PTO wont engage

Lower47 · Nov 21, 2006

We have a 1995 B1750HST with a mid mower. Right now we can't engage the mower, we get an expensive sounding grinding and screeching when we try to move the lever to connect. No Kubota dealer available, need help on where to start to look.
Any suggestions/guidance welcome.

ozzie tractor · Nov 21, 2006

Lower47 said:
We have a 1995 B1750HST with a mid mower. Right now we can't engage the mower, we get an expensive sounding grinding and screeching when we try to move the lever to connect. No Kubota dealer available, need help on where to start to look.
Any suggestions/guidance welcome.

whe you engage the deck does the drive shaft to the deck spin. i have seen the gearbox on the deck explode many times.

Lower47 · Nov 22, 2006

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, the mower shaft tries to spin when the lever is moved, but with the grating noise the lever doesn't fully engage the shaft and we move it back right away. This morning's investigations with a motor mechanic found that the shaft from the engine side (which I think from the parts book is the propeller shaft) spins when the tractor is started even though the clutch pedal is pressed as far as it will go, which must be far enough to reach the safety switch.
Any advice on adjustment before we open up the clutch?

ozzie tractor · Nov 23, 2006

when you push the cluth pedal down does it feel normal. if so i suspect the clutch has stuck. it could be simply that the clutch has stuck to the flywheel or maybe the pilot bearing in the back of the flywheel has siezed.
did the machine sit for a while recently

ozzie tractor · Nov 23, 2006

sorry for the short reply above. was busy. now if the clutch is stuck then there is a way to free it up that might work. tie the clutch pedal down and start the tractor, now engage high range and 4wd. now set throttle wide open, stand on the hst pedal and aim for the biggest hill you have at high speed. now start banging the brake pedals. the shock load should free the clutch. if not split the tractor and have a look see. BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!! ps. you will have to use some fancy foot work

(this is all asuming its a HST model with a single stage clutch)

Lower47 · Nov 26, 2006

Sorry, couldn't get back to this for a few days.
You were right, it's a stuck clutch, we couldn't try the shock treatment as it would have had to be tried out on a fairly busy road, not a good idea.
The good news is that we've managed to locate a mechanic who knows Kubota tractors so he has it to take apart.
What gives me a feeling of dread is the comments from the mechanic that he used to work on these tractors but gave it up in favour of car mechanics as they were "just too much work". Hmm this is a 1995 model, are we going to be putting his children through college to keep it in working order?

ozzie tractor · Nov 27, 2006

you hear that a bit. the work is a bit heavy, can be dirty. your always pushed for time (especially when the machine is a persons source of income) and the diagnosis side of things can be a real handful. there are just so many things that can go wrong on agricultural machinery. people traditionally dont like to pay for the repairs (because its only my mower!!! it cant have taken that long) and sort of expect you to know every nut and bolt of every model ever released. i can see why someone would get sick of it, personally i like it, but then Im a bit odd

back to the clutch repair, i would still be trying to find somewhere to take it and try to free it up, anywhere. ask the mechanic if he knows of somewhere you can go. because it will save you a packet. id expect about say 6 or 8 hours labour. if everything goes well. things can always blow out though, siezed bolt, stripped thread, uncoperative machine. etc
remind me again why i do this for a living..

PS on the whole these things are fairly reliable. this is just one of those things which happens from time to time. we get it a bit with machines which sit on the lot for a while. if you block the clutch pedal down when you are storing the machine it will stop it sticking though. but truthfully it so uncommon i would not bother unless it happens again. i have only had 1 clutch i could not shock free and that was a very old CAT D6 steering clutch that had not moved for 10 years. it had a reason to be stuck......