Secret to hooking up PTO shaft

[hosspuller]

Clean, Clean and no burrs. An old toothbrush with solvent works well. I just had a go-round with the bush hog PTO. There were small spots of caked dirt/oil on the internal splines. The toothbrush made it clean enough to see the small spots. Once those were scraped clean and re-oiled, the shaft slide together smoothly.

Dirt and grease mix together to make crud that prevents the parts from sliding smoothly. Cleaning and re-greasing makes the hook-up easy again.

 

[DwightD123]

Here is the best way to do it bar none: Back up to the implement making no mistake on distance or evenness. Get off the tractor and give the line-up a once over. Once you are certain everything is perfect straddle the PTO shaft and pull into place.

Although everything was perfectly even and lined up the shaft will be off-center. Mutter a small obsenity about the impossibility of these relational physics. Get back on the tractor and go back and forth at least 3 times. Climb back down and straddle the PTO shaft again only to find out it is worse than the first time.

Even though you are fully aware of the weight of the implement you should now attempt to move the implement. This will automatically cause a slightly larger obsenity to blurt out of your mouth. Climb on the tractor again and while in 3rd gear rip around and get a clean shot at the implement. Climb off muttering something about putting a man on the moon and pull the PTO Shaft until it meets up with the tractor's PTO. Calculate the odds of six splines over the circumference of the shaft and after quick calculation make mental note to never play the lottery again.
Throw down the PTO shaft and kick the tire hard enough that you will remember it for the rest of the day. Wipe your forehead with your sleeve, yell at the dog, promise a kick in the pills to the unfortunate inventor of this contraption then go get a drink of water. When you come back the shaft will go on on the first or second try.
It is extremely important to put the PTO cover somewhere you will not remember it and it is likely to hide for at least 4 weeks. Climb on the tractor and wait for 20-25 seconds before you start the tractor. This will provide sufficient time for the wife to call you in or the cell phone to ring and avoid wearing out your starter prematurely.

I hope this helps...it works everytime for me.

 

[Ken45101]

Make sure the paint is removed from the implement end. Sometimes there is paint on there and that makes it a tighter fit.

A good wire brushing helps keep things clean.

 

[bigtalker]

Thanks again for all the replies. Next time we have a rainy weekend in Georgia I think I will take all the implements with shafts pull them apart and clean them good. Maybe use mineral spirits or similar. Have to figure out way to get inside the outer shaft. Maybe one of those 3' long drill bits with a solvent soaked rag wrapped around it. GB

 

[Mounted Madness]

Here is the best way to do it bar none: Back up to the implement making no mistake on distance or evenness. Get off the tractor and give the line-up a once over. Once you are certain everything is perfect straddle the PTO shaft and pull into place.

Although everything was perfectly even and lined up the shaft will be off-center. Mutter a small obsenity about the impossibility of these relational physics. Get back on the tractor and go back and forth at least 3 times. Climb back down and straddle the PTO shaft again only to find out it is worse than the first time.

Even though you are fully aware of the weight of the implement you should now attempt to move the implement. This will automatically cause a slightly larger obsenity to blurt out of your mouth. Climb on the tractor again and while in 3rd gear rip around and get a clean shot at the implement. Climb off muttering something about putting a man on the moon and pull the PTO Shaft until it meets up with the tractor's PTO. Calculate the odds of six splines over the circumference of the shaft and after quick calculation make mental note to never play the lottery again.
Throw down the PTO shaft and kick the tire hard enough that you will remember it for the rest of the day. Wipe your forehead with your sleeve, yell at the dog, promise a kick in the pills to the unfortunate inventor of this contraption then go get a drink of water. When you come back the shaft will go on on the first or second try.
It is extremely important to put the PTO cover somewhere you will not remember it and it is likely to hide for at least 4 weeks. Climb on the tractor and wait for 20-25 seconds before you start the tractor. This will provide sufficient time for the wife to call you in or the cell phone to ring and avoid wearing out your starter prematurely.

I hope this helps...it works everytime for me.

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing: I've used a very very similar format as well...and it works...:laughing::laughing::laughing::thumbsup:

 

[5030]

Interesting. All my PTO input shaft's are double yoked so lining up is never a problem and as far as moving an implement physically, I don't think so. My implements weigh on the average 3500 pounds or better.

Both my M9 and the 105 have wet clutch driven pto output shafts so what I do is turn off the tractor and engage the PTO. Without the engine running, there is no hydraulic pressure on the wet clutch, consequently the PTO turns easily. I wear gloves because the output is always greasy and rotate the stub to match the implement coupler and slide it on untill the collar locks.

With the engine running, I have a 1/4 free turn on the stub, but it's never a quarter turn in the right direction..........:laughing:

Fas as the physical hook up, I'd recommend a Pat's Easy Change if you don't have telescopic end links. Bigger tractors in the Class 2-3 all have telescopic ends.

 

[tcartwri]

Word of warning.... If it's a bastard going on it will be a ***** coming off.... I would rather deal with the bastard before it latches on to my machine and becomes a *****. :thumbsup:

 

[5030]

I've had that happen before even though it went on easy. Case in point, my rotary rake. I can wad it in a turn and forget to lift it and the pto shaft gets so short it runs out of play and binds the coupler. I find that reversing the implement shaft slightly with a bar in the yoke, relieves the bind and allows an easy removal.

 

[Pete Judd]

I keep an rag tucked under the seat, as I find that I have to rotate the shaft, and grab the U joint at the end to get them seated. I hit the U joint all the time with the gun, so always, stuff to make your hands dirty.

 

[5030]

Grease is a poor farmers Corn Husker Lotion.....