l3800 DT PTO doesn't engage easily...

IDKUBOTA

Member

Equipment
L3800DT/FEL/BH77 and others
Dec 16, 2012
133
16
18
Latah County, ID
Greetings,
I recently put on my field mower and found that the PTO doesnt engage easy like it used to. It used to be a simple level pull and it was seamlessly engaged. Now, it grinds to engage and it disengages easily. It there some adjustment I am supposed to be looking at? It has always shifted into gear with some minor tooth grinding that I have mitigated by moving through the gears w the clutch in before shifting into gear. The service shop has always reported it did not have a problem. ANyway this is new and irritating and seems that I could ruin something if not addressed. Is there an adjustment I can do or should I have the dealer address it? Thank you in advance for your assistance.
-RP
 

Roadworthy

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L2501 HST
Aug 17, 2019
1,649
525
113
Benton City, WA
Check your clutch adjustment - the pedal should only have about an inch of free play. Engage PTO at idle then bring up to speed. When depressing the clutch allow a couple seconds for gears to stop rotating before engaging PTO or shifting into gear.
 

whitetiger

Moderator
Staff member

Equipment
Kubota tech..BX2370, RCK60, B7100HST, RTV900 w plow, Ford 1100 FWA
Nov 20, 2011
2,542
1,059
113
Kansas City, KS
Greetings,
I recently put on my field mower and found that the PTO doesnt engage easy like it used to. It used to be a simple level pull and it was seamlessly engaged. Now, it grinds to engage and it disengages easily. It there some adjustment I am supposed to be looking at? It has always shifted into gear with some minor tooth grinding that I have mitigated by moving through the gears w the clutch in before shifting into gear. The service shop has always reported it did not have a problem. ANyway this is new and irritating and seems that I could ruin something if not addressed. Is there an adjustment I can do or should I have the dealer address it? Thank you in advance for your assistance.
-RP
You are not engaging the PTO without depressing the clutch pedal, are you????
 

IDKUBOTA

Member

Equipment
L3800DT/FEL/BH77 and others
Dec 16, 2012
133
16
18
Latah County, ID
You are not engaging the PTO without depressing the clutch pedal, are you????
I am depressing the clutch pedal.

I'll have to check the free play again but I don't think that I have much at all. Tonight, I could not engage the PTO without grinding initially then it went in and out easily until I raised the RPM and then put everything in neutral depressed the clutch and it wouldn't go in without grinding so I quit. I'll have to find out how to adjust the clutch. It is 2012 w 480 hours on it.
 

whitetiger

Moderator
Staff member

Equipment
Kubota tech..BX2370, RCK60, B7100HST, RTV900 w plow, Ford 1100 FWA
Nov 20, 2011
2,542
1,059
113
Kansas City, KS
I am depressing the clutch pedal.

I'll have to check the free play again but I don't think that I have much at all. Tonight, I could not engage the PTO without grinding initially then it went in and out easily until I raised the RPM and then put everything in neutral depressed the clutch and it wouldn't go in without grinding so I quit. I'll have to find out how to adjust the clutch. It is 2012 w 480 hours on it.
You should have approx 1" of free travel on the clutch pedal. To adjust, open the hood and depress the clutch pedal and you will see the linkage move, you will see the adjustment.
 

Mountainhill

Member

Equipment
l2501 (l3800 2013/22), Box Blade, post hole digger, Leon's rear blade
Apr 3, 2017
68
55
18
Nova Scotia, Canada
Greetings,
I recently put on my field mower and found that the PTO doesnt engage easy like it used to. It used to be a simple level pull and it was seamlessly engaged. Now, it grinds to engage and it disengages easily. It there some adjustment I am supposed to be looking at? It has always shifted into gear with some minor tooth grinding that I have mitigated by moving through the gears w the clutch in before shifting into gear. The service shop has always reported it did not have a problem. ANyway this is new and irritating and seems that I could ruin something if not addressed. Is there an adjustment I can do or should I have the dealer address it? Thank you in advance for your assistance.
-RP
Just as a side note. When selling my 2013 l3800 HST, the buyer tried to engage the PTO, it didn’t work! Anyway, he played around with the cable and or assembly, and it engaged. I didn’t take much notice, as he was happy to purchase the tractor.
 

IDKUBOTA

Member

Equipment
L3800DT/FEL/BH77 and others
Dec 16, 2012
133
16
18
Latah County, ID
Well, I did have free play- 2.5 inches of it... the clutch got adjusted to about 1 inch and now the PTO engages with NO grinding and even the transmission engages with NO grinding. Pretty easy to have done... lock nut, turnbuckle, measure the freeplay, engage the PTO, tighten the locknut. Thanks for the help and input.
 
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