So I've spent a few hours heating this thing up and and spraying all kinds of **** on it but to no avail. I'm thinkin about cutting the yoke off the input shaft. Should I be concerned if I knick the input shaft on the mower with the cutting wheel? or is a small knick ok?
I'm running out of options and ideas.
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Hello FatChance, Using a grinder scalple is not a good idea and can get
you deported from the Flail Mower Nations-no you will not get deported really :^)
I want to welcome you as the newest member of the "Flail Mower Nations".
No passport is required to enter at the Beer Garden Entrance Gate to the "Flail Mower Nations".
No annual dues are needed either.
Sorry to hear of your troubles with the Power Take Off shaft on your new to you flail mower.
What your dealing with is Oldus Rustus Nastius Dsgustus Normalus Pain In The Tushitis otherwise known as
"I am going to kill something itus if these pieces of male and female splined steel does no separate so I can fix
it syndrome.
I am unsure what type of smoke wrench you are using for the surgery but a profane propane torch is not going to help the surgery nor is an acetylene torch with a feather flame going to help.
Your going to need the big guns/smoke wrench scalpel and a piece of steel thick and long enough to do the job.
Now Unless you have used a fat max torch for this I would invest in one and have a piece of steel cut to have a slot in it that would over the male spline of the gearbox.
its going to take a lot of heat to make that metal expand and a fat max torch should do it for you you just have to be patient and let it heat the yoke.
If you can invest in piece of bar stock that has a slot cut in it or have bar stocked welded to together to
make a narrow fork that will fit over the male stub shaft with two thick tines you should have enough leverage to push the yoke off after you heat it enough. ideally if you have some hard wood blocking or a survey stake below the gearbox and pry against the yoke while using the survey stake as a point to push against it should pop right off there.
you heat it.
An even faster method would be to take it to a welding shop and have them use a rosebud torch to heat it as that will work very quickly for you and a few whacks with a or a 4 pound hammer while spinning the shaft will break it loose.
Dont lose hope Fatchance, you have entered a unique fraternity of friends that seek to end the dominance of rotary cutters and mowers for safer mowing one flail mower at a time.
If you do not have a turbo torch I would invest in one and do not hesistate to heat the yoke from the bottom up for quite a while after you clean the penetrating oil off the connection with some rubbing alcohol as it will flare up on you and thats not good.
If You have a welding shop nearby perhaps paying for a half hours work from them with a rosebud torch would be better for you to end the frustration as you have a great mower there.
DONT LOSE HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
