63 2000 4cyl twisting shafts!

gibby2235 · Aug 12, 2020

Have a 63 Ford 2000 4cyl gas, for the past two years its ended up twisting the pto shaft. Only used for bush hogging a couple times a year and some spots can be a bit rough and I blamed my 18 year old son who has has quite an ability to break stuff..but this time, he hasn't used it and its been pretty much parked because I haven't had time. Made a few rounds and was running rough, pushed in clutch and when I released the clutch, the pto wouldn't spin. Tried the lever, had the right feel (the past two times it would be stuck and got alot of grinding). Anyway, pulled the plate and its twisted in two and I cant get the front part out, so looks like I get to split it..not happy! Any ideas what could be causing it?? It hasn't hit anything, which I thought was happening so after the send I put a slip clutch on it, obviously didn't help! The last two I've put on have been cheap replacements, but surely its not a case of cheap bad metalurgy, got to be more going on here!
Since I'm going to have to get in there, what else should I do while its apart?

Michaels Dad · Aug 12, 2020

You might have something wrapped around the stump jumper ( if it has one ), but to me that seems the most likely culprit.
As far as the slip clutch goes, it sounds like it's not properly adjusted.
It appears that it's way to tight, or it's rusted together and won't slip.
Slip clutches do require some maintenance.

gibby2235 · Aug 12, 2020

Actually was just underneath it sharpening the blades, nothing wrapped around it :?:

gibby2235 · Aug 12, 2020

Also to add, you spin the bush hog shaft freely by hand, doesn't bind.

Michaels Dad · Aug 12, 2020

With all that, it seems the only thing (someone else can chime in) left is something was hit.

Dean · Aug 12, 2020

Slip clutch on the mower?

If so, do you loosen and slip it onch each year as recommended?

If not, it is, no doubt, corrosion locked.

Dean

crankyfranky · Aug 12, 2020

(quoted from post at 17:10:40 08/12/20) Slip clutch on the mower?

If so, do you loosen and slip it onch each year as recommended?

If not, it is, no doubt, corrosion locked.

Dean

when you clutch the tractor with the pto and brush hog running do you first idle the rpm down? after you clutch do you let the mower push the tractor? could the inertia built up in the mower be enough to twist the shaft?

Steve in IL · Aug 12, 2020

I’m struggling to think that a 2000 has enough power to break
a good shaft. As a kid, I hit all kinds of stuff with my dad’s 641,
and it still has the original shaft. Gotta be something else
going on.

Greg NE · Aug 12, 2020

Which transmission do you have? If it is a 4 speed, do you have an ORC on it? If
your brakes work extremely well you may be twisting the pto shaft from the inertia
of the blades and no ORC. My 2 cents worth. Greg NE

gibby2235 · Aug 12, 2020

Its the 5 speed, brakes dont work that well. I generally try not to just pop the clutch, but suppose I could have, just cant believe that would do it. Ive beat this thing pretty hard over the years and never had any trouble until a couple years ago. I can positively say it didnt hit anything this time at least.

gibby2235 · Aug 12, 2020

Now that I think about exactly how it happened, I was bushogging and the engine was stumbling pretty badly, so I stopped with engine running, wasnt at idle, but not high rpms at all. Put it in neutral and shut pto off. Got off, adjusted carb and got back on, engage pto and release clutch, and immediately noticed it wasnt turning.

JMOR · Aug 12, 2020

And also, the shaft could have been sheared long ago, but someday, the straw that broke the camel back finished it off.

gibby2235 · Aug 14, 2020

I got very lucky, was able to get my dremel in there with a
cutoff wheel and cut a notch in the broken shaft so I could get
a little purchase on it with a pry bar and the stub popped right
out, so hopefully won’t need to split it after all.

Here is a pic of the break. Think I’m just going to replace it,
adjust the slip clutch again and just be really careful about
popping the clutch.

riveroadrat · Sep 29, 2020

It might be one of those chinese shafts being sold now. I saw a used one on fleabay for sale and it already had wear marks on the ouput end.

i saw as

showcrop · Sep 30, 2020

Did you really put a slip clutch on the mower or did you put an over-running clutch on the tractor PTO shaft?

gibby2235 · Sep 30, 2020

(quoted from post at 21:54:02 09/29/20) It might be one of those chinese shafts being sold now. I saw a used one on fleabay for sale and it already had wear marks on the ouput end.
i saw as

It was a cheap fleabay one. On the twisted one the splines are MUCH narrower than on the oem replacement I got. So much so that it had to have had a bit of play, which along with probably a bad place in the shaft combined to cause the problem. Thats my theory anyway.
I did put a slip clutch on the mower.

riveroadrat · Nov 19, 2020

Better to buy a good used OEM off fleabay. Sometimes you can get a good deal on one. Just check the spline wear on the rear side.

63 2000 4cyl twisting shafts!

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