John deere 50 pto adjustment

[20BlackburnJa]

Helloi was wondering if anyone has any experience or advice for adjusting the pto clutch on a john deere 50? It slipped a couple times last fall on a ear picker and skipped again on the dyno at our local fair and I was told I should try adjusting it before I rebuild it. Im trying to get it ready to pull my 1 row number 18 at rantoul this year and figured two weeks before the show was prime time to try and tackle it. I have the IT book and it spells it all out easily enough but I cant seem to get to anything inside the housing let alone even see much. Has anyone hand any success with adjusting it a couple turns without trying to fit feeler gauges down inside? And help would be appreciated. I attached he'd some pictures but there is not much to see. Thanks-Jacob

 

[Janicholson]

Welcome to YT forums and PartsASAP
What I read into the directions is the need to turn the clutch with the drive out of gear, looking for the locking tang to allow adjustment. A 16 gauge wire is used as a substitute for the feeler gauge. Jim

 

[JIM MN]

Jacob, you need an operator's manual for your JD 50? But I will help. Disengage the PTO at lever at right of the ground gear shift lever. You have the large and small plugs out. With PTO lever beside the battery box disengage. Looking in the large hole, turn PTO shaft to locate the locking screw or locking tab. Will need to engage PTO to turn shaft to fine screw. Disengage PTO again to see screw or tab. May need to repeat several times to find. Engage PTO clutch again. Through small hole measure gap to see if you have .090 inch between the clutch brake plate facing and flange of cam disk. If not, through the large hole, screw in adjusting screw to free adjusting cam. Turn cam counterclockwise- viewed from rear-to tighten your PTO clutch. Get your .090 inch clearance. Repeat until you do. Check in three different positions. If good, lock cam in position, with lock screw or tab. Check oil lever, put plugs back in, and may need to adjust the PTO brake. If the cam can be tightened, then try? If pulls with no slip, your good to use. If still slips, need to rebuild the PTO clutch disks?

 

[20BlackburnJa]

Jacob, you need an operator's manual for your JD 50? But I will help. Disengage the PTO at lever at right of the ground gear shift lever. You have the large and small plugs out. With PTO lever beside the battery box disengage. Looking in the large hole, turn PTO shaft to locate the locking screw or locking tab. Will need to engage PTO to turn shaft to fine screw. Disengage PTO again to see screw or tab. May need to repeat several times to find. Engage PTO clutch again. Through small hole measure gap to see if you have .090 inch between the clutch brake plate facing and flange of cam disk. If not, through the large hole, screw in adjusting screw to free adjusting cam. Turn cam counterclockwise- viewed from rear-to tighten your PTO clutch. Get your .090 inch clearance. Repeat until you do. Check in three different positions. If good, lock cam in position, with lock screw or tab. Check oil lever, put plugs back in, and may need to adjust the PTO brake. If the cam can be tightened, then try? If pulls with no slip, your good to use. If still slips, need to rebuild the PTO clutch disks?

Thanks for the reply! Iv been able to release the locking tab, this one doesn't have a screw, and I can spin the cam but I cant see a gap anywhere to measure, the book just shows sticking the wire through but cant tell which surfaces you stick it between. Could I get away with adjusting it 3 notches and dynoing to see if it slips? I dont want to break anything and i dont know if not seeing what this gap is if its and indication that there is a bigger problem? I know it does need rebuilt at somepoint, the tabs on the clutch discs in the clutch pack are showing a lot of wear. Im just trying to get by and pick a couple loads of corn at rantoul then dive deep into this winter. Thanks-Jacob

 

[JIM MN]

Your .090 inch gap is in the small plug hole. You may need a










































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Your .090 inch gap is measured through the small hole. You may need a screwdriver to spread the plates to get your gap to measure. It should be harder to engage the PTO lever when you get it adjusted correct.

 

[JIM MN]

You need to check your .090 inch gap through the small hole. You may need a screwdriver to spread the plates to use the gauge. When you are adjusted correct, the PTO lever will be harder to engage.

 

[buickanddeere]

Thanks for the reply! Iv been able to release the locking tab, this one doesn't have a screw, and I can spin the cam but I cant see a gap anywhere to measure, the book just shows sticking the wire through but cant tell which surfaces you stick it between. Could I get away with adjusting it 3 notches and dynoing to see if it slips? I dont want to break anything and i dont know if not seeing what this gap is if its and indication that there is a bigger problem? I know it does need rebuilt at somepoint, the tabs on the clutch discs in the clutch pack are showing a lot of wear. Im just trying to get by and pick a couple loads of corn at rantoul then dive deep into this winter. Thanks-Jacob

Helloi was wondering if anyone has any experience or advice for adjusting the pto clutch on a john deere 50? It slipped a couple times last fall on a ear picker and skipped again on the dyno at our local fair and I was told I should try adjusting it before I rebuild it. Im trying to get it ready to pull my 1 row number 18 at rantoul this year and figured two weeks before the show was prime time to try and tackle it. I have the IT book and it spells it all out easily enough but I cant seem to get to anything inside the housing let alone even see much. Has anyone hand any success with adjusting it a couple turns without trying to fit feeler gauges down inside? And help would be appreciated. I attached he'd some pictures but there is not much to see. Thanks-Jacob

My phone at work has poor service and takes several minutes to open up the entire page of replies .
Has anyone asked What kind of oil is in the PTO clutch reservoir ?

 

[used red MN]

Jim, you should use the edit button to open your reply 5 and select and delete the empty “returns” (added lines) You must have fell asleep on you space bar.

 

[20BlackburnJa]

Thanks for all your guys help. Dynoed it this evening and it still slipped so brought it home and popped it apart real quick. Ill post so.e pictures of the carnage but I dont think there was any adjusting that was gonna fix this. Ordering a rebuild kit tonight and hopefully it goes back together ok. Any advice for the reassembly process? Thanks-Jacob

 

[Janicholson]

Thanks for all your guys help. Dynoed it this evening and it still slipped so brought it home and popped it apart real quick. Ill post so.e pictures of the carnage but I dont think there was any adjusting that was gonna fix this. Ordering a rebuild kit tonight and hopefully it goes back together ok. Any advice for the reassembly process? Thanks-Jacob

Paper thin driven disc friction surfaces just don't work. It will be fine when the kit is installed! Jim

 

[PJH]

Thanks for all your guys help. Dynoed it this evening and it still slipped so brought it home and popped it apart real quick. Ill post so.e pictures of the carnage but I dont think there was any adjusting that was gonna fix this. Ordering a rebuild kit tonight and hopefully it goes back together ok. Any advice for the reassembly process? Thanks-Jacob

When I rebuilt the PTO clutch on my JD50, I adjusted the clutch assembly in my shop vice before I reinstalled it in the tractor. It's much easier than poking around in a little hole on the tractor. A total overhaul of the PTO involves removing the entire rear housing and checking/replacing the pump bushings and seals. Seals and bushings are cheap compared to the cost of the friction disks.

 

[maqbill]

When I rebuilt the PTO clutch on my JD50, I adjusted the clutch assembly in my shop vice before I reinstalled it in the tractor. It's much easier than poking around in a little hole on the tractor. A total overhaul of the PTO involves removing the entire rear housing and checking/replacing the pump bushings and seals. Seals and bushings are cheap compared to the cost of the friction disks.

I agree, that's the best way to it. I still have the jig to aline the clutch plates. Much easier to install with the clutch engaged.