Tricks to join pto spline to drive shaft spline ????

[wawajake]

So I have four different implements that use a pto shaft and require the push pull and twist we all need to do to get the pto shaft spline to line up and slide onto the tractor pto spline........so I have got used to doing it with the wood chipper and the snow blower and the bush hog...........but now my relatively new Finish mower is a pain in the butt to get them lined up and slide on...........all the other implements you can turn the driveshaft by hand and the implements blade will turn enough to get your splines lined up by the small turn you need ...........but the rear finish mower (I guess because it uses belts) does not budge , and there is not enough room to put a short piece of threaded rod in the u joint close to the tractor because of the tractor pto guard and your hands need in their too !!.....to push and hold the locking plate so it slides on spline...............So I had no choice but to remove the rear finish guard that is over the gear box on the mower to expose the u joint there and with a short piece of threaded rod (or large screw driver) shoved in the ujoint back there, I turn that with one hand and with other hand (long reach) I hold the drive shaft while pushing in and hope it will find the spline ....before my arms fall off

Are there some better ways ???........yes I grease the splines (male and female) and then curse the grease as you slip and slide trying to find the spline fit ................there must be a better way, I hate to keep the rear finish mower guard off for the rest of its life so I can access that ujoint to turn it.............by the way the belts are proper tension .

 

[dfkrug]

I do not know of any tricks. You have done everything I have done.

But you bring up something that others have discovered: the PTO guards on both the
tractor and the implement make the job much harder. I have removed them on
some implements and some tractors. Was I in excessive danger with the guards
removed? Not really, as long as I stay the he77 away from them when they are
turning. I don't wear neckties anymore, either.

 

[Ford850]

Maybe you can make a shield fastened to the gearbox that covers the gear box area, but can be flipped up and out of the way for access.
As far as grease goes, I don't grease mine. I found it caused more problems by collecting dirt and gumming up. I clean mine with WD40 often (cleaning is about all it's used for at my place), and wipe dry. I apply a thin coat of fluid film occasionally, but wipe most of it off. I do this for the male and female ends of all my pto's, and it really makes it easier for me.

 

[HarryN]

I too have taken the guard off the tractor to make it easier. So be it!
The spline on my JD will turn as long as it is not engaged. It does engage manually, not electrically...
So, I have no problem lining it up.
I may try Ford850's advice and clean all the grease off of them as it really does get messy and gummed up. Then spray the WD40.....

 

[forestcreature1]

Question: if the implement has a clutch pto [as opposed to a shear bolt], do you get more play in the shaft [to allow turning for line up].
Or is that just a matter of the gear boxes involved?
[I have some things that are a breeze, and others that are a pain, and I can't remember which ones have clutches...]

All of you be SAFE this long holiday weekend!

 

[jeff9366]

WD40 is OK but the PTO shaft connection gets quite hot, so the thin WD40 evaporates, leaving connection unlubed when you want to separate them.

Eureka Fluid Film is just a tad thicker and does not evaporate.

With my implements I find most of the coupling resistance comes from friction between the two-piece, plastic PTO shaft guards, not the splines. I move the tractor away from the implement so the PTO guards are spread, reducing friction from overlap. I also lube plastic shaft guards with talcum powder, where they overlap. I find this makes it much easier to shove the PTO female connection onto the tractor PTO splines.

Then I back up the tractor and connect the two Lower Links and single Top Link.

 

[orangeandgreen]

When I hook up my RFM, I crawl under the tractor and lay on my back right below the draw bar where I can reach the center blade and PTO shaft of tractor. Reaching back, I rock the center blade with one hand and line up and attach the PTO shaft with the other. I go under in front of the rear wheels and crawl back, making sure to minimize the amount of body parts under the mower. And yes, tractor is off with parking brake set.
Most of the time this is done on the trailer, but shop floor has worked too.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

If you are trying to do this on the BX2660, shut down engine and shift the PTO selector to either both or middle, you should be able to get around half a turn out of it. I also feel how the spline is on the drive shaft so I can turn the tractor side to line up better.

David

 

[Sysop]

I've found myself utilizing the telescoping nature of the PTO shafts and leaving the tractor about 10" forward of where it needs to be to connect the three point linkages. This allows a lot more room to work. After the PTO is connected, move the tractor back some to collapse the PTO shaft so the 3 point linkages will reach.

As far as aligning the splines, I use an alignment bar. Shove the alignment bar into the universal joint of the PTO and it makes the most stubborn turn easily. If it is something like a rototiller that won't turn due to the tines resting on the ground, I make it a point to always have boards placed under the skids to hold it off the ground...

