Is this PTO salvageable?
 

Hey guys,

Rough day on the 149 - I got my tiller hooked up, and when I went to start the tractor, the tiller was pushing me forward as the engine was trying to turn.

Figuring it was something with the PTO, I looked in there, and saw the lever-throws were all chewed up and misaligned. I was having trouble with getting the PTO to disengage last year, so I just kept tightening the link coming off the PTO lever.

After doing a little research, it appears I'm, at minimum, missing the buttons.

Question is, do you think I can get away with just ordering the buttons and new lever-throws (about $70 for everything) or should I also get a rebuild kit?

The PTO itself worked fine and tilled our entire garden, so it's not completely shot.

Appreciate some thoughts on this.

Also, I've seen an adjustment gauge, is that something anyone has a link to or something that's DIY

Sorry about the rough day, we all have em. They are inevitable running
this old equipment. That PTO is toast. In my thinking you have a couple
choices. Rebuild that one. All the parts including the gauge you referenced
are available from the sellers linked at the top of the home page here.
Or depending on your confidence level with working on it. You can buy
a rebuilt and just replace it. I have rebuilt a couple of these and they
work fine but not without a bunch a fussing with them. I have always
been kind of amazed at how finicky they are.
Just replacing the buttons will only cost you more buttons. Time to
take that one apart. If you get hung up just shout.

Ken

A half assed rebuilt PTO is a PITA. Springs are probably cooked. Chance the bearing is shot, too. Get the rebuild kit....most of them have the setting gauge.

Or buy a rebuilt... check the sponsors above.

Get old one off of crank and disassemble for inspection. Chances are pretty good that it can be salvaged as you're thinking if you can get throw out lever retaining bolt nuts removed.
It really all comes down to how long you want the FIX to last. A few years vs another fifty with a new or rebuilt one.
If it were mine it would get new throw out levers and two new buttons and put back to work. It's really a pretty simple repair.

I started to give the set screws a soak in some pb blaster, but when turning the engine over for access, somehow the whole disc shifted and now the screw holes aren't aligned with the cut-out. Any suggestions?

sounds like you got oil on the friction disc-allowing it to slip even under spring pressure- if you are rebuilding it you should replace the friction disc, so no reason not to get the friction disc completely oiled up. then you should be able to turn the pressure plate independent of the pulley and realign the holes with the set screws- there should be two in each hole- one as a "lock" and one as a setscrew holding the pulley to the shaft

Read this thread....
https://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/...ad.php?t=62547

Hit it with a little more penetrating oil and that did the trick. Thank you so much

If the pto is gripping and preventing you from lining the holes up, I put a 2 or 3 jaw puller legs in the belt groove and put enough tension on it to release the clutch allowing it to turn so the holes in the basket pulley line up, Blow those holes out good with compressed air and soak them with pb blaster, as someone said there should be 2 screws in each hole. ! good luck, I have rebuilt a few that looked like yours !

Bit of an update - I got everything assembled and back on, even successfully did a second till of the garden. I did notice that when I disengaged the PTO, it took a few seconds to fully stop. Didn't think much of it.

Got it back into the shop, and noticed one of the clutch fingers was loose, so I took it apart again and retightened everything in line with the gauge provided.

I just got done mowing the lawn today, and when I went to disengage, nothing happened. Took a look and that wear button that engages the thrust button was completely wore off. I had put a dollar bill's clearance betwen the wear button and thrust button, but that wasn't enough to get the clutch to stop spinning, so I tightened it a bit more. Order two of the brass versions of the wear button.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I'm doing wrong?