PTO shaft cannot extend!

[Conservation]

OK. Probably my fault for not lubing the pto shaft before putting it away last time. And I didn't use this Woods mower last season. The shaft is compressed all the way, and I cannot budge it. I finally put a chain around it and popped it a few times with the truck...pretty hard. I don't want to break the gearbox, so I stopped. I tried to get the safety shield off, and couldn't even do that. So I quit. Help this poor dumb sole!:confused2:

 

[whistlepig]

I have done this. A lot of soaking with WD-40 and a lot of patience waiting for the WD-40 to work and I finally got mine broke loose. Heat would greatly speed this process but with the plastic shields heat wasn't and option.

 

[RoyJackson]

Spray it with PB Blaster or another good penetrating oil and let it set for a day or so...might give it a rap with a hammer to try breaking the rust too. Just don't rap it hard enough to dent the tube...or use a block of wood between the hammer and PTO driveshaft.
Do disconnect it from the implement and use some other fixed object if you want to try pulling it apart (BTW, this should be a slow steady pull...don't yank it!).
I'm surprised the guard doesn't come off...can't rust so I think you need to look it over more carefully.

 

[Conservation]

I was a little out of patience when this problem arose. I should have let it sit.
Can you just pb blast into the split between the gaurds? Where will get it in there?
The guard has these white buttons, and for the life of me I can figure out how to push them in to get the shaft guard to come apart. It's a peaco if I remember the shaft guard name correctly.

 

[gwdixon]

The shaft is overlapping so each end will have an exposed point where the shafts slide. Spray goop of some sort from each end so it will run between the two shafts.

Then secure one end to something solid - like the tractor, use a come-along attached to the other end. The come-along can be attached to your truck. Then just ratchet the come-along until the shaft comes apart. The come-along will give it that gentle but firm pull that is required.

If it won't budge then spray some more goop and leave the come-along with tension on it overnight. Try again in the morning.

BTW - I've never figured out how to get those plastic covers off either.

 

[RoyJackson]

Then secure one end to something solid - like the tractor, use a come-along attached to the other end. The come-along can be attached to your truck. Then just ratchet the come-along until the shaft comes apart. The come-along will give it that gentle but firm pull that is required.

I don't suggest hooking it to the tractor's PTO stub shaft though!! That could be an expensive mistake!
Good idea about the come-along though..

 

[whistlepig]

I can't get the plastic covers off my PTO shaft either. I rate these covers right up there with the new EPA fuel cans we have to buy now.

 

[pacerron]

OK. Probably my fault for not lubing the pto shaft before putting it away last time. And I didn't use this Woods mower last season. The shaft is compressed all the way, and I cannot budge it. I finally put a chain around it and popped it a few times with the truck...pretty hard. I don't want to break the gearbox, so I stopped. I tried to get the safety shield off, and couldn't even do that. So I quit. Help this poor dumb sole!:confused2:

Get a can of PB Blaster, PCL, or other good penetrating oil. Rotate the safety shields so that the oblong holes line up. You will see the outside of the outer shaft. Normally you would see the square inner shaft that you grease but you probably have it jammed together too far. Grass, dried grease and crud is usually the problem but you may have a rusted shaft too boot, but doubtful unless you have left the mower outside. Hold the end of the shaft that goes on the tractor up and squirt a bunch of PB so it runs down toward the back U-joint.
Let it soak for an hour or more and try to pull apart. Anyplace you can see to get some oil onto the square solid inner shaft will help. You could tap the end toward the tractor with a rubber mallet after the oil soaks in but you might crack your plastic shield.
Once it is loose pull the shaft totally apart and clean the square shaft and wash out the tube it goes into with solvent to get rid of the old grease crud.
Then smear grease on all four sides of the square shaft and put it back together so that when the safety chains on each end are attached the oblong holes in the 2 shield halves line up.
Sometimes the driveshafts get stuck so you can't slide them back to remove from the tractor if they have been idle a while. Usually this can be fixed with a little PB on the square shaft and then raising the implement up and down with the 3 pt. hitch.
There's always a chance of breaking something, so beware.

 

[Conservation]

I'm not familiar with the safty chains. Maybe this gaurd is different. I will try the blaster tomorrow night.

 

[k0ua]

I'm not familiar with the safty chains. Maybe this gaurd is different. I will try the blaster tomorrow night.

The safety chains are on each end of the outer plastic safety guard. and are fastened on to a fixed part of the mower on that end and the tractor on that end.. If you don't have any then your plastic guard is liable to rotate with the inner steel parts. And therefore you safety guards are not doing any good at all, and would/could wind up your loose clothing, long hair etc.
You must also grease the nylon bearing at each end of the safety shields so that the metal parts of the PTO shaft will have low friction with the outer plastic guard pieces and not break you safety chains. One thing for sure, don't come near that spinning PTO shaft.

James K0UA

 

[pacerron]

The safety chains are on each end of the outer plastic safety guard. and are fastened on to a fixed part of the mower on that end and the tractor on that end.. If you don't have any then your plastic guard is liable to rotate with the inner steel parts. And therefore you safety guards are not doing any good at all, and would/could wind up your loose clothing, long hair etc.
You must also grease the nylon bearing at each end of the safety shields so that the metal parts of the PTO shaft will have low friction with the outer plastic guard pieces and not break you safety chains. One thing for sure, don't come near that spinning PTO shaft.

