PTO shaft on my bush hog won't telescope anymore

[jeepwm69 7,611]

Bush hogged my roads a few weeks ago, and right at the end of the day my PTO shaft pulled off of the bushhog when I tried to lower it back down after picking it up briefly.

 

Thing is seized up and will no longer telescope.  Probably twisted it when I hit something.

 

So far I've chained one end to a big tree, tried my Foreman winch (nothing), then my Jeep with 8274 winch (nothing), then tried hitting it apart with a 10lb sledge while the Jeep winch had tension on it (nothing).

 

So at this point I'm debating drilling a hole on the opposite end, adding a grease zerk, and seeing if I can use hydraulic pressure to get the male shaft out of the female shaft, or bringing the tractor into town and trying to use it to pull the shaft apart with the shaft chained to the tree again.

 

I've bent and trashed some PTO shafts over the years, but never had one like this that just seized up completely. 

 

What do you farming types recommend?  @_Wilson_™

[_Wilson_™ 6,567]

Replace that one...honestly never heard of one being boogered up so bad none of those trys worked .... no joking... how about your friend with the 4840 johndeere to a tree ? I've pushed out bearing with grease before.. pilot bearing for one ... hydro could work, but I'm thinking it will squeeze between the outer shaft and inner before it would work..

Edited October 26, 2023 by _Wilson_™

[shadetree 5,869]

i ran across this very same thing with a old drive shaft catfish gave me..i used everything under the sun to pull it apart..it would not budge one inch !. heat..10 lb sledge hammer...winch..truck..com-along..everything..it was done !..lol. i said screw it...did what wilson said...just went to tractor supply, purchased a new one, they are cheap. save your hair, money, time..go buy a new one !.

[shadetree 5,869]

47 minutes ago, jeepwm69 said:

Bush hogged my roads a few weeks ago, and right at the end of the day my PTO shaft pulled off of the bushhog when I tried to lower it back down after picking it up briefly.

 

Thing is seized up and will no longer telescope.  Probably twisted it when I hit something.

 

So far I've chained one end to a big tree, tried my Foreman winch (nothing), then my Jeep with 8274 winch (nothing), then tried hitting it apart with a 10lb sledge while the Jeep winch had tension on it (nothing).

 

So at this point I'm debating drilling a hole on the opposite end, adding a grease zerk, and seeing if I can use hydraulic pressure to get the male shaft out of the female shaft, or bringing the tractor into town and trying to use it to pull the shaft apart with the shaft chained to the tree again.

 

I've bent and trashed some PTO shafts over the years, but never had one like this that just seized up completely. 

 

What do you farming types recommend?  @_Wilson_™

the hydraulic trick will not work, the center is hollow, wont work because of this.

[_Wilson_™ 6,567]

Need pictures.

 

Edit: forgot to ask. 

[retro 4,048]

Yeah, those splined shafts are made from soft, untempered low carbon steel. Even if you get it apart it's likely not gonna be usable again.

[jeepwm69 7,611]

2 hours ago, shadetree said:

the hydraulic trick will not work, the center is hollow, wont work because of this.

 

Center of the female part is hollow.  Shaft is solid.

 

So if I drill the female side of the shaft, and can get grease in the end of the female end of the shaft, it should push the solid male part out.

[jeepwm69 7,611]

1 minute ago, retro said:

Yeah, those splined shafts are made from soft, untempered low carbon steel. Even if you get it apart it's likely not gonna be usable again.

 

This isn't splined.  It's a square male going into a square female.  My old one was twisted but stilll worked for awhile; the lift and weight of the bush hog was enough to get it in and out.

 

This one doesn't look twisted, but man is it stuck!

[retro 4,048]

Maybe try grease then like you said. Just don't get yourself hurt rigging up something more dangerous, it provides no value to the welfare of your family.... I get your determination to save the shaft, the challenge and all... ya might learn something ya never seen before. Sometimes the best option is turn our backs and walk away though, once the risks for injury ramp up. I didn't learn that lesson until I was over 60 and every moving part on my body was completely shot. :)

[Fishfiles 20,145]

36 minutes ago, retro said:

Maybe try grease then like you said. Just don't get yourself hurt rigging up something more dangerous, it provides no value to the welfare of your family.... I get your determination to save the shaft, the challenge and all... ya might learn something ya never seen before. Sometimes the best option is turn our backs and walk away though, once the risks for injury ramp up. I didn't learn that lesson until I was over 60 and every moving part on my body was completely shot. 🙂

