JD GX 345 PTO Clutch bolt keeps breaking...

[geminimoon66]

I am working on my Dads John Deere GX345 with a 54 inch mower deck that has 602 hours on it. Last fall he ran it totally out of oil and locked up the crankshaft bearing. Spent $1200.00 to have the motor rebuilt and it currently has less than 6 hours on it since the rebuild.

A week after he got it back last year, the PTO clutch literally fell off while he was mowing. I got a new bolt for it, fixed the wires and put it back on and it seemed good to go. The very next day he calls and says it fell off again!

Upon checking it out I found that the new bolt had literally snapped off, so I bought a new PTO clutch, bolt and washer for it and after 10+ hours removing the broken bolt from the crankshaft, I installed all the new stuff.

The next day I mowed for 10 15 minutes, shut it down and checked to see if the bolt has come loose;all good. I spent the next 3 hours mowing and checking that bolt every 10 15 minutes, it all seemed good to go and the bolt had not come loose again or broke.

Later that very day he gets on the tractor and mowed for less than 15 minutes and the mower deck stopped working. I checked it out and found that the bolt is once again broken off in the crankshaft!
<Pulling hair out now!>

I am at my wits end and cannot for the life of me figure out what would be causing this bolt to keep breaking!
I called the local JD dealer and talked to a mechanic, he had no clue. I called the guy who rebuilt the engine and he had no clue either.

Do not really have the money right now to take this to a dealer so I am looking for anyone out there who may have a clue as to what could be causing this bolt to break, or what I could possibly do or try before I start all over again?

He has had this JD for 6 or 7 years and short of a new drive belt and mower belt he has had no problems with it until he ran it out of oil, which still baffles me. He mows about 2 acres of fairly rough ground and will pull a small trailer around hauling brush and whatnot, so it really is not being abused in any way I can see. All the mower deck pulleys and bushings seem fine and all moves freely. No strange noises or anything either.

My next move is to get another new bolt, remove the broken one and try it all again. Before that I would greatly appreciate any thoughts, help or input from anyone as to what to do ,try or check to fix this and keep that crazy bolt from breaking off.


Thanks in advance for ANY help or suggestions!

~GM66

 

[QuantumRift]

I'm gonna bump this one as well. I posted in another thread about my JD 345 recently, and it's been breaking PTO bolts as well. Nobody answered this question so I'll add to it that MINE too, KEEPS BREAKING PTO BOLTS. Today it snapped the one I installed last week (and have about 2 hours mowing on). Started tractor this morning and hadn't even engaged the clutch when the bold sheared and the clutch dropped out.


I am at wits end here. ANY CLUES?

I am working on my Dads John Deere GX345 with a 54 inch mower deck that has 602 hours on it. Last fall he ran it totally out of oil and locked up the crankshaft bearing. Spent $1200.00 to have the motor rebuilt and it currently has less than 6 hours on it since the rebuild.

A week after he got it back last year, the PTO clutch literally fell off while he was mowing. I got a new bolt for it, fixed the wires and put it back on and it seemed good to go. The very next day he calls and says it fell off again!

Upon checking it out I found that the new bolt had literally snapped off, so I bought a new PTO clutch, bolt and washer for it and after 10+ hours removing the broken bolt from the crankshaft, I installed all the new stuff.

The next day I mowed for 10 15 minutes, shut it down and checked to see if the bolt has come loose;all good. I spent the next 3 hours mowing and checking that bolt every 10 15 minutes, it all seemed good to go and the bolt had not come loose again or broke.

Later that very day he gets on the tractor and mowed for less than 15 minutes and the mower deck stopped working. I checked it out and found that the bolt is once again broken off in the crankshaft!
<Pulling hair out now!>

I am at my wits end and cannot for the life of me figure out what would be causing this bolt to keep breaking!
I called the local JD dealer and talked to a mechanic, he had no clue. I called the guy who rebuilt the engine and he had no clue either.

Do not really have the money right now to take this to a dealer so I am looking for anyone out there who may have a clue as to what could be causing this bolt to break, or what I could possibly do or try before I start all over again?

He has had this JD for 6 or 7 years and short of a new drive belt and mower belt he has had no problems with it until he ran it out of oil, which still baffles me. He mows about 2 acres of fairly rough ground and will pull a small trailer around hauling brush and whatnot, so it really is not being abused in any way I can see. All the mower deck pulleys and bushings seem fine and all moves freely. No strange noises or anything either.

My next move is to get another new bolt, remove the broken one and try it all again. Before that I would greatly appreciate any thoughts, help or input from anyone as to what to do ,try or check to fix this and keep that crazy bolt from breaking off.


Thanks in advance for ANY help or suggestions!

~GM66