B torque tube drive shaft not grabbing?

I split my B over the weekend again, and when I pulled the engine off, it pulled the drive shaft out of the torque tube about a foot. No problem, just tap it a little to loosen it up, slide it out of the clutch assembly, then slide the shaft back into the torque tube. Or at least, that's what I did when I split it the first time. 

Sounds like you may have pulled if out far enough for a gear to come off and drop down in the transmission. More work!

It is a 1942. S/N B58292. 

I see what you mean. Looks like neither one should cause a problem unless the whole u-joint pulled off the shaft, and I'd think you'd have notice that. I'd say the splines just aren't quite lined up correctly, but I bet someone really good with B's will know more.

I would say instead of spinning it'd be better to push all the way in, then pull out just a little, rotate the shaft just a little, then push in again. You're trying to search and find the point where the splines mesh. Hopefully there's not one spline that's wider than the others so the shaft has to be in one certain position. Sorry if I'm just repeating what you've already done.

Changing a truck tranny once(maybe it was a rear axle can't remember) we could NOT get the small splines to go. We finally beveled them down a little on a grinder and cleaned then up to help get them started together.

Sheer luck the first time. Since you pulled it off the stub shaft on the transmition you need to get it back on. It has room to fit beside the stub shaft and still turn freely if you have the shaft with a welded coupling instead of the u-joint. I have had to remove the torque tube from the transmition on one tractor to get the drive shaft back on the stub shaft there was to much buildup of grease dirt and bees nest to get it back together. It's suposed to have a cotter pin in it to keep it from sliding apart.

Had that happen on my B.It has a couplin and it had nothing to hold it on.Pull torque tube and you will probley find the couplin has come off both shafts. No problem to pull torque tube.

Separate the torque tube from the transmission so you can SEE what your problem is. You need to anyway. If you pulled the driveshaft out forward the cotter key is broke or missing. Having the cotter key in place is a must do. That driveshaft being able to move forward and back is asking for trouble. The splines on the tranny shaft end may be toast already.

VERY IMPORTANT block the hitch along with under the trany when taking the torque tube off the trany it can and probably will tip back causing sever pain or worse if it fall on you.there are four bolts holding the torque tube to the transmition, disconnect the brake control rods and take the bolts holding the end of the foot bar to the fender supports.If you still have the gas tank steering gear box, battery and pedestal on the torque tube it's heavy but can come off the trany with a cherry picker. You need to leave the engine off block the trany instead of the torque tube and split them the tail light wire will need to be disconnected but the rest is just remove and set aside. You can remove every thing and have it off in an hour or you can fight with it a long time some other method. From personal experience don't try to put the shaft on the trany and try putting it in with the torque tube already bolted to the engine. You'll never you get it through the throw out bearing and into the clutch disk and pilot bearing. And you'll be taking it apart again anyway.

Edited by Dakota Dave - 20 Sep 2016 at 3:29pm

Thanks DickL      Wipe your what?
   These Kids today need us Old Folks to teach them stuff they can't learn from a book. On the other hand a look at a parts book will tell you real quick there is a cotter key with a purpose that you can't get too without separating the torque tube from the transmission.
   
What is with this grab and click BS?

Edited by Ken in Texas - 20 Sep 2016 at 4:26pm

if you have the U joint it may have swung out of alignment.

Use a driveshaft out of a scrapped B or C. I lone mine out lots of the time to friends who just don't happen to have one of their own.
I'm going to let Dick L tell us why you need the cotter key since some AC engineer/mechanics say they aren't necessary

Sounds like the cotter key helps keep the coupler in place so the shaft doesn't pull out or the coupler fall off.

CrestonM wrote: Ken in Texas wrote: I'm going to let Dick L tell us why you need the cotter key since some AC engineer/mechanics say they aren't necessary I'm not saying I do or don't need the cotter key, just based on my small amount of B knowledge, I wouln't think it would be necessary. I'm probably wrong though it sounds like.

I don't guess I understand how the cotter pin makes the difference between good splines and stripped splines.