Spreader 3pt fertilizer spreader PTO shaft stuck

[BTackett]

I have a PTO shaft on my 3pt spreader that is froze up. It will not slide in/out and I cannot remove it from the gearbox either. What is a good method to pull it apart to clean/lube to slide properly? I have tried PB blaster, heat, banging, slammer etc and it will not budge. I thought if I had a hydraulic ram like auto body/frame shops use I could make a couple of L-brackets and attach some U-bolts on each end of the shaft and push it apart with the ram. Any other ideas?

Bill

 

[greg_g]

I suggest another look at the transmission end. Granted it's not a quick disconnect, but it IS (or was) almost certainly engineered to be removable. Or did someone weld it on?

//greg//

 

[Soundguy]

Remove the shaft from the gearbox.

If you use a hyd pres to push it apart.. expect to be replacing both yokes.

keep on with the pb blaster and heat.. and instead of beating on it.. tap downthe metal shaft on all sides.. repeat this often... not huge blows.. but medium whangs..

you can use a comealong to put 'tension' on it between 2 trees.. good tension.. keep tapping with hammer.. usually it slips imperceptably every day.. keep tightening the tension to remove slack, and keep tapping and keep the penetrant oil to it. I've seperated many shafts like this.

one seperated, sand or buf fthe innder shaft, and lube.. clean the IDo of the outter shaft with oild rags pushed thru it as best you can.. lube the snot out of it... now use it..

soundguy

 

[RobJ]

Also run it for a while. Lift the 3pt up and down all the way, this should force some movement(jump on it if it won't go down). When you work it, not only try and pull it out but push it in to. Once you get some movement one way or another...you just about have it licked.

Worse cast ou can also drill some holes in the middle to work in some PBB. I still have to grease these things by hand so in the long run a few holes won't hurt anything.

Good Luck,
Rob

 

[BTackett]

I cannot remove the shaft from the gear box. The yoke is stuck on the gearbox shaft. If I could get it off I would just buy a new shaft for $60 and be done with it. It does not have the release pin yoke on the gearbox end, it is siezed also.

I cannot run the pto and raise it up and down because the shaft is jammed in the compressed position and not long enough to hook up at each end. I am applying PBB every day and tapping now.


thanks,
Bill

 

[slowzuki]

Hello,

Same thing happened to my neighbours spreader. We heated the yoke red hot with the torch and removed it easily. We then separated the two sliding halves of the shaft by chaining one to a truck hitch and the other to a sledge with a length of chain. Heated and popped it a few times.

All the grease seals were burned up of course (in the shaft) but we greased it up and used it a few times again. Probably seized again by now, they left it full of fertilizer for 2 years.

 

[BTackett]

I will try that. heating it with a torch or just a propane torch?

Bill

 

[Soundguy]

you got both ? try em both? got only 1.. try it...

soundguy

 

[mojoinco]

2 other penetrants: diesel, and even better, Kroil (http://www.kanolabs.com/). Awesome stuff. But heat usually works. Use as large a head torch as you have (speeds up the outer shaft heating -- sometimes you get ahead of the heat transfer and the inner tube will not heat as fast).

Find some old diesel and a tub (or tube).

 

[greg_g]

I cannot remove the shaft from the gear box. The yoke is stuck on the gearbox shaft.

Ah, so you have two problems; one at the gear box end, and one between the half-shafts. How about removing the transmission (and attached shaft) from the spreader frame? If you can't get the shaft halves apart, that means you'd be destroying the plastic components just to get at the metal parts with heat. Plus using intense heat ups the odds of permanently bending/twisting/warping one or both half-shafts.

Once off the spreader, you'll be able to use a bench vise and have more working room for your hand tools - and very probably be able to separate the stuck parts without applying heat at all.

Or - just concentrate on separating the old shaft from the transmission end - then buy a new PTO shaft.

//greg//