550 PTO clutch

Hardpan · Jan 22, 2022

The PTO on the 550 I salvaged a year ago arrived with a PTO fully engaged and the activation arm freely loving without effect. The PTO is running full time. There were problems with it that took priority but now I'm thinking it is PTO planning time. I have done nothing with the PTO yet, but the previous owner said they had redone the PTO, used it but it quickly stuck in this run position. They also said it had a bad hydraulic leak and had to be refilled regularly. They refilled by keeping it visible at the fill point, I drained about six gallons from the Transmisson to get it to quit pouring out the inspection plug. So, I assume they kept the entire clutch cavity full of transmission fluid and soaked the disks. I figure a split is inevitable but some of you folks might have had a similar problem and have some alternate ideas.

rrlund · Jan 22, 2022

Can't help with the hydraulic leak, but take the four bolts out of the inspection cover under the middle of the tractor. Shine a light up there while somebody moves the PTO lever. Make sure the spider is moving and actually disengaging. As porous as it is under the middle of the tractor that it shouldn't fill up with oil. If it did, the tractor clutch would too, it's the same compartment. It could be that the flat washer that acts as a key in the pinch bolt has sheared off or something so it's not disengaging.

Hardpan · Jan 22, 2022

I know I should drop that plate to see what goes on, but it was not a hydraulic leak, it was transmission fluid that leaked all over my shop floor until I realized that it was grossly overfilled. I was kinda thinking that the disks might have got soaked with oil and stuck together. Isn't the pto shaft below the drive train horn enough for that to happen? I think you told me to look at that six months ago but at 89 I'm slow to get under things and have been fully occupied with fuel systems, every inch of wiring and tons on road tar. I'll probably need a lot more advice before this is one is done. This is the first Oliver I've rescued but this one is a challenge.

rrlund · Jan 23, 2022

Yes, you have a hydraulic leak overfilling the rear end. Then the rear end is leaking out through a seal and in by the PTO clutch. The oil can cause the PTO to keep turning, BUT, those things are notorious for not stopping when not under load. The oil would exacerbate that. When you push and pull on the PTO lever, do you feel it snap in and out? If it does, I'd put that on the back burner for now until you fix the two leaks. Any way you go, it'll need a Z split. I put a new PTO clutch in mine and it stopped spinning when not under load for a few months, but then it went right back to its old ways. There are alternating steel and fiber discs, so on yours, yes, the oil is sticking them together, but I don't think it's possible for the clutch housing to actually fill up with oil no matter how bad it's leaking, it's just passing through and getting on the clutches.

550 PTO clutch

Hardpan

Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

Hardpan

Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

Similar threads