What did I break?

[B8FISH]

Was the brush hog new or used? If new--maybe a call to the dealer is in order in case it was a defective piece. We need to know if it has a slip clutch?? If it does--have you "slipped" it yet? They do freeze up if you don't use them that often. Agree with the others on the shear bolt issue if that is what you have.

 

[JerryG]

I would almost be willing to bet that it was a defective yoke. Normally if the shear pin doesn't shear and nothing is defective, the shaft will twist. It doesn't look like the shaft is twisted very much if any does it?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I would almost be willing to bet that it was a defective yoke. Normally if the shear pin doesn't shear and nothing is defective, the shaft will twist. It doesn't look like the shaft is twisted very much if any does it?

I'm with Jerry. Probably a bad casting.

But one other idea I'd like to toss out. Years ago, it seemed that with every bush hog I owned, I could raise the 3-point hitch all the way without the pto shaft coming in contact with the front edge of the mower deck. Now, with every 3-point mower I own, regardless of which tractor it's on, I can't lift the mower the last few inches of hitch travel. The pto shaft hits the deck. If they were raise too far, it SHOULD bend the shaft, but it COULD (and probably does) put the u-joints in bind. How about that? Any clearance issues with regards to the pto shaft? If a situation like that cracked the yoke, the first hard jolt might finish it off.

 

[rback33]

I am with the others that I am shocked it broke the yoke. I have seen whole drivelines twist before the U-Joint yokes broke. From what little you have told us, I am guessing this is a new unit and the issue should be covered under warranty. A) because the slip clutch of sheer pin did not function B) because it is odd the yoke broke. Just my thoughts, but I could be wrong. I am assuming this is a brand new unit as delivered by the dealer. Sheer pin issue could be tricky if that is the case, because someone is BOUND to say you put the grade 10.9 in there as a sheer pin....

 

[Soundguy]

Yoke is broke.

Keep in mind that this is the splined tractor end... If there is a shear bolt.. it won't be on this side, but rather usually on the smooth yoke on the gearbox side.. or in a flange betwixt shaft halves.. OR it will have a slip clutch.

In either case.. SOMETHING did not function..

Soundguy

It looks like I broke the yoke? (See pictures). If this is what I did, is it an easy fix? If the shear bolt goes through the yoke, I wonder why it didn't...shear? It wasn't really that BIG of a rock.

Thanks,
Slim

 

[Soundguy]

Another issue could be a shaft that is too long that possible got placed in compression at some point.

Soundguy

I'm with Jerry. Probably a bad casting.

But one other idea I'd like to toss out. Years ago, it seemed that with every bush hog I owned, I could raise the 3-point hitch all the way without the pto shaft coming in contact with the front edge of the mower deck. Now, with every 3-point mower I own, regardless of which tractor it's on, I can't lift the mower the last few inches of hitch travel. The pto shaft hits the deck. If they were raise too far, it SHOULD bend the shaft, but it COULD (and probably does) put the u-joints in bind. How about that? Any clearance issues with regards to the pto shaft? If a situation like that cracked the yoke, the first hard jolt might finish it off.

 

[slim]

I will post a picture later today.

It does have a slip clutch. I took the broken yoke to the dealer and he is ordering replacement. He said to bring the shaft end of the bush hog in and they would attach the new yoke. I am expecting....hoping warranty will cover the repair and part.

I bought the tractor and bush hog both NEW at in October.06. I ran the bush hog for about 10 minutes in when I received it. Stored it in my basement all winter. Nice 60 degree temperature. Pulled it out in late April and probably have 7 hours on it. I am mowing pasture grass, no heavy brush.

Thanks again,
Slim

 

[john_bud]

Did you perform the mandatory slip clutch maintenance prior to using the tractor? If not, you may have had a "no can slip-clutch lack of protection". They are almost guaranteed to rust and stick together, so you have to loosen the bolts a lot, and quickly engage / disengage the PTO to make the clutch slip and burn off the rust. Just a couple seconds are needed.

jb

 

[slim]

Here is the other end. I don't know how much this photo helps any of you help me, but I am all ears.

 

[slim]

Let's try this again. Photo attached this time.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Let's try this again. Photo attached this time.

That looks like the broken end. I thot you were posting the slip clutch end.
larry

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto.. that's the loose yoke the broke end was on.. we need to see the pto shaft end going out from there..

soundguy

 

[N80]

Well, he said it had a slip clutch. So either it is a defective yoke or a froze up slip clutch, or both. I'd get the dealer to look at the slip clutch too.

 

[zzvyb6]

How's this hypothesis: I suspect that a clip fell out of one of the cross retainers in the front yoke. Then the cross shifted when it fell out of the yoke retainer on one side. The failure looks like a twisting break due to the yoke loosing integrity, not from over-torquing. That's why the shear pin did not disengage the driveline. There was probably not a failure due to lube or foreign objects because a u-joint really doesn't see much internal motion. I vote for infant mortality on the tracctor side u-joint, therefore warranty claim.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

How's this hypothesis: I suspect that a clip fell out of one of the cross retainers in the front yoke. Then the cross shifted when it fell out of the yoke retainer on one side. The failure looks like a twisting break due to the yoke loosing integrity, not from over-torquing. That's why the shear pin did not disengage the driveline. There was probably not a failure due to lube or foreign objects because a u-joint really doesn't see much internal motion. I vote for infant mortality on the tracctor side u-joint, therefore warranty claim.

A definate possibility...

zzvyb6, About your signature, "There is no "I" in team, but there is a "Me" if you want to jumble it up a bit"....

I was at a tee-ball gane involving one of my grand sons a few weeks back. The assistant coach laid that "There is no "I" in team" line on one of his 6-year-old players, who proptly fired right back "But there's THREE "I"'s in millionaire" . What do you say to a 6-year-old with a mind like that?

 

[zzvyb6]

For Farms-with-previously-unappreciated-metallic valuable-objects: The I in Team comment is from my favorite TV show (House MD). Dr. House used it when talking to his "ducklings" medical assistants. I've used it around a few of my own 'teams' including a few Nextel Cup team engineers I often run in to as part of my job. Their version of Team is not 'everybody gets a trophy'. As far as a 6 year old who knows about millionaires, well I'd say you'll not have to farm with junk in your old age ! That young fellow is "on the ball".

 

[sandman2234]

I had one of those fail on my poor man's trencher and stump grinder before I learned the valuable lesson that the bolt in the other end is supposed to break, not parts further up. A cheap lesson on my part, since it easily could have been something in the tractor instead.
I think everyone was wanting a picture of the whole drive shaft from where it broke back to the gearbox.
David from jax