What is this power take off up near the front axle for?

[Ron Pridell]

on my older L185 (and many others in the same era) the engine crankshaft was extended out the front of the engine and used for hydraulic pumps, electric PTO to drive implements.

Did it look like this?
I'm guessing that I would have to buy a gearbox of some sort to use it?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm guessing that I would have to buy a gearbox of some sort to use it?

At the very minimum you would need the Coupling hub and Shaft to direct connect it to a Hydraulic pump.
If you wanted to have control over it being on and off you would need a electric clutch.
Now as I said earlier the coupling and shaft are long Discontinued and Obsolete, so you would have to make your own parts.
Not a easy or simple task.
What do you want to run off of it?

 

[Russell King]

Did it look like this?
I'm guessing that I would have to buy a gearbox of some sort to use it?

Yes that is similar to same as on my L185. There were versions like your picture show the crankshaft pulley being held on the crankshaft with the large nut. That means that the crankshaft is extended and the splined area is still part of the same crankshaft. The other versions had a crankshaft pulley that was attached with a bolt into the end of the crankshaft. That pulley had tapped holes that held on a short (stub) shaft bolted onto the crankshaft pulley.

You can use a gearbox if you want to, I believe I have seen a small transmission driven off the front of an engine so the output speed is adjustable to some degree. The most difficult part of using the crankshaft is getting a splined part that fits onto the crankshaft splines and getting a good flexing coupling involved so you don’t break the shaft off the engine.

And remember that shaft’s speed is the same as the engin speed and will vary some under load.

 

[Ron Pridell]

At the very minimum you would need the Coupling hub and Shaft to direct connect it to a Hydraulic pump.
If you wanted to have control over it being on and off you would need a electric clutch.
Now as I said earlier the coupling and shaft are long Discontinued and Obsolete, so you would have to make your own parts.
Not a easy or simple task.
What do you want to run off of it?

A snowblower

 

[Ron Pridell]

At the very minimum you would need the Coupling hub and Shaft to direct connect it to a Hydraulic pump.
If you wanted to have control over it being on and off you would need a electric clutch.
Now as I said earlier the coupling and shaft are long Discontinued and Obsolete, so you would have to make your own parts.
Not a easy or simple task.
What do you want to run off of it?

A snowblower

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

A snowblower

Much easier way to do it.

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