Removing stuck stump jumper on brush hog

[greenmower]

Hi, Long overdue, (june 2020)...While replacing the gear box on my brush hog I ran into a problem removing the stump jumper. It had seized with age to the shaft. Since I don't have a lot of tools for removing large things like this I had to cobble together something. Prying behind the stump jumper with split log pieces was not enough. What I learned actually worked well, over a 2 day try, (time is always your friend....was there for 20 plus years, can't expect to fall off in 20 minutes). I'll try to explain what I did so others may benefit. I took my tractor draw bar and clamped it

to the cutter blades, aligning the center hole of the draw bar over the center of the gear shaft. Then I put a large bolt with several washers and a nut on the end between the draw bar and shaft to work as a simple press. Tightening the nut pushes the draw bar out, the same as a press, however even with more washers added it would not release the stump jumper from the shaft. Hmmm...time is our friend so I sprayed it with WD-40 and let it set overnight. The next morning I tightened the nut another 1/2 turn, nothing...so out of frustration and knowing a bigger hammer sometimes helps....(you or the project?)....I thumped the end of the bolt one time with a sledge, not even very hard, and the stump jumper did just that...it jumped off the shaft. So...If you ever have a stuck stump jumper, try this method. It works.

end of bolt rounded with a grinder to seat into hole on shaft end.

Stand back, it literally jumped off the shaft...

Nearly complete, had to match Kubota orange...

 

[LD1]

Thats is a common method with any type of press or pulling equipment.

Dont rely on just the sheer tension of the device.

I probably use this method most on 2 or 3 jaw pullers....and ball joint C-clamp things.

If it isnt going willingly....no sense in bending or breaking things or stripping/galling threads. Put an open end wrench on the puller so you can provide tension....then smack it with a hammer. Works 99.9% of the time. I have an aluminum hammer I like for this so I dont bugger up the hex on whatever puller I am using

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

We always loosen the castle nut and put the cotter pin back in and go cut a little bit. It just falls loose.

 

[Richard]

I just gotta say, that is pretty clever thinking. You get extra points for using what you've got on hand.

 

[5030]

Think I'd be adding steel skid shoes to the bottom leading edge on both sides as well.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Think I'd be adding steel skid shoes to the bottom leading edge on both sides as well.

I always run a Bush Hog high in the front and let the tail wheel be my height. My skids only hit on uneven ground rarely.