Finally got the access port uncovered and opened. The rust was pretty bad. I soaked the adjustment screws with Kroil a few times and left it to sit overnight. I'll see if they'll move later today.
I've seen posts where people recommend filling the bell housing as much as possible with Coke to eat the rust, then draining and rinsing. I looked last night for a drain, and thought I might have found one right below where the clutch is, but the hole bottomed out just below the threads and doesn't go through.
It is a fine threaded 12mm head bolt, so not big enough to mount anything from. It's right where the FEL bottom part of the frame mounts, but has nothing to do with the FEL. It's halfway backed out in the picture below. It's almost as if it's there to be drilled through if someone wanted to have a drain.
Anyone know what this is for?
As bad as the surface rust is, there's no issue with disengaging the clutch to change gears. Just the PTO disengagement that's the problem now.
Shame on me for not blocking the pedal down, but double shame on me for not checking that the side access port cover plate (thumbnail shown in post #1) was tight after I pulled it off to check things this past summer. Sitting outside allowed rain to seep behind it and here i am now....
