PTO winch coupler....splined on both sides? Or just the cotter pin

[calsbeek]

I broke the cotter pin on my PTO coupler under a recovering load tonight (15 minutes to get into the woods, 2.5 hours to get out!).
When I put the coupler back on the PTO, only one side appears to be splined, the other side is smooth as a baby's butt. I can readily slide it onto the male end on the winch, but is it really ONLY the cotter pin that keeps things together? Seems like a pretty small piece of joinery to handle that kind of load.


I'm just wondering if I lost some other piece. I have the coupling link that has splines on one end, a pivoting joint that leads to a smooth receiving (female) end on the other with holes for a cotter pin.....

 

[whitey45]

It uses a shear pin to protect the winch from too big a load. Should always have spares in the pocket! Some people drill the hole a little bigger and simply use a bolt. Pretty sure Spector has shear pins still.

 

[calsbeek]

so then that really is all that keeps it held together?

 

[whitey45]

Yes sir

 

[jblueridge]

I drilled mine out just a bit to accept USA non-metric rod. I forget the diameter but I have about a foot of it around here somewhere to make spares shear pins.

 

[calsbeek]

cool thanks. I got a small brass bolt in there and I plan to just put a little nut on the end and call it good.
brass has gotta be soft enough to shear if needed.

 

[shelfboy1]

i dont know what will break those winches i use a 3/8 grade 8 bolt its never broke but the cable did so i went to bigger cable .and it seems to pull anything i hook it to .got tired of breaking 20 shear pins to get out of one hole .i think the factory is playing it safe with the rating on those winches .after 40 years of winching with the same winch its now retired on my wifes fj40 .i have several spare pto winches and thats probably why mine never broke lol

 

[clintnz]

i dont know what will break those winches i use a 3/8 grade 8 bolt its never broke but the cable did so i went to bigger cable .and it seems to pull anything i hook it to .got tired of breaking 20 shear pins to get out of one hole .i think the factory is playing it safe with the rating on those winches .after 40 years of winching with the same winch its now retired on my wifes fj40 .i have several spare pto winches and thats probably why mine never broke lol

Yep, mate of mine drilled his out for a 3/8 HT bolt & has never broken anything but a rope in many years & much use. I have played it a little safer with an M4 high tensile cap screw in the factory size hole with a nylock nut. Used to just use a cut down 4" nail but they were a bit weak. Yet to break the M4 cap screw but I'm starting to get a better feel now for when the winch is loaded up & it's time to go to a double line pull.

Cheers
Clint

 

[fireball]

Anyone have a photo of the shear pin when it's in place? Ashamed to admit I don't know where it is.

 

[calsbeek]

The phillips-head is the end of the brass bolt that I used instead of a shear pin

 

[jblueridge]

Fireball. lie down under there. It's on the winch proper's input shaft.