PTO Question

[Anonymous Poster]

My son in law was going to rototill next week, so he hooked up my 1st Choice tiller. Well to my surprise, I have to dig post holes before he returns in a week or so, so I attempted to change over the implements. He had set the shaft so deep against the tractor that he broke the zirk on the shaft. Now I am unable to disengage the shaft from the tractor. What do I do now?

 

[normde2001]

I'm not sure what determines the stopping point for the shaft, but it sounds as if he must have forced it past that with some type of tool for some reason. Whether it is retained by a spring plunger or a roll pin, it must be past that point. You are going to have to force it back off with a hammer and block of wood or some type of jack between the pto housing and the shaft end, and then assess the damage, then I would make my son-in-law sleep in the barn for a while. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Did he hook it up with the top link too long, & push the whole pto in hard? That could be hard on things, to say the least.

Hammer & block of wood, like the other person said, & look for damage.

--->Paul

 

[thcri]

I personally would watch out with a hammer and block of wood. The block of wood helps but be careful about breaking the housing around the PTO Shaft. Something put that on pretty tight like the upper link being too short to slam it past the stop once it was locked in. I don't think your son-in-law pushed it on that hard by himself. If you can't get it off with a few knocks with the hammer and block I would serously think about cutting the PTO shaft off at the knuckles and then using a wheel puller to get it off. Yes you would end up destroying the PTO shaft but that is a lot cheaper than replacing a housing. Now I don't know what brand tractor you have but there is usually a shaft seal there that can be removed. I don't know if you can get to that or if the PTO shaft is removable if you take the seal out. I would just watch that block if there is already pressure against it.

murph

 

[normde2001]

I don't have my tractor handy to look at, but can he get the "u" joint apart at that point to enable getting a puller on the hub to avoid cutting it?

 

[Egon]

As suggested the drive shaft was probably too long and forced the PTO shaft collar back past the power take of shaft groove. The retainer pin may be jammed up making removal very difficult.

Would it be possible to drill out the retainer pin?

Egon

 

[thcri]

I think it would be awful tough to get the knuckles apart. I am thinking that you may have to cut them with a cutting torch, and yes you would destroy the PTO Shaft. I would only do that in case you can't get the PTO shaft off relatively easy with a block of wood and a hammer. But the housing around the PTO shaft of the tractor is cast and if there is already pressure on it and someone hitting it, it will break. Now hopefuly you would only break the seal housing but you never know. To me a wheel puller would be the best thing and yes you would wreck a good PTO shaft but it can be replaced for around 50 to 75 bucks.

just my 2 cents

murph

 

[normde2001]

I agree, sounds like the wrong (too long) drive shaft was used, and when the tiller was raised, <font color="red">CRUNCH!! </font>. Must have sheared the retaining pin, but, hopefully the pto drive mech. is undamaged.

 

[BillyP]

What about hooking a come-a-long to the shaft and ratcheting it off? It may slip right off, if you can get it to move a little.

 

[theboman]

Sounds as if the PTO shaft was to long to being with.