B7100 PTO jumps out of gear in mid speed setting.

[SGBotsford]

I have an elderly B7100 -- 6 speeds, forward, 2 reverse split into two ranges, and a 3 speed PTO. 16 HP diesel. Built like a tank.

Last summer when rototilling the PTO jumped out of gear in the mid speed setting. (The lever has 5 dedents with slow, neutral, medium neutral fast.) Tractor gear is 1L.

It seems to be load related. E.g. it will run ok, until I hit a slightly harder spot. I'm not torturing the poor thing. This is land that I ploughed and disced first.

Runs fine in low pto speed -- but that means about three passes.
Runs fine in high pto speed -- but that means that if I don't put in the clutch to regain revs, I stall in about 3 feet.

What should I start to look for? I've got 10 weeks to solve the problem.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Keep it in the first gear which is rated for 540 RPM's. I have a B6100 with the same 3 speed pto and mine does the same thing it will slip out of a higher pto gear. Which its designed to do that to keep from tearing up the tractor and breaking something. The other pto speeds are if you want to run something like a generator off the pto which requires faster rpms and doesn't draw much horse power.

 

[kubotasam]

I do not think your Kubota is designed to jump out of gear on the pto. I have 2 B7100 gear drive tractors and have roto-tilled lots with both tractors in the second PTO speed. Mine do not jump out of gear. As far as advice about what is wrong-- Usually when something is jumping out under load it is a bent or broken shift fork or a gear that is so worn on the side that that the thrust of it turning pushes it out of gear. I wish I could be more help.

 

[Stumpy]

I wouldn't think it'd be designed to cam out either. I could be wrong, where did you hear that Eric?

I would start by taking the shifter plate off the top of the transmission and draining the fluid so you can see the PTO gears and shift collars. My guess is you'll find some of the gears chewed up or like Sam said, one of the shift forks is bent. Unfortunately to change the gears if that's the problem you'll have to split the tractor but diagnosis first.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I wouldn't think it'd be designed to cam out either. I could be wrong, where did you hear that Eric?

Because I asked the very same question on here YEARS ago and that's the answer many people gave me. It's designed to do that to keep from tearing things up especially with the higher rpm pto settings.