Questions for the farmer blacksmith , unjambing a pto shaft

[LawnJockey]

I went to hook up my auger attachment today and the telescoping PTO shaft was in two pieces.  No problem I thought, I slipped the pieces back together as I have do many times.  But this time they went so far and stopped and won't move it or out, even with substantial hammer taps.  I suspect either the inner or outer shaft was bent when the two pieces were apart and thus it is jambed.  Both sides have those plastic safety shields on them.

 

So the issue is how to get them apart to locate and fix the problem.  My ideas are to shackle one end of the PTO shaft to the tractor frame and attach a slap hammer to the other end and slap away.  Or I could shackle one end to the base of a loaded shipping shipping container and the other end to the front end loader and try to pull it apart using the loader hydraulics.  Any other ideas?

 

In regards to locating the problem it seems like those safety covers are made to install and not come off.  Are there tricks to getting them off so they can be reused?  Is there a way to detect a subtle bend without pulling the safety covers?  I sure can't think of one and clearly the covers would need to come off to straighten the shaft, if that is indeed the problem.

 

I am sure I am not the first to encounter this, anyone have experience straightening these?

[DSW]

I'd chain it to something solid and have at it. If it went on by hand, it will certainly come back a part with a good jerk against a solid object.

 

As far as the covers. I can't remember too much about the ones on the old Kubota we had at work. Most times we never took the shafts apart, just uncoupled them from the drive unit on the tractor and left it with the attachment. I have had the shafts apart to lube them, but they slid right back together.

 

You might see if you rotate the shaft and reassemble if they go back together easily. It may be that simple. You only have 4 possible options to try.

[HWooldridge]

The plastic covers generally have pivot screws to hold the half-globes that cover the U-joints then the long sleeves slip off - but there are many designs.

With regard to the stuck telescoping driveshafts, did you use any lube prior to assembly? If not, you might try some light aerosol along with force. You might also have better luck using a come-along between posts to put a steady pull on the joint - rather than yanking on it with the tractor. Put a good load on it then tap with a hammer.

My neighbor parked his auger for a full season and the fire ants got inside it - he brought it over to my shop and I had to heat the driveshaft to a dark red in the forge (twice) before it would turn loose. A little bit of trash will cause all types of problems.

[nankbrown1227]

I doubt that either part of the shaft is bent, these shafts are meant to withstand a pretty good amount of use. If either would be bent it would probably be the outside shaft , but like woolridge stated a little trash can really cause parts like this to stick. If I had this in my shop I would probably shackle it to the welding table and beat the fire out if it with a slap hammer while adding good ole PB blaster . Something is bound to give at some point, after you get them apart check for burrs on the inner shaft and anything out of place on the sleeve, make sure both are clean and add some bearing grease and see if they will go back together.

[LawnJockey]

Thanks.  Before I called it quits today I poured some oil in the shaft and and held one end up until it started dripping out the other end then I rotated it to make sure the oil was all around and I left it tilted down to allow good penetration overnight.  The come along idea sounds good, I will try that first.  I hope it is just a matter of some debris and maybe some rust.  When I get it apart I will give it a good cleaning with a plumbing fitting wire brush tacked on to a long rod.  Like cleaning a rifle barrel and flush it with solvent before lubing it up good.

 

Thanks again. 

[ironwolfforgeca]

well just last week I fix a pto shaft for a farmer with a similar problem what he did I now know HOW he did it I don't LOL

he put the pto shaft together 1/3 turn out of sinc it lock up & wouldn't come apart !! he used sledge on the yoke to take apart now shields wont mount in yoke @ all & still stuck

 

My  fix was with no shield A 10 ton port a power to push apart & it took most of the 10 tons to force apart !

other Idea is to use a chain come a long -- chain shaft to tractor & a tree or something that will not move ! 

& slowly pull apart use lots of oil be careful ! pulling it with a tractor is not the best Idea ! come a long is better 

you may have to cut the shields off ? they only come off when shafts are apart at less JD & others

 

 Good luck hopes this helps

[notownkid]

I try never to leave PTO shafts apart.  Too easy for things to get in there, I've found old dryed grease build up and rust before in shafts . Hornets nest that proved interesting for a few minutes.   I've had the inside shaft end get burd up so it would go just so far and then get stuck.  Come along, one style or another is safer that pulling with tractor.  Lub will certainly improve matters, put some pull on it and lightly tap with a hammer if needed.  Plastic covers become a big problem they are not that expensive to replace from Tractor Supply. 

 

I had an uncle who always left part of the pto on the tractor as it was too hard for him to get it on and off.  He was always in a mess with something.  Either the shaft was too long or too short for the job, it was bent, burded.  It did keep the rest of the family from borrowing his tractor more than once.  guite interesting to watch him get hooked up to something.  Took him forever. 

[LawnJockey]

Thanks for the info.  I had not thought about the availability of replacement shields.  Agri Supply has them for $40 if it comes to that.  PTO shafts are one thing I am a safety nut about and the idea of not having a shield is something that would keep me awake at night.  From everyone's comments I am thinking it is just crud.  I will attack it later this morning.

[LawnJockey]

Thanks guys, the come along did it.  I cleaned both sides, lubed it up and it slid back together like I knew what I was doing (fool 'em).  I owe you all a cold one.