James K0UA

The nylon bearing grease point is one of the bumps that releases the safety bell. The one that gets grease has a hole in it for a needle greaser attachment on the grease gun.

 

[the6shooter]

OOOOh so I'm not the only one out here that has done this same thing. Makes me feel better, Theat I am NOT alone. one rule of thumb. As I now do.
pull then apart in the winter or rainy season lub them up first and store them apart. never have had them do it again. Plus it keeps some varmint's honest.

But since you said you moved them a little the P.B. blaster has a way in, spary it down and work it back and fourth and they will seperate.
david

 

[rambler]

You need to get the penetrating oil in to the middle square (or triange, or I ran into a multi-fluted deal once...) shaft, not the outer sleeve. Often one end is open if not both, so you can get access to the shaft.

You will not be able to remove the safety cover, it only comes off when the pto is apart. You might need to cut it off before this is over.

In addition to the penetration oil (not WD40, but good penetrating stuff) vibration helps. This means pounding on it with a hammer. Unfortunately the shields are in your way, but if you can hammer on the ends a bit (be careful of the bearings and crosses, you want to vibrate it, not break something...) or work out any way to get some beating into it...

The oil should run down into the seam between the 2 haves of the shaft.

Obviously, you will be removing the shaft from the implement, you don't want to damage your implement, and you can get the oil in easier and so forth.

If nothing gets it apart, cut the shields off, and heat it up with a torch. That will get them apart.

--->Paul

 

[284 International]

I had the same problem recently. You can read about my experience, and some tips others have used, in that thread, here. The plastic guards may vary somewhat, but a flsthead screwdriver and some twisting should align the locking tabs and let you get the cover off.

 

[Conservation]

It didn't move a bit for me yesterday. I will fill the inner tube with PB and see what happens after a day of soaking. I think the poster is right about not being able to get the safety shaft off unless you can extend the tube.
Strange, none of my equipment even new came with the chains. The tube spins with the pto, and then spins freely if the plastic is grabbed by something. No lube points that I see.

 

[pacerron]

Strange, none of my equipment even new came with the chains. The tube spins with the pto, and then spins freely if the plastic is grabbed by something. No lube points that I see.

You must have purchased fake black market new equipment then.
Go to a reputable dealer and ask about the chains.
Even older metal tube guards have chains on the bells to be attached to the equipment on one end and the tractor on the other.
A spinning plastic guard is not much safer than the shaft inside. The bearings can become frozen, especially if you don't know how to grease them. The spinning guard can get weeds wrapped up in them.
Didn't you get a manual with your new equipment?
Maybe this jammed shaft incident was really meant to save your body from
being torn up..
The universal joints on each end should have a zerk. Some shafts have one in the middle but most have a slotted hole to squirt some grease on the square shaft. It needs to be put on all 4 sides. The guards have a bearing on each end right behind the bell. A few have a plastic zerk but that usually gets broken so most just have a little hole in one of the retainer buttons on each end. If that is your case, get a little needle adapter that has a zerk input and a tapered stem output with a little hole in the end. Stick the adapter zerk into the fitting on the end of your grease gun and push the little tapered tip against the hole and give a squirt. turn the housing and do it again.

 

[gwdixon]

I'll try the penetrating oil explanation one more time.

Take off the PTO shaft from the implement. Stand it upright. Look past the U-joint and down the hole through the middle of the PTO shaft. You should see the end of the other half of the shaft where it slides. (Use a flashlight.) If you can't see it then turn the PTO shaft over and look in the other end.

Spray the lube through the hole so it runs downs the sides of the outside shaft and into the mating surface of the inside shaft. Let gravity be your friend and it will work the lube though the shaft mating surfaces.

 

[pacerron]

I'll try the penetrating oil explanation one more time.

Take off the PTO shaft from the implement. Stand it upright. Look past the U-joint and down the hole through the middle of the PTO shaft. You should see the end of the other half of the shaft where it slides. (Use a flashlight.) If you can't see it then turn the PTO shaft over and look in the other end.

Spray the lube through the hole so it runs downs the sides of the outside shaft and into the mating surface of the inside shaft. Let gravity be your friend and it will work the lube though the shaft mating surfaces.

One last thing, and you and PB are on your own...
When trying to remove the universal from the mower end after removing the shear bolt you may find the universal won't pull off the shaft.
Most good mowers have a big "C" snap ring on the shaft to keep the universal on if the bolt breaks. Slide the universal toward the gearbox and you will see the ring near the outer end of the shaft. Remove it and your good to go.....

 

[k0ua]

One last thing, and you and PB are on your own...
When trying to remove the universal from the mower end after removing the shear bolt you may find the universal won't pull off the shaft.
Most good mowers have a big "C" snap ring on the shaft to keep the universal on if the bolt breaks. Slide the universal toward the gearbox and you will see the ring near the outer end of the shaft. Remove it and your good to go.....

Thanks! I had forgotten that (sometimes a big hammer is not the complete answer to all problems)

James K0UA

 

[nickel plate]

The moral of this story is if you leave the mower outside remove the PTO shaft in the fall, clean and lube, stow it it away in a dry area and re-attach in the spring. The mower is still deemed moveable without the PTO attached. I know this is a lot of work for some folks but so is dealing with a rusted stuck PTO shaft.