For a few years a used Woods 3180-3 bought from the local ag dealer has done well clipping my very rocky cattle pastures. In fact, last year I had no problems at all, having learned where to proceed with care and raise the implement to avoid hitting rocks.
That all changed last week when I eased across an outcropping with the blade tips, but then dropped the mower a bit too soon and caught the inner end of a wing blade such that its tip whacked the undercarriage near the mount for the torsion bar bushing. No problem, right? That's what slip clutches are for. WRONG!
The slip clutch didn't, and instead the wing driveshaft spun right off the outer u-joint, bending both yokes. Getting the driveshaft off for service was no problem, but removing the yoke from the wing gearbox input shaft has been a real PITA.
Messick's said there must be a snap ring inside the gearbox, but there isn't. Eventually the seller [a Southern States co-op] found the right diagram and we located a spring-loaded pin that should free the external slip-clutch from the wing gearbox shaft and allow removal of the input stub. A few hours with PB Blaster and a lot of tapping and gentle pulling have so far yielded no results.
All suggestions on how to get the clutch off and remove the yoke welcomed.
tia,
enfield
Kubota M8540HD, Woods 3180 Series 3
That all changed last week when I eased across an outcropping with the blade tips, but then dropped the mower a bit too soon and caught the inner end of a wing blade such that its tip whacked the undercarriage near the mount for the torsion bar bushing. No problem, right? That's what slip clutches are for. WRONG!
The slip clutch didn't, and instead the wing driveshaft spun right off the outer u-joint, bending both yokes. Getting the driveshaft off for service was no problem, but removing the yoke from the wing gearbox input shaft has been a real PITA.
Messick's said there must be a snap ring inside the gearbox, but there isn't. Eventually the seller [a Southern States co-op] found the right diagram and we located a spring-loaded pin that should free the external slip-clutch from the wing gearbox shaft and allow removal of the input stub. A few hours with PB Blaster and a lot of tapping and gentle pulling have so far yielded no results.
All suggestions on how to get the clutch off and remove the yoke welcomed.
tia,
enfield
Kubota M8540HD, Woods 3180 Series 3