My Stupidity kicked in at full throttle.

[newbury]

O K, thanks for all of the helpful positive posts. I appreciate the negative posts also. I find something useful in any response.
The shaft is off.
I used a ratchet strap attached to a tree with the other end hooked to the shaft, just before the U-joint. With a hammer I tapped on the strap hook in a direction away from the tractor. After a tap or two I would try to tighten one click. Finally it came off like an arrow shot from Robin Hood's bow.
Before I put the shaft back on the stub the stub will be clean down to the bare metal. It will be lubricated, at least this one time.

That's great.
Still a good thread.
Is there any way to get a mod to change the title and maybe add something like PROBLEM SOLVED?

 

[Williy]

By looking at this diagram I don't see how a wedge would
destroy any thing when you are gently tapping the wedge
I use a rubber mallet works better than a hammer at times

willy

 

[Williy]

For the pto; shaft on the back of the tractor has anyone used
a piece of PVC pipe with a cap ;on one end full of grease to
cover it?

willy

 

[WinterDeere]

By looking at this diagram I don't see how a wedge would
destroy any thing when you are gently tapping the wedge
I use a rubber mallet works better than a hammer at times
View attachment 3113362

willy

Designs will vary, but in the case of that particular design, it appears you'd be putting a thrust load on a ball bearing assembly (140), by having the wedge put force between stuck driveshaft and the housing.

The drawing doesn't show us all the details, but it appears the outer race of bearing is in stopped c'bore in housing, whereas you'd be pulling on stub that seems to be held only by inner race. Large thrust loads deform ball bearing assemblies and can cause them to prematurely fail, which is why you always push or pull on the race where the interference exists, when installing them. You never want press on the inner race of a ball bearing to press it into a housing, and you never press on the outer race to install it on a shaft.

We could argue about the probability of damage, in all likelihood it might be a very low risk for the amount of force required to get the driveshaft off. I'd bet many old farmers have even done this with no damage. But there is a very easy way to do the job that doesn't create this risk of damage, by just popping the spider out of the u-joint and using a gear puller to remove the driveshaft end. At least to me, that seems too easy to even consider the risks of another method.

 

[Razzmatazz]

For the pto; shaft on the back of the tractor has anyone used
a piece of PVC pipe with a cap ;on one end full of grease to
cover it?

willy

What a great idea! I think 1.5inch pvc might work

 

[Jstpssng]

What a great idea! I think 1.5inch pvc might work

I have one made for the purpose. This is the spare I picked up, in case I lose the other.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

The PTO shaft is a solid. The sleeve is slid over it and stuck. Out of curiosity, is the face of the u-joint yoke a solid with a hole in the middle? On the one I have access to at the moment, that is how it is made.

Can you disassemble the u-joint off the sleeve, and tap the hole to install a Zerk's fitting and push them apart with a grease gun?

 

[tradosaurus]

For the pto; shaft on the back of the tractor has anyone used
a piece of PVC pipe with a cap ;on one end full of grease to
cover it?

willy

My tractor came with a rubber sleeve to cover the back of the tractor PTO shaft when not in use. (exactly the one in post #76)
When I do have an implement attached I store the rubber sleeve in the small tool box on the back of the tractor.

 

[WinterDeere]

My tractor came with a rubber sleeve to cover the back of the tractor PTO shaft when not in use. (exactly the one in post #76)
When I do have an implement attached I store the rubber sleeve in the small tool box on the back of the tractor.

Same, but I'd probably look at Willy's idea, if I ever lost mine. Another option is is US Plastics, who will probably sell you just one piece of one that's a perfect fit. I think US Plastics is just a distributor/reseller of Caplugs.com and a few other brands, but the big boys like Caplugs won't sell individual units, you usually have to buy 100's or 1000's from them.

 

[tradosaurus]

Same, but I'd probably look at Willy's idea, if I ever lost mine. Another option is is US Plastics, who will probably sell you just one piece of one that's a perfect fit. I think US Plastics is just a distributor/reseller of Caplugs.com and a few other brands, but the big boys like Caplugs won't sell individual units, you usually have to buy 100's or 1000's from them.

I think I can swing $11 for a new one if I lost the original.