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Gavin M
01-10-2004 10:24:04
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Re: 1954 MH 44 Please Help! in reply to Farmerbret, 01-09-2004 20:55:10
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The belt pulley drive is is on a jackshaft (i.e. a 90 degree drive through a bevel gearset) from the PTO driveshaft. Engaging the PTO, as Steven mentioned, will also engage the belt pulley. The belt pully operates at 865 RPM, and the PTO at 534 RPM when the engine is at full-load RPM (1350), slightly faster at no-load RPM (1525-1550). However, I doubt a belt pulley will be of much use in driving a bush hog or any other modern implement. As you have probably noticed, the PTO shaft is mounted very high on the transmission case. This presents some problems with U-joint angularity and the adoption of a three-point hitch to the tractor. Massey Harris eventually used a very strong Cat. 2 three-point called the "Hitch-All". Earlier three-point hitches are reportedly weak and prone to breakage, even in Cat. 1 service. A problem is the top link. If the top link is mounted above the PTO shaft, the angle it works at is very severe and the three point geometry, which determines the draft and the correct operation of the lift, is poor. If the top link mount is below the PTO, then the geometry is much better, but PTO driven implements will generally not work, as they require the drive shaft to be in the middle of the triangle formed by the top link and the lift arms. MH solved this problem with the Hitch-All by making a top link with an oval in the middle for the PTO driveshaft to pass through. The problem was later (1956) completely solved with the 444, which dropped the PTO driveshaft below the top link mount. Hitch-All assemblies for 44 tractors are not common, and quite expensive. All 44's with factory hydraulics use an engine-driven (live) pump, gear driven off the camshaft gear. Unlike the hitch-all, they are commonly available.
The 44 is an extremely well designed and built tractor and will readily work had for many years. With few exceptions, the engineering is superb on the majority of the tractor's systems. Unless you wish to go to the time & expense of upgrading to a hitch-all, I would not jury-rig a TPH. Better to use a drawbar bush hog, as Steven suggested. Best of luck.
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