Please help How to take PTO shaft off flail mower gearbox

[aczlan]

when you push the spring loaded pin into the release position are you sure its going far enough to release the yoke from the shaft? I ran into a similar condition years ago where we fought getting a pto shaft off and turned out there was alot of crud in the cross pin assembly to prevent full disengagement.
One end of the cross pin should have a small snap ring on it. try removing that clip and drive the cross pin and spring out, then you know its fully disengaged. then procede with other removal methods as needed.

+1. I was going to post the same thing.

Aaron Z

 

[Gordo 56]

I finaly got it off, I was almost ready to go out and buy a new rotary mower with a slip clutch. I was at my last attempt. I decided to get more aggressive and like before I chained it to a rafter in my garage, put a comalong on the quick release yoke, picked it up so the yoke had all the weight and I heated it up for over 15 min and I hit the yoke as hard as I could and the thing droped. The quick release pin I had pushed all the way in and I put vicegrips on the clip side so it couldn't slip back in. At that point I didn't care if I broke the yoke. The yoke still looks like it is ok.

The bearings in the gearbox front and back look to be ok, wich surprises me, because all the bearings in the cutter roller and ground roller were shot. Even the bearings in the tension pully were no good. They don't buildem like this anymore, this mower is a tank, it weighes over 500 pounds. Even with the bearings being shot, mower was cutting down thick weeds taller then the props on my tractor.


Thank all of you for your advise, with out your ideas I would have quit long before now. I will take pictures as I add bearings and stuff so you all, and others can see how it goes back together.

 

[Mean Jean]

Great to hear it's off.
Good call on the vice grips.
Suprised you didn't cook any seals with 15 minutes of heat.
Be sure to coat the spindle with some form of anti-seize.

I just put new bearings in a finishing mower, smooth as silk.
That flail mower is going to run like a dream.

 

[sandman2234]

Dont forget to grease those Ujoints because the heat would have cooked the grease in them. Grease is cheaper than Ujoints, so use it!
David from jax