavy, sometimes the shafts don't slide as easily as I'd like.

Don't want to get too far into the weeds with a "what's the best grease" thread, just wondering if I could do better.

Just go with white lithium in a spray can. The lubrication is only needed for sliding friction. This isn’t a wear part. Using lots of conventional chassis lube may sort of give a good feeling that everything is fully lubed but it’s unnecessary.

Lots of chassis grease on that shaft works great in the summer, becomes problematic in spring and fall, and a nightmare in winter. I have a snowblower for my Kubota L3010 and I’ve launched a lot of creative vocabulary at the PTO shaft while doing winter hookups.

 

[mcfarmall]

I use a boiler tube brush. Works like a champ. McMaster Carr I believe.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I spray the inside heavily with WD40 and slide the tubes back together and back and forth several times. Then pull them apart and wipe off the male side. Then spray again and put it back in and start sliding. Once they slide smoothly, I wipe them down one last time, spray again and leave them apart for storage.

NEVER store them together and spray every time before use, that's been working for many many years without any problems at all.

SR

 

[5030]

I use motorcycle spray chain lube on mine actually.

 

[oosik]

Clean it just like the bore on your 12 gauge shotgun. Cleaning rod - chunk of clean shop rag - whatever solvent you choose. If it's really gunky - get a bore brush. Soak it in gasoline overnight. DO NOT submerge the U-joint/double cardan joint.

 

[5030]

Never had one hang up, maybe because all mine are fully shielded but I di clean and lube them (with motorcycle chain lube yearly).

 

[Ddh1961]

I have an old pro shaft on my old BushHog brand 6' rotary cutter. The shaft has become ever increasingly harder to slide in and out due to a build up of grease and dirt. I have the two pieces separated. It is no problem to clean the male portion. What would be a good way to clean inside the female portion of the shaft?

Once a year I spray brake cleaner thru it, then run a rag thru it soaked in acetone. When dry I then spray WD-40 gel lube inside the female end and coat the male shaft with polyurea grease I use on the rest of the tractor. Brush hog is my only PTO driven implement and only sees about 30 hrs a year of service, but stays on the tractor year round for ballast. If I used it more I’d clean & grease it more often, but for now once annually works for me.