PTO froze up on Massey 135

[Gwindel]

Good Morning everyone,
The problem I'm having is this: I was tilling with a 5' tiller yesterday and the PTO shaft got very hot and noticed a little smoking come off the shaft and shut it down. Now the shaft is frozen and when I try to engage it, it stalls the tractor. The PTO will engage but when you let the clutch out it stalls. I'm thinking the Bearings may have got so hot that they froze. How hard is it to change out and is it something that can be done by someone that is a novice on tractors? Any help at all will be highly appreciated...

 

[pjbci]

Is it the tractor or tiller that seized?

 

[Gwindel]

Is it the tractor or tiller that seized?

Good morning pjbci, it's the PTO that froze, you can see at the base of the PTO shaft where it got hot and if that's where the bearing is it looks like some melted metal oozed from around the shaft. How hard is it to replace the bearing and seal on this Massey 135?

 

[pjbci]

Its a fairly easy and straight forward fix if it hasnt gotten so hot that it has welded parts together.

 

[Gwindel]

Well, I'm afraid it has wielded it's self some what. I haven't tried to pull it apart yet. I'm told I'll have to drain all the fluid down and pull the service cover off and should be able to pull the whole shaft with bearing and all out. But if it's melted it's self do you think heating it with a torch would help free it up to come out?

 

[pjbci]

We just backed ours up on some blocks to elevate the rear and oil loss was very little. If i remember correctly when you pull those bolts out around the shaft the whole assembly is going to slip right out regardless of wether or not its welded on. Then you can get it on a shop table and get at what has to be replaced. Its been years since i replacced it tho so im kinda rusty on the whole procedure. Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[pjbci]

Now that i think about it, your shaft got extremly hot. You probaly should change the oil out completely. Also i just cant remember if the pto lever cover plate has to come off or not. Some help me here.... Kid, where are you at on this one. Help us out.

 

[Gwindel]

Well I took the PTO shaft out and sure enough, the driveshaft on the tiller was too long and when the tiller was lowered it was putting extreme pressure back in to the slip clutch I had installed on the PTO and caused it to fuse it's self to the outer part of the seal area and locked it up. I just need a new seal assembly and I should be back in business. Oh, and cut down the length of the drive shaft on the tiller. Live and learn they say. Thanks for you help pjbci.

Gwindel,