PTO shaft stuck on tractor

[DJ05747]

Hi,

Fist experience with a tractor here. Recently purchased a 1977 Kubota B7100D with a Woods RM42 attached. When I tried to remove the mower for the winter the PTO shaft did not want to come off. Previous owner said that he had it off last winter. At first I couldn't get the pin to move but after lots of PB Blaster it moves freely. I pushed in the pin and tried to pull the shaft off with my hands but it would not move. I then took a ratchet strap, went around a tree and tried to ratchet it off while holding the pin in with a clamp. It wouldn't move. Anyone have any tricks to get it off. I have sprayed it down with lots of PB Blaster and WD-40 Rust Penetrator. Thanks.

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

Rig up that ratchet strap again and give the shaft a tappity tap tap with a hammer while under tension. Lube will help too.

 

[chim]

Keep soaking. tap it both in the on and off directions. That might help get it moving. Make sure the pin is nice and free - and fully depressed.

 

[6869704x4]

Stay out of the line of fire when you get that strap under tension. You have a several thousand pound sling shot.
Try a little heat with a propane torch.

 

[85Hokie]

Make sure the PIN is held down when you are pulling - you may need two people - one to hold pin and one to tug.

 

[Henro]

Keep soaking. tap it both in the on and off directions. That might help get it moving. Make sure the pin is nice and free - and fully depressed.

Sage words of wisdom here...!!!

 

[D2Cat]

As others have mentioned the pin may be what is not releasing. Soak the pin with the solvent and tap lightly with a small wrench or hammer to free it up internally. It should pull off with very little force.

You might try to push the shaft forward and then back. It will only move a slight amount, but it may free up what is lodged there.

 

[Chanceywd]

It appears to have been hit with a chisel a few times on the top side in the second photo, not a good tool to use. Have you ran it at all since you have had it? If not maybe that would loosen it a little if it has been sitting and not used for a long time.
I wonder if you could make a puller with a piece of bar stock to go thru the ujoint and with some threaded rod on each side pushing against the tractor get it to move, making sure the release pin is pushed. Some of the pins will come out if you remove a clip on the opposite side from the push part.

Bill

 

[GreensvilleJay]

be nice to remove the PTO shield so you could have good ACCESS to it !
some compressed air to blow the crud away might help, then more 'degreaser', brake cleaner', more air...especially on the splines( get to them from the end.
sadly few actually remove,clean, lube, reinstall PTO shafts on 'one purpose' equipment making it 'fun' for the next guy
Patience, cleaner, good eyeballs......
..it'll come off

 

[chim]

And I should add, you don't need to pound the snot out of it with a 3# hammer. Tapping with a small hammer can work well without damaging seals, bearings, etc.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Hi,

Fist experience with a tractor here. Recently purchased a 1977 Kubota B7100D with a Woods RM42 attached. When I tried to remove the mower for the winter the PTO shaft did not want to come off. Previous owner said that he had it off last winter. At first I couldn't get the pin to move but after lots of PB Blaster it moves freely. I pushed in the pin and tried to pull the shaft off with my hands but it would not move. I then took a ratchet strap, went around a tree and tried to ratchet it off while holding the pin in with a clamp. It wouldn't move. Anyone have any tricks to get it off. I have sprayed it down with lots of PB Blaster and WD-40 Rust Penetrator. Thanks.

BHDT.

First and foremost you need to free that pin up and make sure it is going all of the way in not just part way. Soak and soak in your penetrating oil of preference. Work it in and out until it moves easily by hand. Use a pin punch and hammer to make sure its going all of the way in.

Once you are positive the pin is releasing start working on it with a decent size slide hammer while someone holds teh pin down. Be judicous - you don't want to take out any bearings or bust the housing.

If it won't let go soak it some more in penetrating oil and let is set a while before hitting it again with the slide hammer. It might take a while but it will eventually give way.

I have a slide hammer and hooks just like the one below - works wonders,

Dan

 

[mcfarmall]

Remove the guard, get 2 hammers that are about the same size, and hit both sides of the stuck female spline simultaneously. Balanced forces will not damage bearings, etc.. I use this technique on stubborn pipe unions all the time and have NEVER damaged or cracked a union nut in my career, and all of them came loose.

 

[6869704x4]

If you get tired of it take the ujoint apart and see if you can make/borrow/rent a puller. Picture for concept.

A jaw type might work if you can get the jaws behind it

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

If you get tired of it take the ujoint apart and see if you can make/borrow/rent a puller. Picture for concept.
View attachment 115804
A jaw type might work if you can get the jaws behind it

^^^^^^^This^^^^^^

That will pull on the joint only, and not the PTO shaft and the whole tractor.

If that doesn't work I'd very carefully grind off (cut off - linear) the implent driveshaft from the PTO shaft.

I'd guess the push pin is broken and not releasing, or the joint is rusted onto the shaft, or it's spun a bit on the PTO shaft splines because of it's age.

If you take the ujoint apart, maybe spin it with the tractor PTO and see if it's out of center. IF it wobbles, it was the wrong driveline and someone keyed it on there.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Strap to pull
Clamp the pin down
Spray with lube inside an out.
Tap with hammer side to side.

 

[Chanceywd]

If you get tired of it take the ujoint apart and see if you can make/borrow/rent a puller. Picture for concept.
View attachment 115804
A jaw type might work if you can get the jaws behind it

That is the idea I was saying with a bar going thru the assembled joint. It would have to go in the second side or remove the grease fitting and all thread used back to the tractor.
A bearing splitter behind the backside might work if you don't clamp it tight to the spline, again with a pusher bolt both sides,
As u say dis-assembling the joint might be the best way but if you can get the lock pin and spring out too would insure that wasn't hanging up.
edit. I see my flaw would be pulling on the whole shaft same as a strap. This puller against the shaft might be the best if it is stuck hard.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Providing the little pin is free, then either rust or grease on the splines is keeping shaft from coming off. A generous amount of propane heat should help.

 

[mcfarmall]

If you get tired of it take the ujoint apart and see if you can make/borrow/rent a puller. Picture for concept.
View attachment 115804
A jaw type might work if you can get the jaws behind it

That would be awesome if the yoke had bolt-on caps like that. Crosses and caps are a pain in the @$$ to swap out even under the most ideal conditions, let alone trying to beat them apart without damaging anything on the tractor end.

 

[jaxs]

Heat,force and hammering risk making things worse so limit the amount applied. My suspicion is that pin is damaged or shaft and/or coupling is worn enough to allow rotational misalignment and locked. I'd start by removing pin by removing horseshoe clip then pushing pin out along with spring. If coupler still won't come off, wiggle tractor shaft and coupler back and forth in apposing directions to see if there is a few thousandth slack. If there is no "wiggle room" determine which direction pto rotates, lock/secure tractor shaft to prevent it rotating (ground speed pto position if tractor is so equipped,improvised clamp on shaft if not) . With tractor shaft secured to resist rotation,rotate coupler in SAME direction it normal turns during operation. After misalighned binding comes loose the pieces should wiggle when rotated in apposing directions.

I intermixing mm and fractional parts could have lead to excessive wear over time.

 

[jaxs]

That would be awesome if the yoke had bolt-on caps like that. Crosses and caps are a pain in the @$$ to swap out even under the most ideal conditions, let alone trying to beat them apart without damaging anything on the tractor end.

Just a friendly tip,don't beat cups out,press them out. A vise and large sockets on the bench, cee clamp and sockets while on tractor or implement.