3-Point Hitch BX Rear Implement Shaft Issues

[robertm]

I put my B2789 rear-mount blower on my BX this weekend to test and cut the driveshaft. I noticed that in the highest lift position, which I can't guarantee I won't reach when snow blowing, the lobe on the blower coupler at the tractor hits the lower link stabilizer brackets where attached to the plate below the PTO.
Has anyone had this issue? What can I do in regards to the shaft guard cup at the tractor PTO? It looks like the cup is too large, and is causing the plate where the stabilizers attach to ride up closer to the shaft. I always thought it best to leave the shaft guard, but on the BX with everything so tight and compact, I don't think standard implements always fit.
Any help is appreciated.

 

[robertm]

Surprised in 110+ views no one has had this issue. Looks like the coupler that joins the tractor is the culprit. Actually could use one like the mower deck has with a slave that is pulled back to unlock. This one has the massive coupler with an asymmetrical lobe hanging off one side that hits the telescoping stabilizers.

 

[check]

Surprised in 110+ views no one has had this issue. Looks like the coupler that joins the tractor is the culprit. Actually could use one like the mower deck has with a slave that is pulled back to unlock. This one has the massive coupler with an asymmetrical lobe hanging off one side that hits the telescoping stabilizers.

I have no idea what you're talking about. Mine fits perfectly on my BX5. Also, I cannot decipher your photo. Sorry.

 

[robertm]

No problem. The coupler that attaches to the tractor has such a large lobe off the side it THAT when the coupler rotates, it hits the plate on the tractor where the stabilizers attach. This is only when the blower is lifted to its highest position on the 3pt.
This model blower is made for the BX or B series, so I'm surprised that I cannot lift my blower up as high as it will go while running, or the spinning coupler will bind on the plate between the lift arms and either bend the output shaft or something else.

 

[amigauser]

More pictures would help.

 

[wawajake]

Yes maybe a side view showing snowblower in up position and angle that driveshaft makes so we can orient ourselves.
I do find that if I raise the rear snowblower I have it starts making much more driveshaft noise so I don't raise it more than necessary when shaft is turning.

 

[robertm]

I uploaded some additional pics I had taken before. You can see the lobe of the coupler hitting the plate the stabilizers are attached to. The other thing, which I believe is the issue, is the massive coupler shroud that is deformed from hitting the plate, too. I think I may trim the shroud and see if it helps. Tonight I attached the shaft alone, to study it, but had to pick up the daughter before I could really see what else I need to do. If I cut the bottom off the coupler shroud, the anti-rotation chain should keep the shroud positioned to protect the coupler.

 

[wawajake]

From the pictures you seem to have the same three point setup as my 2008 Bx2660. I also have the same stabilizer bars that I bought after market to replace the turnbuckle type . And it looks like yours is installed the same way on to the plate that hang loose from a 9 or 10 inch horizontal bolt/pin. So the only thing I see awkward is the very big size of the lobe on your driveshaft. None of the equipment I have ( snowblower, woodchipper, rototiller , bushhog, rear finish lawnmower,) have a driveshaft with that big a lobe on it. Is it feasible to reverse your driveshaft if the other end does not have the large lobe , and try it that way to see if it still interferes with threepoint stabilizer plate ?
(I am not sure if it is okay to reverse a driveshaft (end to end) , so welcome others comments on that . But I will say that all my equipment listed will start to make driveline noise if I lift them fully while shaft turning . .... and your snowblower should not need lifting more than a maybe ten inches during normal snowblowing activities, and I get lots of snow and drifts. (the picture is before I had the turnbuckles replaced) but shows size of snowblower that driveline works for me.

 

[Grandad4]

I've used at least two attachments (post hole auger and fertilizer spreader), with pto collars like that had no clearance problems with the factory turnbuckle setup on my BX, even though fully raising either attachment put the pto shaft at a pretty extreme angle. I'm guessing you've found possibly the only drawback to swapping out the OEM turnbuckle setup for the aftermarket stabilizer links on a BX.