 

[CalG]

I've found myself utilizing the telescoping nature of the PTO shafts and leaving the tractor about 10" forward of where it needs to be to connect the three point linkages. This allows a lot more room to work. After the PTO is connected, move the tractor back some to collapse the PTO shaft so the 3 point linkages will reach.

As far as aligning the splines, I use an alignment bar. Shove the alignment bar into the universal joint of the PTO and it makes the most stubborn turn easily. If it is something like a rototiller that won't turn due to the tines resting on the ground, I make it a point to always have boards placed under the skids to hold it off the ground...

It does a world of good to clean up the female coupling and with a few strokes of a three cornered file, put a little extra lead in to help get the splines to line up.

When it comes to grease, it's hard to make the steps back to the shelf to grab the white lithium grease, but it's worth it ;-)

 

[Sysop]

It does a world of good to clean up the female coupling and with a few strokes of a three cornered file, put a little extra lead in to help get the splines to line up.

When it comes to grease, it's hard to make the steps back to the shelf to grab the white lithium grease, but it's worth it ;-)

I just wire brush as needed, the little toothbrush sized wire brushes are ideal. No grease, oil, white lithium, or fluid film on the tractor shaft. Occasionally use a little fluid film on the implement shaft (female side) when parking something for a while...

 

[orezok]

I use motorcycle chain lube which is a wax based lube. It doesn't attract dirt.

 

[Jsandy]

Everyone on here has waaaaay more experience and expertise than I do but on my JD 4710 I found that with the engine off and the transmission in neutral I could turn the pto shaft, by hand, just enough that i could get everything properly aligned. Only needed it for my rototiller because, as you said, the bush hog could be turned (easier than the pto shaft). I don't remember where, exactly, that I picked up that trick but I think that it was on a youtube video. I just traded the 4710 and have a 4066R due for delivery next week.

 

[kebo]

You can make a little tool out of a piece of flat steel (slightly less than 1/4" thick) shaped like a "T" or an "L". The middle part of the "T" or the short part of the "L" should be cut to just less than 1 3/8" width (assuming your PTO shafts are 1 3/8" x 6 spline). The lands and grooves on the PTO shafts are exactly 1/4" wide, so that's why the tool needs to be slightly thinner than 0.250", and the grooves line up opposite each other like the lugs on a 6 lug rim.

I hope you can get a mental image of what I'm trying to convey here. It's essentially like a making a screwdriver with 1 3/8" wide tip that will fit into the shaft snugly, but with handles to give you some leverage. You could get fancy and make a T-handle with some pipe or rebar and that would do nicely too.

When you are attaching the implement, you can slide the tool into the grooves on the PTO input shaft on your finish mower (or other implement) and use it to turn the shaft a few degree's so it will line up.

If you like my idea, I have the patent on it so don't get no funny ideas about marketing it.

 

[mikim]

I put a PTO clutch thing on mine...from TSC---spins easily with one hand in one direction

 

[Teachu2]

The PTO shield on my new tractor conspired with the PTO shield on the rotary cutter to cause extreme frustration, sore hands, and general disgust. A sharp knife removed the last section (1.5" or so) of the bell on the PTO shield, leaving plenty to prevent accidents. Solved the problem.

 

[jeff9366]

It does a world of good to clean up the female coupling and with a few strokes of a three cornered file, put a little extra lead in to help get the splines to line up.

This strikes me as a practical idea. I will be filing tomorrow.

 

[roadhunter]

I share your frustration. I'd much rather switch an implement on a telenahdler or skid steer than anything that uses the PTO on my tractor.

 

[wawajake]

Wow.....thanks everyone for lots of ideas to reduce the frustration of the "implement change".
A few things I will try now include , the lubrication of the plastic driveshaft sleeve, cutting the bell of the plastic sleeve a bit, trying the BX2660 pto shift lever position, filing leading edge of spline a bit, and watching for a scrap piece of 1/4 inch (3/16) metal to cut to 1 and 3 /8 wide and make a tool................and even in some cases installing drive shaft first, then backing up closer for three point attach.

 

[RalphVa]

I first turn off the PTO that I want to put the implement on, so that I can easily turn the PTO by hand.

Then I clean the PTO and end of the shaft that goes over it. I put white lithium on all the PTO splines and fluid film on the start of the female one that goes over it.

The one on my chipper shredder with a push button is SO MUCH EASIER than the pull type one on the bush hog. Often have to rock it a bit after I get the splines to go on a tad to get it the rest of the way.

Ralph