How to Remove PTO Pulley

[ServiceExplorer]

Hi All. I am new to Only Cub Cadets and this is my first post.
I have a Z-Force 44 that I bought used in 2006. It only had a few hours on it so it is probably in the 2006 range. It has the B&S 20hp engine and an electrically activated clutch.
I need to replace the PTO pulley, the one that is connected to the clutch/engine shaft. I removed the center bolt from the shaft. I also removed a large snap ring that was in the pulley (although I do not know if that was necessary).
I have sprayed the pulley and shaft with WD40. I have heated the pulley (but not too much because I did not want to damage anything). I have hammered and pried on the pulley and it does not seem to budge. I searched through this forum and have not found anything that might help other than many of the things that I just mentioned.
Is there something "special" about this pulley that requires a special technique to remove it?
I've attached a photo of the clutch and pulley (or, at least, I tried to attach a photo). The yellow arrow shows where I have removed the center bolt. There are two blue arrows that point to a couple of nuts. There is a third nut on the back side of the clutch that you cannot see in the photo. I am wondering if I need to remove these three nuts to drop down the clutch. I have not done that yet because I am afraid that if I do that, all kinds of parts and springs will pop loose and go flying and I'll never get it back together again.
---After some research, it looks like I should not touch those three nuts. I think it's all part of the clutch assembly and the the whole thing ought to come off the shaft in a unit. I have just not been able to get the darn thing off the shaft.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[RLause]

This is a link to a clutch for a 782 that looks quit the same as yours. I think you will have to remove the nuts to remove the pulley assembly.

https://www.partstree.com/models/782...pto-clutch-41/

[finsruskw]

Those nuts are for adjusting the air gap for proper operation and engagement.

[darkminion_17]

The bolt you took off is the only thing that holds the PTO on. WD 40 is not a good penetrating fluid, PB blaster or a combo of acetone and transmission fluid will work. From the looks of the way the PTO is behind thar plate you may have to remove the engine.

https://www.ccpartsnmore.com › files › cub › cu...
PDF

[finsruskw]

And you want to remove it.....because.....?

It don't engage or what?

1st off, check for power (On & Off) at the connector for the PTO.

If none, trace back to/through the safety switches and or fuses.

[darkminion_17]

Looks like it has been bented.

[ironman]

Originally Posted by ServiceExplorer

Hi All. I am new to Only Cub Cadets and this is my first post.
I have a Z-Force 44 that I bought used in 2006. It only had a few hours on it so it is probably in the 2006 range. It has the B&S 20hp engine and an electrically activated clutch.
I need to replace the PTO pulley, the one that is connected to the clutch/engine shaft. I removed the center bolt from the shaft. I also removed a large snap ring that was in the pulley (although I do not know if that was necessary).
I have sprayed the pulley and shaft with WD40. I have heated the pulley (but not too much because I did not want to damage anything). I have hammered and pried on the pulley and it does not seem to budge. I searched through this forum and have not found anything that might help other than many of the things that I just mentioned.
Is there something "special" about this pulley that requires a special technique to remove it?
I've attached a photo of the clutch and pulley (or, at least, I tried to attach a photo). The yellow arrow shows where I have removed the center bolt. There are two blue arrows that point to a couple of nuts. There is a third nut on the back side of the clutch that you cannot see in the photo. I am wondering if I need to remove these three nuts to drop down the clutch. I have not done that yet because I am afraid that if I do that, all kinds of parts and springs will pop loose and go flying and I'll never get it back together again.
---After some research, it looks like I should not touch those three nuts. I think it's all part of the clutch assembly and the the whole thing ought to come off the shaft in a unit. I have just not been able to get the darn thing off the shaft.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Yes, the three nuts will have to be removed. They are holding on the "brake drum". The brake drum is what stops the blades immediately when you disengage the PTO. The pulley, known as the "driven disc"has a flange that sits behind the brake drum, therefore it cannot come off without removing the brake drum also.
Don't worry those springs that you can see is all there is back there.
As finsruskw said the nuts and springs are for adjusting the air gap which you will have to do if you remove the pulley.

[ServiceExplorer]

Thanks for all the GREAT suggestions. @finsruskw asked why I wanted to remove the clutch. The answer is that the pulley is bend and broken.

Here is something that I recently noticed. I am able to wiggle the clutch assembly left and right just a little bit. It rotates back and forth only about a quarter of an inch before hitting what the parts manual calls the Clutch Retainer Assembly. As far as I can tell, this is normal for the clutch.

(I had created a short video that showed what the clutch was doing, but that video didn't contain and useful or interesting information. So I deleted the video and removed the link from this post.)

I attached a photo that tries to show what I am talking about. The red arrow points to the part of the clutch that I can wiggle. The red oval shows where the pulley has failed.

I will try removing the three "gap adjustment" nuts under the clutch. I don't figure it could hurt anything.

Many thanks for the feedback. Any more suggestions will be appreciated.

[ServiceExplorer]

Success. I was able to remove the clutch assembly.

1. I did not have to pull the engine.
2. I did not have to remove the three air-gap adjustment nuts.
3. I used a 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid as a penetrating lubricant. I soaked the shaft at the top of the clutch and let is sit overnight.
4. I borrowed a 5-ton puller from O'Reilly. I got the 5-ton because it had the right grip length and size for the job. The puller could be configured as a 3-jaw or 2-jaw puller. It was already set up with two jaws so I used it like that.
5. I screwed the clutch retaining bolt part-way into the shaft and used the head of the bolt for the puller to push against.
6. The puller was so efficient and/or the penetrating lubricant was so effective that I could hand-turn the puller and the clutch slid off the shaft. (NOTE that this clutch assembly had been on the mower for 20 years.)

Now, all I need to do is find a suitable replacement. I can get an OEM part for many dollars or I can get an aftermarket part for less than half the cost.
I would be interested if anyone has a suggestion or recommendation on where to get a reliable replacement.

Many Thanks.

[Oak]

See if this company makes one for you machine. A lot of people have used them on here and were happy.

https://xtremeope.com/?utm_medium=cp...BoCY4wQAvD_BwE