Ford 661 grinds when engaging pto

Hello friends, my pto was grinding when engaging pto, I checked my clutch adjustment against my service manual it was out of adjustment and I only had 1/8" of free travel. My manual has specs for an early model and a later model can't remember the year cutoff, but mine is a 1960 model and fell into the later category. The manual is out in the barn with the tractor, but if I remember correctly it's 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 free travel, and 9 3/4 pedal height. I could be off on those numbers but I adjusted it to exactly the specs it shows, and checked them 3 more times. It goes into travel gears just fine and at any engine speed without any issues smooth as butter. Pto was grinding before adjustment even at 425 rpm and with the clutch pedal against floor board it would still run the shredder, it's still doing it after adjustment, that's why I kept checking my measurements. I've tried leaving it against the floor board for about a ten count before trying to engage pto to give it time to stop, even at 425 rpm, makes no difference. It will disengage without issue, so I just shut down engine engage pto and crank engine with it engaged. My question is am I missing something, or is there a split in my future? I do have the clevis in the correct hole too, for the two stage to be used. The manual didn't say which position for it to be in when making the adjustment, but in the picture it shows it in the two stage hole, that's where I had it when I made my adjustment . Any ideas would be much appreciated. I have been on this site for a few years now and almost all my questions have already been asked and answered for me by doin a search, but I haven't found this problem in my search. I am forever grateful for the wagon loads of knowledge y'all have passed on to me and others. Gods blessings and happy Thanksgiving.

It could be a stuck or oily clutch, but before you split it, I had the
same symptoms on one of my 3000s. It turned out that someone
had replaced the 5/16 pins in the linkage with 1/4 inch bolts.
That 1/16 difference on each end was enough to not let the PTO disengage.
I'm not sure you would be able to adjust it to spec if that were the
case, but it's easy and cheap to check before scheduling a split.

Thank you for your suggestion, I did replace the pin that was in there with a lynch pin couple years back because the pin that was in it used a cotter pin and with my arthritis it's easier to use a lynch pin. I will put the original back in tomorrow and see if that's it. I didn't use it much after I switched pins because I was getting a hip replacement surgery and tractor sat up for awhile after that .I had some fixing to do to it to get it back goin, but it's running like a sewing machine now except for the pto. I used a smaller pin than the ones in the 3 point those were a tad too big , you think i could drill out the holes in the clevis and the rock shaft to accept the larger pin tight or you think i should just go back to the old pin? I don't remember if the trouble began when I did that or not.

I think replacing the pin would certainly be worth the effort to try.
I would not modify anything until you know if it works or not.

Raise the pedal height. For your live PTO tractor, the pedal needs to be around 11 inches high. I don't remember the exact height, but your manual should show it.

How about using the original pin with a hair pin in it instead of a cotter pin.

I checked my manual, and you are right: Pedal height is supposed to be 9-3/8 inches.

It won't hurt to adjust it a bit higher; that's what I would do first. The other possibility is the PTO clutch is rusted from lack of use. I would try to load up the PTO, then keep releasing the clutch until it breaks free. I think if you just give it a good workout it will be fine.

CJ,
Welcome to the forum.
I have an 861 with the same problem. On mine the tractor had set for a few years and the secondary clutch wouldn't release. Had to run a posthole digger with the clutch in for several holes, like 10 or 12, till it broke loose. Got stuck again over the winter, had to run the post hole digger again for a hole or two and all was good. A post hole digger works nice because you can "load and unload" just by raising and lowering the digger and you don't need to be moving to keep it loaded. Easiest way to know if the pin is in the right hole is, the pedal will be raised up about 2" higher than when it is in the other hole. It should be hitting you in the shin if you're not careful. It has to be in this hole in order for the "live power" to work. With the clutch in and running the digger, as soon as the auger stops spinning it is broke free. May want to block the clutch down for a while when you're not using it as they tend to stick again until they have been used for a while.

Well fellas, thank you for all y'alls suggestions. I still haven't gotten it to engage yet without grinding. I've tried every combination of the specs, early model, late model, combination of the two, you name it. Being a 1960 model manual says 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 free travel, pedal height 9 3/8. I have it set at 1 1/2 free travel and 10" height in the second or the rear pin hole. I also replaced the pin in the clevis it doesn't have any extra slack in it now. I shredded with it for a couple hours, even coasted down a long draw that had some pretty tall brush with the clutch pedal against the floor board, brush was thick enough the governor was working. I'm hoping Logger is correct about my problem, but only have the 6ft shredder that uses the pto .everything else just hooks to the 3 point. Thinking about mounding up some dirt and lowering the shredder down on it with the clutch pedal against floor board, just goes against everything the ol timers told us, like using a wrench as a hammer or a screwdriver as a crowbar. I'll block it down until I use it again and see if that works, couldn't hurt .Any suggestions on getting it to break free I'll sure try. Thanks again for all the help.

Well fellas, thank you for all y'alls suggestions. I still haven't gotten it to engage yet without grinding. I've tried every combination of the specs, early model, late model, combination of the two, you name it. Being a 1960 model manual says 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 free travel, pedal height 9 3/8. I have it set at 1 1/2 free travel and 10" height in the second or the rear pin hole. I also replaced the pin in the clevis it doesn't have any extra slack in it now. I shredded with it for a couple hours, even coasted down a long draw that had some pretty tall brush with the clutch pedal against the floor board, brush was thick enough the governor was working. I'm hoping Logger is correct about my problem, but only have the 6ft shredder that uses the pto .everything else just hooks to the 3 point. Thinking about mounding up some dirt and lowering the shredder down on it with the clutch pedal against floor board, just goes against everything the ol timers told us, like using a wrench as a hammer or a screwdriver as a crowbar. I'll block it down until I use it again and see if that works, couldn't hurt .Any suggestions on getting it to break free I'll sure try. Thanks again for all the help.

Too bad it couldn't have been the easy way out.
Maybe using it more will break it free.
If it's stuck that bad, I'd think it's either rust stuck or oil stuck.
Or possibly a bad pressure plate?
Is the cotter key on the under side of the transmission free to let oil out?
Any oil coming out of it?
If you could get some brake cleaner to it, that might help too.
Maybe by taking the starter out or up through the inspection cover on the bottom?
I think the 661 had that cover. My 861 did.

I noticed today that the cotter key is missing, I ran a piece of wire bent at 90* up in the hole and poked around. Nothing came out, is there any issues with removing the plate and replacing the cotter pin and spraying brake cleaner on the clutch from there,? If you can access it from there.

I noticed today that the cotter key is missing. I bent a piece of wire up in the hole and poked around nothing came out. Could I remove that cover and replace the key? If I can access the clutch spray some brake cleaner on it from there too?

Sorry for the double posts, was born before all this computer stuff