Twisted PTO Shaft

[Transit]

You will need a drill press and a good set of bits. A hand drill is out of the question.

 

[flusher]

I was doing some brush hogging today. All of a sudden I got a bad vibration from the back end. I turned around to see my PTO shaft twisted and about to come apart. I didn't think I was working in very heavy stuff. I don't think the slip clutch is working too good.... Time to go shopping
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[/ATTACH]

I'd check out the other pto shaft also (the one inside your tractor) for damage. Run it without an implement and then attach a pto-powered implement and repeat. Any funny noises or vibrations?

My neighbor was baling with his Ford 8N and managed to turn the end of the pto shaft sticking out the back of the tractor into a corkscrew (there's a lot of rotational energy stored in a baler flywheel).

 

[blueriver]

First of all, I'd like to thank you all for your input here. It has been helpfull in giving me a path forward.

I have contacted Rhino to see what their advice will be. We'll see what they say.

I have tried to seperate the inner PTO shaft from the tube and as of right now, it's stuck on there pretty good. I didn't try too hard because my first thought was to trash it and just get a whole new set-up. I'll give it another go soon and see if it will come apart. I'm thinking the twist has the end of the inner shaft enough to bind it in there.


If Rhino doen't have a good solution, I'm looking at two other options:

One, try again to get the slip clutch apart and rebuilt and just put a new PTO shaft on there.

Two, cut the end of the gear box shaft off and drill a hole to make it a shear pin set-up.

What are the thoughts on option two??

Thansk again guys! You've all been a big help.

JB

YOU FORGOT option #3 .... machine shop!!

 

[Jimmyb33]

Transit, I do have a drill press small enough to get in position to do the job. I'll just have to get a couple of extra bits for the job.

Flusher, I will have a closer look at the shaft on the tractor. I have looked at it and it apprears fine. I haven't run the PTO yet to make sure it's running straight.

Blueriver, I am keeping option #3 in my pocket too. I have a shop up the road a bit and have thought about talking to them about fixing my stuff.

Rhino was quick to get back with me and we are talking about the problem. I sent them the pics and am waiting to see if they can identify the exact model number. Then they can see if any parts are available. I'll let you all know what I find out.

Thanks for all the good advice guys.
JB

 

[jinman]

Dangerous suggestion. Especially if the slip clutch is sizeable enough that the PTO shroud has to be removed. Damned dangerous suggestion.

//greg//

Greg, you've stated your position, but not given any reason why this would be dangerous. Please expand your comment with your reasoning.

I don't think a PTO shroud/guard would have to be removed. If you mean the plastic shroud around the PTO shaft, that is already gone in the photos I've seen. If you mean the guard of the PTO stub at the tractor, I think the PTO clutches designed to be installed there are not too big to fit well within the guard. They clip onto the PTO stub and have an extension exactly like the stub coming out of the tractor with the same spline and locking features. The only heightened danger I can see would be that tall weeds and grass might entangle themselves in the clutch as they often do on my current PTO u-joint at the tractor end.

Here's a link to what I am talking about. It's not much different than adding an overrun clutch to the PTO stub.

 

[greg_g]

Greg, you've stated your position, but not given any reason why this would be dangerous. Please expand your comment with your reasoning.

Dead simple, but I guess you've missed the other hundred or so times this has been hashed out here. Look at the product in the link you're provided; diameter 6". And I can tell you as a PTO clutch devotee, that thing will stick out another 6" from your tractor's PTO stub. Not many PTO shrouds extend that far. Even if it happens to fit under the PTO shroud, there are possibly still eight spinning spring/bolts exposed. And if the shroud actually has to be removed - just to fit the slip clutch - then you're talking fully exposed death/dismemberment potential.

On your behalf, you may have these friction clutches confused with ORCs or ratch-type clutches. That said, NEVER put a friction clutch directly on the tractor's PTO output shaft, your insurance company may consider it suicidal.


//greg//

 

[Mace Canute]

The twist was about half way up the female shaft which means the male shaft was about half way inside. That is not too short.

Not necessarily so. It collapsed at the weakest point, which may or may not have been at the end of the male shaft. If the tube was damaged previously, that might have been all it took to make it fail at that particular point. Just saying...

 

[jinman]

. . .Even if it happens to fit under the PTO shroud, there are possibly still eight spinning spring/bolts exposed. And if the shroud actually has to be removed - just to fit the slip clutch - then you're talking fully exposed death/dismemberment potential. . . .

That said, NEVER put a friction clutch directly on the tractor's PTO output shaft, your insurance company may consider it suicidal.


//greg//

Thanks Greg. I understand your reasoning, but disagree on the danger. I never get off my tractor with a cutter or tiller running and demand that people all stay clear or I shut off the implement when they approach. My insurance company would surely consider someone working around a rotating rotary cutter or rototiller far more likely to be a fatality statistic. I don't want to argue pros and cons here, but just to make my position understood as well as yours. Tractor Supply sells PTO stub slip clutches, overrun clutches, and PTO stub extensions, and they are on their shelves with no OSHA warnings.

 

[FastPauly]

Hello....get rid of the chain mount or it will happen again. The front of the deck can stay down as the rear is allowed to do whatever it wants. Bouncy...Bouncy=Breaky...Breaky! A normal 3-point mount will limit the angles applied to the PTO shaft....not true here?

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...680-twisted-power-take-off-shaft-bh-shaft.jpg

 

[greg_g]

Tractor Supply sells PTO stub slip clutches, overrun clutches, and PTO stub extensions, and they are on their shelves with no OSHA warnings.

The operative word in my advice was "friction". What you just listed are not friction clutches. Being 1/3 or less the diameter of a friction clutch - and not having any dangerously exposed spring bolts - those on your list are no where near as dangerous. I've got nothing against those items, just keep the big friction slip clutches off the PTO stub.

//greg//

 

[Jimmyb33]

I just wanted to let everyone know the conclusion to this story. I was not able to get any replacement parts from Rhino. I was told the mower was built between 1964 and 1979. I checked a couple of local Rhino dealers with no luck either.

So, I decided to convert this thing to a shear pin set-up. I went to Tractor Supply and picked up a new PTO shaft and a hand full of 1/2" bolts. Yesterday I got out there with my angle grinder and drill press and got busy. I was able to set the drill press directly on top of the shaft and drilled a 1/2" hole in it. Then I cut off the necked down section leaving only the 1 3/8" diameter shaft. Or at least I thought it was 1 3/8" diameter. It was just a hair bigger than that and wouldn't fit inside the new PTO shaft connection. Spent the next hour or so grinding the outside of the shaft down to fit. I finally got it and the PTO shaft spins nicely on the shaft. I stuck a bolt in the hole, hooked everything up, and jumped on the tractor. I took it out back and did some brush hogging for about half an hour. Everyting is working great! I even tested the shear pin/bolt and got it to snap on a 3" tallow stump.

I want to thank everyone for their input and help with my problem.

Happy Hoggin!
JB