MMM Connection Issue

[LoveTheSmellofDiesel]

This certainly is a newb question.. I disconnected my MMM from my B7610 Kubota to get to work with the FEL on a large project. Now that is done and I want to begin mowing, i'm having difficulty getting it back connected, and believe I made a stupid mistake pulling the spline shaft out and now cannot get it back in. There appears to be a keyway in the shaft I removed, but there is not a corresponding one where it came out of that i can see. When I go to put it back on, it goes in about an 1/8" and stops. I do not want to encourage it on unless that is the recommended way. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thank you,
Jim
-------------------------
2003 Kubota B7610, 54"MMM, LA532 FEL, King Kutter Carry All

 

[LoveTheSmellofDiesel]

Wow, no replies to this one... Any suggestions would be welcomed.

 

[thavil]

I would recommend cleaning both ends the best you can and then grease the heck out of it and try again. You may have a small pebble stuck in one of the splines that is preventing you from reconnecting the PTO shaft back together. Keeping turning one of the ends until the keyway matches up.

 

[Trafficman]

Jim,
I have that MMM & did the same thing. The drive shaft does have a key way of sorts. It's a small weld between 2 of the teeth on the inner shaft. The easiest way to find it is the mate the shaft up & try to push it together, if it goes great, if not the shift it 1 tooth & try again. Once you've found it take a drift punch or center punch & put a dimple on the inner shaft as a mark to when the keyway is. On the outer shaft you can see where the keyway is, put a Dimple there as well. HTH
T-Man.

 

[LoveTheSmellofDiesel]

Thanks Trafficman, that was it! Marked and ready for the next time...

 

[Trafficman]

Diesel,
Not a problem. Good luck.

T-Man.

 

[bigdad]

Trafficman nailed it. If it wouldn't have had nasty black grease on it, you have probably seen it. I did the same thing!

 

[LoveTheSmellofDiesel]

I'll be honest, I still could not see the keyway on the male shaft, and it was relatively clean of grease had to do the tooth by tooth turn method recommended. Perfect idea to mark with a punch also! I thought for sure I had done something wrong... :ashamed:

 

[tshep]

I did the same thing, then noticed a 'cut out' spline (male) that matches a 'valley filled' spline (female) after I was filthy from trying all the positions. Then I remembered... U joint shafts are not constant speed, and need to be
'phased'. If you look, the inner and outer crosses will be aligned (to their mates at the other end) when assembled correctly (the only way possible). So, there were really only 2 possibilities to try (now that yours is marked...).

 

[LoveTheSmellofDiesel]

I did the same thing, then noticed a 'cut out' spline (male) that matches a 'valley filled' spline (female) after I was filthy from trying all the positions. Then I remembered... U joint shafts are not constant speed, and need to be
'phased'. If you look, the inner and outer crosses will be aligned (to their mates at the other end) when assembled correctly (the only way possible). So, there were really only 2 possibilities to try (now that yours is marked...).

a. Right on the filthy, and a few F-bombs
b. I still couldn't see it even with the markes, but it was dim light, looked just now and notice one of the valleys with a little more grit and grime than the others

Sometimes the small stuff throws you for a loop, knew it had to be simple, thanks again