Rotary Cutter PTO ball bearings won't move

[bgeehens]

I have a John Deere HX10 and when I went to hook it up this year the collar was stuck. Lots of WD40 and some light hammering got it freed up. But the ball bearings inside were stuck and wouldn't move. Lots of PB Blaster and a screwdriver as a pry bar and 2 of them are now moving. The third is stuck tight.

I've taken a rubber mallet and tapped on the outside with the collar pushed forward thinking that might jar it loose. No joy...

Any other ideas on how to free it up would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your ideas and help!

 

[oosik]

Several threads on TBN regarding stuck PTO balls. Bottom line - lots of lube(PB Blaster, WD-40, etc) and time. Enter "stuck pto" into Google custom search - upper right corner of page - see what you find.

 

[CalG]

I have a John Deere HX10 and when I went to hook it up this year the collar was stuck. Lots of WD40 and some light hammering got it freed up. But the ball bearings inside were stuck and wouldn't move. Lots of PB Blaster and a screwdriver as a pry bar and 2 of them are now moving. The third is stuck tight.

I've taken a rubber mallet and tapped on the outside with the collar pushed forward thinking that might jar it loose. No joy...

Any other ideas on how to free it up would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your ideas and help!

WD40 is a fools tool
Stoddard solvent in a convenient dispenser. USE OIL! ATF works well, lots of detergents. PB Blaster is good for penetration, but it's lubrication properties are scant.

Get some oil in the rusted areas and work the moving elements over and over and over again.
The corrosion needs to be scrubbed off to restore free movement of the parts. No free lunch here, no "spray and all is better" treatments. Elbow grease was the term used in the not so distant past.

IT STILL WORKS!

;-)

 

[Wagtail]

WD40 is a fools tool
Stoddard solvent in a convenient dispenser. USE OIL! ATF works well, lots of detergents. PB Blaster is good for penetration, but it's lubrication properties are scant.

Get some oil in the rusted areas and work the moving elements over and over and over again.
The corrosion needs to be scrubbed off to restore free movement of the parts. No free lunch here, no "spray and all is better" treatments. Elbow grease was the term used in the not so distant past.

IT STILL WORKS!

;-)

Sage advice. :thumbsup:

 

[joecdeere]

When that happens to me, I put the end in a container of diesel for the day, never had it not free up

 

[bgeehens]

Thanks to each and every one of you who responded - I really appreciate you taking time out of your own busy schedules to try to help out someone in need.

I'm not looking for easy, just something I haven't tried as what I have tried has not worked.

joecdeere - gonna try the diesel idea - I have spent every evening for a week and a half working on this and it is WAY past time I need to be in the field cutting. And since I have a diesel tractor and a diesel lawn tractor I have plenty of it on hand. :thumbsup:

 

[DJ54]

Sounds like the perfect place to try the 50/50 mix of Acetone & ATF. Works much better than PB Blaster, and even Kroil, and I've used both of those for years. I use an old dish detergent bottle as an applicator, so the Acetone will not evaporate. A quart of each won't set you back that much to try it.

I now buy Acetone by the gallon, and Rural King had their ATF on sale, 2 gal., for $14.99. I ought to be set for a few years.

 

[M5farms]

if only you had a pint of oil left from an oil change you would be set ..

 

[bgeehens]

DJ54 - as luck would have it I have 2 quarts of ATF on hand due to a leaky transmission on my Dodge Diesel Ram 2500 (now fixed so the ATF is no longer immediately needed).

No Acetone on hand, but will definitely pick some up and give this a whirl.

How long do you let it work on the problem before adding some elbow grease into the mix?

 

[bgeehens]

M5farms - This chick don't do my own oil changes...

 

[Soundguy]

here is what I'd do. use brake cleaner and spray it clean and dry.

then use a rust disolver.. like clr, or driveway cleaner, etc, give it a swim for a bit to let it eat that rust.. rinse off, spray dry again. NOW do the diesel soak... etc.

with that extra rust gone.. you just have balls to deal with. once you get it free, just keep it lubed.

 

[jdtractor]

What soundguy said x 2!

 

[bgeehens]

Thanks Soundguy and jdtractor - any and all suggestions are so very much welcome and appreciated - and I know my critters are tired of hearing "son of a bee" for hours each evening so they thank you too...

Almost anxious to get back at it tonight - just have to do some shopping first - I do not have brake cleaner or clr on hand (but I will soon).

 

[M5farms]

M5farms - This chick don't do my own oil changes...

Gotcha, I had just read a thread of a guy that was complaining about the car only needed 4.5 qts and was ranting about why it was not even and didn't know what to do with the other pint.

FWIW acetone and atf is the best "knockem loose" you can use . When I was a boy My great uncle told me about it and said when you spray it on a bolt and nut ,walk away and when you come back it will have screwed itself off.

 

[sal64]

I had same problem I clamped the ball in my bench vise and used the the leverage of the bars and rocked them back and forth as much as they can go.

 

[DJ54]

If it's something I'm planning on working on, I'll apply it a few days ahead of time. I usually leave the squirt bottle beside it, and give it a shot when ever I walk by it, 3-4 times a day. I had an old manure spreader that I needed to repair the drag chain in. The adjusting bolts had that nasty flakey rust on it. That one I applied the mix 2-3 times a day for a couple of days. I wire brushed it off, then hit it again. Once it broke loose, I removed the adjusting nut with my fingers.

Works very well on older machinery where paint and rust are on threads. The Acetone will also dissolve the paint.

 

[CalG]

If you enjoy acetone, you will love 1,1,1, tri clor
1,1,1-Trichloroethane - Wikipedia

I've never seen a substance penetrate and separate metals like it does. Tapping fluid for steel, CHECK!
Free stuck fasteners, CHECK!

If only it could be purchased in small quantities. A half litre would last a life time.

 

[bgeehens]

Gotcha, I had just read a thread of a guy that was complaining about the car only needed 4.5 qts and was ranting about why it was not even and didn't know what to do with the other pint.

FWIW acetone and atf is the best "knockem loose" you can use . When I was a boy My great uncle told me about it and said when you spray it on a bolt and nut ,walk away and when you come back it will have screwed itself off.

That is EXACTLY what I need - thanks again M5farms! This old dog has learned some new tricks!

 

[bgeehens]

If it's something I'm planning on working on, I'll apply it a few days ahead of time. I usually leave the squirt bottle beside it, and give it a shot when ever I walk by it, 3-4 times a day. I had an old manure spreader that I needed to repair the drag chain in. The adjusting bolts had that nasty flakey rust on it. That one I applied the mix 2-3 times a day for a couple of days. I wire brushed it off, then hit it again. Once it broke loose, I removed the adjusting nut with my fingers.

Works very well on older machinery where paint and rust are on threads. The Acetone will also dissolve the paint.

Thanks DJ54 - all of my equipment is old so this is knowledge I will use often I'm sure. You may have just saved my sanity!

 

[bgeehens]

If you enjoy acetone, you will love 1,1,1, tri clor
1,1,1-Trichloroethane - Wikipedia

I've never seen a substance penetrate and separate metals like it does. Tapping fluid for steel, CHECK!
Free stuck fasteners, CHECK!

If only it could be purchased in small quantities. A half litre would last a life time.

After reading this article seems we may all want to stock up on a lifetime supply since it is being phased out as yet another ozone destroying compound. Ordering some as I type this...