PTO return spring location

[cooperlacy 3]

Is this the correct position for the PTO return spring (PTO brake engagement)?  When I got my '86 417-8 it didn't have any spring and I've been using it for years this way.   The parts diagram isn't very clear and I haven't found any definitive pictures from my searching. I've attached it to the cotter pin that goes through the PTO rod and the other end to the bottom hole of the relay/belt guard bracket.  I appear to be having trouble uploading the picture from my phone so will try to add that later. 

 

Thanks,

Cooper

[Racinbob 10,256]

From what I can see in the picture you have it on correctly.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

@cooperlacy 

 

What part of Indiana?

[cleat 4,936]

That is correct. Same spring as the parking brake return on hydro machines.

[cooperlacy 3]

6 hours ago, Racinbob said:

From what I can see in the picture you have it on correctly.

Thanks, I live about 20 miles east of Lafayette. My 417-8 was repowered with a Kohler Command CH18 by the previous owner. All the electrical was gutted at the time and I just found the bracket (no spring) in a box of spare parts while I was going through the tractor and checking/replacing wear items. 

[cooperlacy 3]

So I still can't get the brake to actually do much of anything. I've adjusted it per the manual, but it just seems like there's too much slop in all the joints. 

 

All snap rings on the PTO are good and everything appears to be where it should. I'm almost considering drilling out all pivot points and installing bronze bushings. Is that a crazy idea?

[doc724 924]

A couple of points

 

1.  I have never had any luck adjusting the PTO brake the way the manual says.  Now, I just engage the PTO and visually look to see that there is space between the brake pad and the bell.  You don't need much space and you will know right away after you start the engine if you left too little.

 

2.  Your pivot points may indeed be loose.  I never thought of it, but I have noticed similar behavior when I retract the PTO lever that the bell does not move away as it should.

 

3.  There was an old topic recently surfaced (in the last two days) about a spring under the bell that would push out the bell when the PTO lever is retracted.  Apparently it was used on the mid 70's c-series.  I never had one this old.  The topic was started by c-series back in 2012 and the last post was by Bob Maynard.

 

For me, personally, I tolerate some spin of the bell after the lever is retracted

 

[cooperlacy 3]

Thanks for the info. I did just read that post about the spring inside the bell and was curious if that would help and should be easy to do. I might consider playing with that. My wife uses the tractor for mowing just as much as I do and I'd feel a little more comfortable having it working properly if something were to happen. 

 

It's not really a big deal for me and I've been using it for 7 or 8 years this way, but when I use the snow thrower it takes forever to stop spinning which could cause a potentially dangerous condition. I'm sure even when it was new, the brake didn't stop all the spinning mass of the snow thrower very quickly. 

 

On on a side note, I recently refreshed my father's Honda HT3813 mower and I really like its mechanical PTO brake set-up. Nice design that stops anything immediately. 

[doc724 924]

Yes, with a blower that is exactly the condition you have to watch for and the auger has huge mass which causes the bell to spin for a really long time.  I immediately adjusted mine (two of them) as per #1