 

[check]

I uploaded some additional pics I had taken before. You can see the lobe of the coupler hitting the plate the stabilizers are attached to. The other thing, which I believe is the issue, is the massive coupler shroud that is deformed from hitting the plate, too. I think I may trim the shroud and see if it helps. Tonight I attached the shaft alone, to study it, but had to pick up the daughter before I could really see what else I need to do. If I cut the bottom off the coupler shroud, the anti-rotation chain should keep the shroud positioned to protect the coupler.View attachment 489991View attachment 489992

OK, I see the problem. I don't have that problem, and I have the exact same blower on my BX25. The reason is that I have the original stabilizers that came with the tractor back in 2008, which have a much smaller connection piece. (Just a u-shaped thing, about as thick as a pencil.) Also, I agree that maybe the end of your PTO shaft looks very bulky. Is there another one you can buy that is a little more compact at the connection end, or maybe like wawajake says, reverse it? It could even be on backwards right now!

 

[BX23D]

OK, I see the problem. I don't have that problem, and I have the exact same blower on my BX25. The reason is that I have the original stabilizers that came with the tractor back in 2008, which have a much smaller connection piece. (Just a u-shaped thing, about as thick as a pencil.) Also, I agree that maybe the end of your PTO shaft looks very bulky. Is there another one you can buy that is a little more compact at the connection end, or maybe like wawajake says, reverse it? It could even be on backwards right now!

That big lobe also holds the shear bolt, so yes you want it the other way around so that you can get to it!

 

[robertm]

I can't reverse the shaft. The other end is not a collet style coupling, but a slip on style that requires a bolt goes through it and through the shaft of the blower gearbox. I looked at the original stabilizers, and I think they'd conflict as well. While I can keep the blower lower, I just wanted to eliminate the chances of fully raising it if I'm not paying full attention and backing up while holding the raise lever. Been there, done that. I'm looking for another shaft with a more reasonable sized coupler. This one is very large.
Thanks everyone!

 

[robertm]

Just thinking aloud, I could also add a PTO shaft extension to get the coupler out from the tractor. I'd have to shorten the shaft, and then the shaft angle might be too great for the blower if raise too high anyway. I just need to get up and personal with it and see whats up.

 

[wawajake]

Robert I took a closer look at mine when snowblower up ten inches and turning, and yes the plastic shield on my driveshaft rubs against the end pieces of the pinned stabilizer (my stabalizers are same as yours) But it barely touches it keeps the two little pin ends shiny . And yes my driveshaft has the lob on it for the shearpin, but that end of the driveshaft is attached at the snowblower end not the tractor end and I don't see how you will ever be able to have the lobe end at the tractor (and I still have room to remove the shearpin and replace if need be when lob is at snowblower end.) So the noise I get when snowblower too high is just the plastic driveshaft shielding. Now one other thing to maybe look at is if your Snowblower has adjustable two lower point pin location. Mine has two positions, where I could actually have the snowblower further away from my tractor by changing the bolt location on the arms so that the two side pins move 4 or 5 inches along the horizontal plane. I kept mine close in because further away would increase the weight physics on the threepoint, but it would improve the driveshaft angle by making it less. But maybe your snowblower does not have that adjustable arms. if it was me I would get a different driveshaft, your splines on the snowblower must be able to take a different kind of locked in place driveshaft , there are a variety of types and it would be weird if the spline construction of the snowblower did not have that capability.

 

[art]

The outer cover should not be spinning! Only the center shaft!

 

[robertm]

Wawajake, thank you for your dedication! My Kubota blower has a smooth shaft out of the blower gearbox with a 1/4" keyway and a low grade bolt, I assume for shear.
There is no way to put the splined coupler on the blower, by flipping the shaft end for end. I've been looking, and have seen other couplers that aren't near as bulky, so I am wondering if I can just change out the collet end of the coupler. I'll take a few pics of the blower gearbox shaft. I see that a spline end x smooth end shaft PTO shaft is fairly common at farm supply stores, but I would rather a shaft that is fully removable at both ends. This will require an adapter on the blower gearbox that adds a spline to the smooth input shaft of the blower gearbox. My concern is shortening the shaft end distance, creating an incorrect shaft angle when the blower is up.
Regarding the lower arm pins, I had to use the next holes "up" because my blower would not rest on the ground when fully relaxed. I cannot move the blower rearward from the tractor.

 

[robertm]

The outer cover should not be spinning! Only the center shaft!

Yes, be careful Wawajake... it sounds like you don't have the anti-rotation chain on the shroud in place at the tractor end. There should be two chains, one on each shaft end.

 

[wawajake]

The outer cover should not be spinning! Only the center shaft!

Thanks......... those chains sometimes on sometimes not, I am never back there when it is turning until last night to see what makes noise, but I will see further about chains that go missing