Hello all...I've a problem I'm hoping to find someone with more experience that I to provide some advice. I have a L3240 with a rc72-38 mower deck. I bought it used about 7 years ago with 250 hrs and now it has 900 hrs.
The other day while mowing the deck quit. After tearing into it I found the PTO drive shaft had sheared where the universal connects to the gearbox. I pulled the bolt that clamps the universal to the gearbox and it was badly chewed up. The gears in the gearbox were gone to the point I could spin the universal by hand without moving the gearbox. There was no noise (that I could hear) when the splines sheared and I mowed for maybe 200 feet without the deck turning.
I can't get the universal pounded off the gearbox input shaft. I've beat on it (the slit in the universal) first with screw drivers then with cold chisels to open the universal up to release the shaft. It doesn't look like a gear puller is an option due to the shape of the universal. Any ideas on getting the universal off the gearbox input shaft?
Secondly I'm thinking about just driving the input shaft off maybe 3/4" and drilling a new "keyway" through the input on the gearbox and dropping a bolt through the drilled hole. I know this is a "farmers fix" and I'm not keen on those but this unexplained problem turns out to be an expensive repair.
Do you think drilling a hole on one side of the PTO input shaft of the gearbox and installing a bolt has a chance of working? Seems to me the input shaft and universal are toast anyway.
The other day while mowing the deck quit. After tearing into it I found the PTO drive shaft had sheared where the universal connects to the gearbox. I pulled the bolt that clamps the universal to the gearbox and it was badly chewed up. The gears in the gearbox were gone to the point I could spin the universal by hand without moving the gearbox. There was no noise (that I could hear) when the splines sheared and I mowed for maybe 200 feet without the deck turning.
I can't get the universal pounded off the gearbox input shaft. I've beat on it (the slit in the universal) first with screw drivers then with cold chisels to open the universal up to release the shaft. It doesn't look like a gear puller is an option due to the shape of the universal. Any ideas on getting the universal off the gearbox input shaft?
Secondly I'm thinking about just driving the input shaft off maybe 3/4" and drilling a new "keyway" through the input on the gearbox and dropping a bolt through the drilled hole. I know this is a "farmers fix" and I'm not keen on those but this unexplained problem turns out to be an expensive repair.
Do you think drilling a hole on one side of the PTO input shaft of the gearbox and installing a bolt has a chance of working? Seems to me the input shaft and universal are toast anyway.