Lo Boy 154 PTO stuck on

[ibdilbert]

I purchased a 1970 154 lo boy cub last week and mowed with it for the very first time this weekend. It did great and I mowed for about an hour, except when I disengaged the PTO, the PTO stayed engaged and the blades kept spinning. I shoved up and down on the handle and it felt ok, but the PTO stayed active. Finally I shut the tractor off And let it sit for a while. After a few hours I went back out to see if I could trouble shoot it and the PTO was off when I started it, and it engages and disengages just fine now. Anyone else have this issue?

Here is the tractor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e26De8KoqZw

Thanks!
-Tim

[SONNY]

The problem I had was getting mine to stay engaged ! also slipped until I rebuilt 2 of them. These clutches are a poor setup for this mower, BUT they do work. Takes a lot of care and adjusting on them.
You may have a bunch of dirt in yours.-- Do you have the rubber band around the middle of your drum??? If not a lot of dirt can get into the balls and slides. You may have to take it somewhat apart and clean the tracks and check for abnormal wear. thanks; sonny

[aparnell572]

Over time the friction plates will dig grooves into the clutch cup so when you disengage the pto the friction plates are stuck together. It's easy to spot pulling the rear panel off.

[Landreo]

I shoved up and down on the handle and it felt ok, but the PTO stayed active.

Thanks!
-Tim

The handle should be hard to pull and engage with a snap. If that was true then the clutch likely is OK.
If not then look at the two large throw-out bearings. If those bearings are bad then the PTO can stay on but the handle should not engage with a snap, it should move loosely up and down.

If the handle engaged with a snap even when the PTO was stuck in the on position then grease the two pilot bearings. If the bearings are stuck then the PTO will stay on and the PTO handle will engage and disengage with a snap just like normal. You can get to the grease fitting through the hole in the sheet metal just behind and to the left of the back of the seat. May need to turn the PTO pulley to see the fitting.

I would just remove the PTO and inspect the pilot bearings and the two throw-out bearings and adjust the clutch if needed.
There is nothing complicated or special about the clutch. It is easy to work on and adjust.

[ibdilbert]

I wouldn't call the handle a "hard" pull, but it does snap into place. Maybe a soft to firm pull would describe how mine feels. I'll tear into it this weekend and see what I find out! Maybe I'll get lucky and just need to use some grease!

[toehead]

Next time if that happens try try rapidly changing the RPM of the motor. If the plates are stuck in worn grooves in the cup, they should pop out on decel.