PTO-Mower shaft frozen

[BillH-HT]

Setting it up for the first time since I bought it used, the PTO-Mower (drive) shaft is frozen along the "axial sliding joint" direction. It won't lengthen or shorten. Initially I tapped on it with a hammer while it was on the (Sitrex) mower, but decided not to bang on those bearings too much. It's now removed, clamped securely in a big vise and heavy hammer blows haven't budged it. I then heated it (MAPP Gas) to a good sizzle, and inundated the joint with Kroil.

I'll hammer more later. Maybe heat to a red heat with oxyacetylene?

BTW, I have a big pipe wrench loosely over the shaft, bearing against the nether U-joint yoke, so I feel sure that the hammer blows are being felt at the sliding joint.

Suggestions?

TIA, of course

--Bill

 

[winston-HT]

Sounds to me like you are doing the right things. May have to turn it up where the kroil will run down in it and give it time.

 

[BillH-HT]

Yep, Blacksmithery is in order here. I talked to a tractor-knowledgeable friend at Church today, and one problem might be that the sliding-joint of the driveshaft might be jammed together (in addition to rusted). The driveshaft is about as long as it can be, as-fitted. Careful Hacksawing might be the (a) solution.

Old tractors. Gotta love 'em. <E></E>

--Bill

 

[alan-HT]

All else you can do is whack the outside with a sledge but not hard enough to deform and make it worse. Support the unit horizontally and aim for the corner/edge. If you have an air (or electric) descaling (vibrating) tool, that might help a bit.

If no go, they're not that costly to replace.

 

[BillH-HT]

After much hammering I got the driveshaft sections to move by 1/16" and I could see that the outer section had overriden and jammed onto an errant "weld overspray" where the inner section was welded to the u-joint yoke. A careful hacksaw cut through the outer tube and hopefully _just_to_ the inner tube freed jammed tubes (I needed to shorten the outer tube a couple of inches anyway). Got a little overenthusiastic and cut a little too deeply into the inner tube, so I had it TIG welded along that cut. Wire brushed the shafts to remove the rust and old, dried out grease (had the consistency of paraffin wax!) and all is right as rain now.

Created more work for myself... now I don't have an excuse to not bushog the "lower 40"... <E</E>

--Bill