The whatchamacallit on my dohicky is frozen ... (aka PTO shaft)

Doc

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The shaft that connects the brush hog to my PTO is frozen. I can turn it but it won't slide out to attach to the PTO. I had same issue last year and somehow (can't remember how) I got it unfrozen an hooked onto the PTO. Worked all season but once it was on the tractor it stayed on till November when I swapped for a blade for snow (wasted effort ...no snow to plow at all this year). The brush hog and this shaft are 18 years old ....and cracked a little. But always been stored inside. Would oil or grease it if I could see a spot clear to but the plastic cover is still intact mostly. Only cracked at the ends.

Looking for ideas on how to make this work ...or advise to replace the thing.
 

Jim_S

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Can you lift the mower with the hitch and get the pto shaft attached? If so just letting the mower down will pull on the shaft and may free it.

I can’t see it being stuck that bad if it moved last fall.

If that doesn’t work you need a left handed framistan and a couple sky hooks. :)
 

bczoom

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Can you lift the mower with the hitch and get the pto shaft attached? If so just letting the mower down will pull on the shaft and may free it.
If you use this approach, do that carefully. If your PTO shaft is seized together tight, you may just rip the PTO right out of your tractor.


Along the same approach, I'd strap your mower to a tree or something that won't move then using a chain on the shaft's u-joint, pull it slowly with your tractor.


The very first thing I'd do is give it a good dose of Kroil. If you don't have Kroil, use whatever penetrating oil you have then let it sit for a day or 2.
 

bczoom

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BTW - "The whatchamacallit on my dohicky is frozen"
It's called a PTO shaft. ;)
 

Doc

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It is frozen short of the PTO by a foot or so. I've hammered it, and tried to pry it to no avail.
Knowing the PTO shaft is covered with plastic how would you get Kroil to the shafts that overlap?

I can try pulling it with my winch just to break it loose. It's on the tractor but I could run winch cable undet the tractor to the PTO shaft and winch. Worth a try. If I can break it loose I will take it all the way apart and grease it good.
 

bczoom

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Let us know how it goes with the winch.
Is it a standard shaft with the U-joint/coupler on both ends or is the attachment end integrated in with the brush hog? If it's standard, you could take it off the brush hog and work on it independently and/or just get a new/cheap one.


Besides greasing it well if/when you get it apart, what I do is when the implement is removed from the tractor, I split the PTO shaft into its 2 parts then keep the end that attaches to the tractor in the barn. No chance of it seizing at that point.
 

California

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There should be a way to detach the ends of the plastic shield from the shaft. Mine had quarter-turn locks at the shield bells on each end. With the locks released, the shield could be slipped back to uncover the female side of the shaft's slip joint. You might need to clean the shield and lube near its mid joint with plastic-friendly lube (silicon?) before the shield halfs will slide toward each other.

That will give access to the shaft's slip joint. Tip the shaft to run penetrating oil into the joint. Wait. Very light tapping with a hammer might help get the oil in there.
 

jwstewar

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I bought a post hole digger. It took me several weeks to get the PTO shaft freed up. I would spray it with PB Blaster. Hit the end of it with a hammer a few times. Spray it again and let it sit. Took 2 or 3 weeks, but finally got it freed up with that approach. Had the same issue with the tiller, used the same method, but it was a much shorter PTO shaft so it worked much faster - just a couple of times.
 

Doc

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Thanks Jim. Good to know.
I have sprayed it with fluid film and hammered lightly so far to no avail. Hoping to get another wack at it tomorrow if the rain lets up.
 

bczoom

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Not sure if fluid film is going to help in this situation. It's a light lubricant and rust preventative, not a penetrating oil.
 

Doc

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Yeah, I know that .....but it's what I have. I figured it's better than nothing. More rain today, to wet to do anything useful outside. Now we have flood warnings too. :eek:
 

Doc

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A tug on it with the winch from the side by side got it loose. Easy peezy. Now if the rain quits I'll be able to get some brush hoggin done.
 
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