PTO shaft stuck

[Onthesauk]

I bought a old tiller this winter. Believe it had been sitting out in the weather for years and probably even under water from a flood. Spent the day today cleaning it up and changing fluids, (less then a teaspoon of water in either case.) One problem I ran into is the PTO shaft is frozen. I put a come-a-long on it between two trees, (something I've done successfully before,) but couldn't budge this one. I've got it standing on end now with lots of oil poured down inside the guard. Any other suggestions?

 

[kebo]

Have you tried squirting/soaking PB Blaster onto the input shaft and get it up into where the seal is?

You could also try hooking it up to your tractor and with the PTO disengaged driving the tractor while letting the tiller blades drag on top of the ground? That might un-freeze it. Also with the PTO disengaged, you can gently rock it back and forth in forward and reverse to see if that might un-freeze it.



Last option would be to engage the PTO with the tiller on the ground and tractor moving. If you do it, just be easy letting the clutch out on it. If the tractor PTO can't un-freeze it after a few attempts, then you might wind up having to disassemble the gearbox. Sounds like maybe the bearings are all rusted up? If they are, then really you need to take it apart anyway.

 

[Soundguy]

I think he's refering to the telescoping shaft.

if you want to strip the shield off you can use 2 hammers in a hammer and anvil position 180' out and deform the metal plastically, breaking the rust bonds.. then let the penetrating oil sit a lil longer.. then the tension of the comealong might make it slip.. then just keep readjusting.. once loose, sand it then re grease..

soundguy

 

[Onthesauk]

Yep, just the shaft. The guard will spin on the shaft so it's just the spline on the inside that's probably rusted up. I'll just keep dumping oil in there and let it sit a bit longer. Too wet and muddy to try it out anyway.

 

[kebo]

I think he's refering to the telescoping shaft.

if you want to strip the shield off you can use 2 hammers in a hammer and anvil position 180' out and deform the metal plastically, breaking the rust bonds.. then let the penetrating oil sit a lil longer.. then the tension of the comealong might make it slip.. then just keep readjusting.. once loose, sand it then re grease..

soundguy

Oops, never mind then. Obviously I didn't understand his statement. Not the first time that's happened and probably not the last LOL.

 

[Soundguy]

btdt myself plan on doing it again too

soundguy

 

[Onthesauk]

No harm, no foul.

Let the shaft soak overnight, left it standing on end a glock of wood on each end. Tapped it a few times with a hammer but still nothing. Pourede a bit more oil down there and will let it soak for a few more days.
and try again.

On a related note, anyone have a source for shaft guards? I can probably make do with what is on there, (assuming I can get it apart without cutting off the guard,) but can't seem to find any reasonably priced guards on-line.

 

[Soundguy]

tsc usually has at least one style..

past that agri supply.. etc..

soundguy

 

[beenthere]

I wouldn't worry about a guard on a tiller shaft. No one will be working around the rotating shaft (and I'm not gonna carry a rider on the tiller while tilling ).

I'd connect just the PTO shaft to the tractor, and pull it off. Likely is not stuck very tight that any damage could occur (IMO).
It is the way I've loosened them before.
Hooking the PTO shaft up to pull will give the best balanced straight-away pull.

 

[RoyJackson]

I'd connect just the PTO shaft to the tractor, and pull it off. Likely is not stuck very tight that any damage could occur (IMO).
It is the way I've loosened them before.
Hooking the PTO shaft up to pull will give the best balanced straight-away pull.

That's how I did it too. No jerking though...use a nice slow steady pull. If the shafts don't separate with a slow steady pull, stop and look over the situation before jerking it hard. That might damage the tractor's PTO stub shaft.
Since it's the two sliding shafts we're discussing, and not the yokes or stub shaft on the tractor or implement, it's possible the sliding components are slightly bent (I wrote that to ensure I'm correct on what's frozen). They can be replaced (if being bent is the case), but considering the time to rebuild the PTO shaft, it might be cheaper to purchase a replacement.

 

[tommu56]

I took one apart that was stubborn by drilling a hole in the back side of the female tube and tapping it 1/4-28 putting in a grease fitting and pumping it out with the grease gun.

tom

 

[Diamondpilot]

I had one that was stuck on a old Post Hole Digger I bought. I looped a chain though one end and put a come along on the other end and some PB Blaster in it and strung it between two trees. After soaking overnight I gave the come along a few cranks and got it good and tight and smacked it a few times with a 4# sledge and she popped free.

Chris

 

[FallbrookFarmer]

I had one that was stuck on a old Post Hole Digger I bought. I looped a chain though one end and put a come along on the other end and some PB Blaster in it and strung it between two trees. After soaking overnight I gave the come along a few cranks and got it good and tight and smacked it a few times with a 4# sledge and she popped free.

Chris

See, that's the solution to most problems. A bigger hammer.
Had a similar situation, rototiller shaft stuck, soaked it in diesel, then PB blaster, tried heating it with a torch,tried tying it to a tree and pulling it, tried using a hydraulic ram, and what worked was taking it to my local tractor repair guy and paying him to do it!

 

[rickskabota]

I had the same problem. I disassembled the u-joint, put shaft in vice then drove out inside shaft with punch and large hammer. That was the easy part. 1 3/8 spline coupler was also rusted. Been soaking in oil for 3 days. I made a shaft with a 1/2 threaded perp. to shaft. Inserted shaft into u-joint holes then screwed in 1/2 bolt on to tiller splined shaft. Haven't got it loose yet but I got a lot of pressure on it? If anyone wants a picture of the setup let me know.

 

[jlsmith]

id just take the driveline off the tiller and hook one end to a tree and pull the other end with your tractor and pull them apart. easiest thing to do tho is just go buy new outer and inner tube and take yours off and put on new tube.

 

[KubotaSam]

I did mine with a come-along and 2 trees. However I love Tommu56's solution of pumping full of grease and using hydrolic pressure to seperate the shafts.