Mid PTO driveshaft attachment

[fatjay]

My b8200's mid PTO has a hole on the inner spline to put a bolt or something though to attach a driveshaft. My mower universal joint has a corresponding hole. However my snowblower shaft has ball bearings on the inner spline with a slip ring that holds them in place once the shaft is in place. The problem is the blower shaft's inner spline mates to the PTO shaft's outer spline, which doesn't have a hole, since it's on the inner spline.

I don't want to leave the shaft on there with nothing holding it on other than friction, but at the same time I am not thrilled about grinding a divit on the PTO shaft for the ball bearings to grab on to. The previous owner used the blower, but I don't see how he did it without relying on friction to keep the shaft on.

Any suggestions on what to do?

 

[MikeyA]

So the snow blower uses a quick connect and the mid pto shaft on tractor isn't beveled for it?.
After looking at parts diagram, it doesnt appear that the mid pto shaft is grooved for quick release...that being the case, you might have to get a yoke from your mower shaft and replace the quick release yoke..

 

[D2Cat]

Get a good beveled carbide tip for a die grinder and make up a jig to hold it in place. Activate the PTO and make your own groove.

 

[fatjay]

I was thinking of making my own groove with the grinder. I'd just do it on two opposing splines, so the shaft can only go on one way, rather than all the way around.

I looked at parts prices, $300+ for new half shaft or basically any part is just unreasonable.

I don't understand how the previous owner used it though. At the speed that shaft spins(1100+rpm), if it came off that'd be a whole lot of mess considering the mass of the spinning parts. I'd be afraid to use it.

 

[KeithG]

Not sure I am picturing things correctly from you explanation but the drive shaft for my snowblower has the same spring loaded bearing lock on one end and just a longer grooved female spline on the other. I simply slide the long female gear spline over the snowblower spline and then lock the bearing lock on the mid-PTO drive shaft of the tractor. The snowblower connection cannot separate because of the length of the shaft.
Not sure if this helps, maybe pictures would help understand the exact issue...

 

[fatjay]

The subframe side has hte locking quick connect, but the tractor side that "groove" for the bearings to slip on doesn't exist. I'll get a closer look tonight, but I didn't want to take a grinder to it before getting some feedback.

 

[D2Cat]

Can you drill a hole in the piece with the sliding coupling and match it up to the hole on the splined mid-pto and not use the coupling (just leave it unlocked)?

 

[asgard]

I think some pictures would help. Tractor coupling, snowblower and maybe even one of the mower connection.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I don't understand how the previous owner used it though. At the speed that shaft spins(1100+rpm), if it came off that'd be a whole lot of mess considering the mass of the spinning parts. I'd be afraid to use it.

It spins faster than that, 1745/2416 RPM.

 

[Donystoy]

Get a good beveled carbide tip for a die grinder and make up a jig to hold it in place. Activate the PTO and make your own groove.

This is basically what I did on my 7200 except I used a 4" angle grinder with a well worn 1/4" thick disk. I measured the new coupling to see where the balls would be on the spline and then marked with caulk. I then started the PTO in high speed and carefully put a small notch in the spline. Works just fine.

These spring loaded couplings are a lot better than trying to assemble the pins with washer and cotter pin used on the original mower shaft. I was lucky to find this old stock spring loaded shaft when I was looking for drive shaft components while fabricating up the attachment to my tractor 8 years ago.

 

[kubotasam]

Here is how I got around the exact same problem on a B7100.
I disassembled the spring coupling part of the pto shaft yoke. It has 3 steel balls that run in 3 equal spaced holes around the splines of the yoke. I put the 3 steel balls, the sliding coupler, the spring and the snap ring in a zip lock bag to save. Then I slid the yoke with the female splines onto the mid PTO aligning one of the holes that held the steel balls with the cross hole in the PTO shaft. Next I took the correct size drill bit and pushed through the one hoe in the yoke,through the exhisting hole in the tractor mid pto and drilled out through the other side of the yoke.
I used the mower pin to hold the shaft on. The spring loaded parts of the yoke can be reassembled if you need that in the future.