I would think the slip  collar and the shaft are both bent and twisted and both now need replacement >>>>  but like that Hondamatic issue just recently when I said " let it go " , why not let him waste some time messing with it and be a learning experience LOL  

 

[jeepwm69 7,611]

24 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

I would think the slip  collar and the shaft are both bent and twisted and both now need replacement >>>>  but like that Hondamatic issue just recently when I said " let it go " , why not let him waste some time messing with it and be a learning experience LOL  

 

I'm known for spending lots of time and money to "save" a $

[retro 4,048]

35 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

I would think the slip  collar and the shaft are both bent and twisted and both now need replacement >>>>  but like that Hondamatic issue just recently when I said " let it go " , why not let him waste some time messing with it and be a learning experience LOL  

 

 

I didn't mean to discourage him from trying.... Honestly, I'd be right there beside him if I could... we'd be bouncing ideas off each other if I had the chance. I'm certain that he'll win too, if he wants to!  Never, ever give up, even if it's seemingly impossible. Ya don't learn anything by walking away and it's not trashed until ya give up on it. Even if it's trashed it's probably still useful for parts, or for making something good happen in the future....

 

I'm just reminded of my bullheaded mistakes more often than my successes nowadays. For instance, my left thumb is so destroyed now that if I grip a beer in my left hand my thumb bends completely backwards and I scream in pain like a girl. I'm in pain for weeks sometimes with that permanently sprained thumb. It hurts right now in fact, I bumped it backwards last week while I was cleaning my chimney. I couldn't even shift my Rancher with my left hand by pushing the ES buttons after that little bump!

 

I'm just saying it can be smart to stop trying when it becomes dangerous. But I know he probably won't.... he didn't become an over-achiever by giving up on dollar parts.

[shadetree 5,869]

21 minutes ago, jeepwm69 said:

I'm known for spending lots of time and money to "save" a $

well..you can lead a horse to water..but.... ( you know the rest of this ! )..lol.

[shadetree 5,869]

3 minutes ago, retro said:

 

I didn't mean to discourage him from trying.... Honestly, I'd be right there beside him if I could... we'd be bouncing ideas off each other if I had the chance. I'm certain that he'll win too, if he wants to!  Never, ever give up, even if it's seemingly impossible. Ya don't learn anything by walking away and it's not trashed until ya give up on it. Even if it's trashed it's probably still useful for parts, or for making something good happen in the future....

 

I'm just reminded of my bullheaded mistakes more often than my successes nowadays. For instance, my left thumb is so destroyed now that if I grip a beer in my left hand my thumb bends completely backwards and I scream in pain like a girl. I'm in pain for weeks sometimes with that permanently sprained thumb. It hurts right now in fact, I bumped it backwards last week while I was cleaning my chimney. I couldn't even shift my Rancher with my left hand by pushing the ES buttons after that little bump!

 

I'm just saying it can be smart to stop trying when it becomes dangerous. But I know he probably won't.... he didn't become an over-achiever by giving up on dollar parts.

when a 2k lb come along, and map gas to cherry red won't let a pto shaft let go ?, its time to toss in the towel, break down, buy a new one !..lol. in the time i wasted trying to get the sucker apart ?, i was able to drive to tractor supply, purchase a new one cheap, get back home, install it..call it a day. ( i did end up buying a whole new bush hog though ) the bottom line is: some times you just have to know when to quit..lol.

[jeepwm69 7,611]

18 hours ago, shadetree said:

when a 2k lb come along, and map gas to cherry red won't let a pto shaft let go ?, its time to toss in the towel, break down, buy a new one !..lol. in the time i wasted trying to get the sucker apart ?, i was able to drive to tractor supply, purchase a new one cheap, get back home, install it..call it a day. ( i did end up buying a whole new bush hog though ) the bottom line is: some times you just have to know when to quit..lol.

 

That MAP gas they sell now isn't worth a crap.  It's not but a few degrees hotter than propane. 

 

You should have oxy/ acetelene'd it! 

[shadetree 5,869]

23 hours ago, jeepwm69 said:

 

That MAP gas they sell now isn't worth a crap.  It's not but a few degrees hotter than propane. 

 

You should have oxy/ acetelene'd it! 

yeah..i don't have any of those here. most times i just use map gas to get rear foot brake levers unseized from all those honda's..lol.