Mechanical PTO Keeps Loosening

jsoluna · #1 08-02-2011, 02:27 AM

Hey guys,

Vince kindly sent me some pressure springs and the WF gauge for adjusting the PTO on my 129. Finally got around to installing them, but I'm having the same problem I had with the jam nuts that I had before - I can not get the rear jam nuts for the throwout lever screws to stay tight! After running it for a few minutes, one of them always backs out!

What's a solution for this? I've had this happen to me several times now, and while I've become a pro at PTO work, I'm getting real tired of having to keep taking it back off there. I bought some nylock and full metal lock nuts, some lock washers, and I'm even prepared to use Loctite if I have to. Don't know if you've seen my post about the 129 earning its keep, but this is a daily driver for me and I have to have it for work.

I'll be tearing into the PTO this morning (man, it's late now) so I'll check back here before I go do anything too crazy to get those levers to stay tight.

Thanks

Justin

Diz Jr. · #2 08-02-2011, 06:53 AM

When you are saying jam nuts, do you mean 2 nuts on each screw?
Thats what mine has. 2 thin nuts on each screw.

scleve · #3 08-02-2011, 07:55 AM

When setting your jam nuts are you using thin wrenches so you can hold the first while jamming the second against the first one. I have used loc-tite in the past just use it as directed.

Matt G. · #4 08-02-2011, 08:18 AM

You don't need any loc-tite, locknuts, etc. Get a cheap 7/16" wrench and grind it to the thickness of the nuts, then tighten the nuts together. I have never had a problem with the jam nuts loosening. If you are, you are doing something wrong.

jsoluna · #5 08-02-2011, 11:32 AM

Ok, thanks guys. I have one cheap 7/16" in the shop and one good one. Looks like the cheap one is about to become a specialized tool. Thanks for the advice, I must have just not been tightening them enough.

I'll let you know how it goes in a bit.

Thanks

jsoluna · #6 08-02-2011, 01:55 PM

I had initially thought that the jam nut wasn't butting up against the first nut, it felt like it was actually pulling more tension on the screw and throw out levers. After grinding down a wrench instead of using tiny pliers, I could tell that it was just the friction between the two I was feelin before. It did add a bit more tension because I double checked my adjustment after running down the jam nuts and it changed just a hair, even though I didn't let the first nuts move at all.

Got them all tightened down, ran it for 15 mins, none of them are loose yet....didn't use any loctite.

I'll let you all know how it goes after I do some properties today. Thanks for your help.

william1041200 · #7 08-02-2011, 08:05 PM

Yep, you really do have to jam them against each other. Thats why china offers us their tools, so we can get past obstacles like this!

Vince_o · #8 08-02-2011, 10:00 PM

William

china tools LOL

Get you a little blue lock tight and put on the nuts. I have a set of real thin wrenches for adjustings valves that I use. Art you glad I told you to hold on to them a little while longer!

Thats from experiance

hang on to them as long as you need them, till you feel its right.

darkminion_17 · #9 08-02-2011, 10:11 PM

Vince,
Did you send him a gauge?.
If it keeps getting loose you may have the wrong springs,you need 2 of them.

jsoluna · #10 08-03-2011, 12:39 AM

Yeah, he sent me both gauges for WF and NF, a bearing and collar, and the correct springs for my 129. Previous owner had a single spring for a NF model installed onto the WF hub.

All three don't feel as tight as when I installed them, but it is better than before. Maybe I need a set of brand new pressure springs to keep that tension. It seems like no matter how hard I try, they won't stay as tight as when I first set it up. After using it for an hour or so, they lose a bit of the tension.