Polymath Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 Hello everyone, While baling hay today I got two bales before the PTO shaft and snap ring came out. It would seem easy enough to fix but I am not sure how it goes back in. Does the snap ring require a special tool? Does it go in after pushing the shaft back in or does it go in the groove where the finer teeth are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIHTECH Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 Snap ring #6 is easily installed with a pair of slip joint pliers. Make sure snap ring groove profile in #2 is sharp and square as well as the snap ring. To change the shaft you need to apply slight pressure against end of shaft to allow for installing snap ring. Make sure your implement shaft telescopes freely, a tight shaft will put a lot of pull on that snap ring when you come out of a turn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearclash Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 To add to CIHTECH’s comments. To install the shaft for 540 drive, you might need to push a little on the stub shaft to get it far enough in to seat the snap ring. There will be spring pressure against it. It also may be necessary to rotate the stub shaft (and the drive tube, item 2 above) to get the slid ring that actually engages the PTO drive gears to mesh up. If the stub shaft refuses to move far enough, it needs to be rotated a little. If a snap ring even looks at me cross eyed, I replace them. They wear and won’t stay in place as well. And I will repeat the advice to make sure the implement PTO shaft telescopes easily. That reversible stub shaft design is not the most robust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polymath Posted May 30 Author Share Posted May 30 Thank you CIHTECH and Gearclash. I will order a new snap ring and try to get this on back in to finish baling. I tried slip joint pliers but I probably just need an extra set of hands to push on the shaft. I am definitely no expert but I agree Gearclash, this design does not seem most robust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmi Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 new snap ring and good sliding joints, a little wider turns. once you do it 100 x its "easier" with 3 hands make sure # 7 is not broke and in the hole? try the 1000 side for some practice. with flat on shaft about 2: 30 and SN same, push hard while turning 1/2" ( and hold LOL) with free hand install SN "easy" in the dark aggressively try to pull out before heading to the field. Repeat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kirsch Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 My trick of the trade on this is to use Vise Grips. You can't just clamp down on the ears of the snap ring though. It'll go *PING* on you in an instant. Grip the snap ring gently with the Vise Grips, right in the edge of the jaw. All you have to do is get it started in the "tube." Once it's started you can poke at it with the jaws of the Vice Grips to push it into the groove. It's easy enough for the 1000 side but the 540 needs to push the button in to shift the gear in the PTO unit. If it doesn't want to go, the PTO is supposed to be able to turn by hand 1/6 of a turn with the engine off to align the splines, so give it a twist and it will pop right in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearclash Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 When I began my custom baling career I had but one tractor, a CIH with the reversible stub PTO. One tractor and two implements to pull, one of which was 540 and the other 1000, and I had to switch between them constantly. Knowing already that the snap ring was a premier pain in the hind to manipulate, one of the first things I did after acquiring that tractor was take a cheap linesman’s pliers and grind it to specially remove and install that snap ring. It works worlds better than any other plier. I might have a picture of it on my phone but finding it among the approximately 2000 pictures on there is rather hopeless. I will try to remember to snap a picture of it tomorrow and post it. Regarding the frail design of that legacy CIH reversible PTO design. It would have all been a great deal more durable had CIH across the board used the European design rather than using that they did for the NA tractors. The Euro design still has the snap ring, but the stub shaft cannot hammer on the internal shifting components like it can on the NA design. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polymath Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 Really good info guys. Definitely appreciate it. @Matt Kirsch that is exactly what we did today! Grabbed some needle nose vice grips and I pushed in the shaft while my dad put the snap ring on. Worked great. @Gearclash that is a great idea and I was seriously considering customizing some pliers if I needed to. Really appreciate everyone's help. We got it going again today and I baled some more hay. Of course now the baler is broken......you have no idea how much has transpired over the last few days just trying to cut, rake and bale 20 acres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HydroTek Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 While the baler is down, would be a good time to check if the pto shaft slides easily -- Also check if the shaft has "slack" in rotation -- I have seem shafts that would lock, and not slide, when rotational pressure was on it -- Time to replace in that case 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polymath Posted June 21 Author Share Posted June 21 Thanks everyone for the help. We were able to get it back in and going. Now to finish the maintenance on the disc mower..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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