# PTO lever - 3 positions - for what? IHC 454.



## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

Hello all.
I have a question. Maybe it's silly but I never had such a tractor 
I can not find what pto lever has 3 positions? Exactly I mean the middle position.
It looks like this: 0--1-------------- 2
Can someone explain to me what is the position "1"?
My tractor is International 454 1973r
Thank you


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

G'day Misior:

There will be neutral, 540 RPM and 100RPM, I can't remember if there are two PTO output shafts, if there is, the coarse spline PTO drive is for 540 RPM and the fine spline is for !000 RPM.

Some tractors came out with just one output shaft with the two speed capability, to use the 1000RPM on this type of tractor, there was a short PTO shaft that slid on the 540 PTO shaft and this had the fine splines for the 1000 RPM machine requirements.

You are most likely aware of it, but make sure you use a transaulic oil for the transmission !!


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Misior,

Welcome back!!

I contacted *JimB* on YT IH tractor forum to determine what the 3rd position on the PTO lever was for. Here's his explanation:

Position 0 is "off"
Position 1 is "slow start"
Position 2 is "locked on"

"The PTO is activated by a hydraulic clutch pack. I assume that in the slow start mode, the PTO brake is released and low hydraulic pressure is applied to the PTO clutch pack just enough to provide PTO drive but allowing slippage but not enough to lockup the PTO clutch pack."

When activated, hydraulic clutch packs tend to lock up very suddenly and cause a violent startup for an implement. The slow start system is intended to reduce the shock load at startup.


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

FredM - I have a tractor with two shafts PTO - 540 and 1,000 RPM.
Despite this, I have a lever with three positions.
sixbales - thank you for a concrete answer. Ask a friend if you can, how to use the position number 1 (slow start)? Just I turn on for a while and I move to position 2?


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Misior,

Exactly as you stated....start the PTO in position 1 (slow start), get the PTO up to speed, and then move the lever to position 2.


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

Thank you for your help.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

G'day Misior:

It has been 35 years since I have had anything to do with the 454 and 574 International tractors, I apologize if I have given you a bum steer, I had forgotten about the hydraulic clutch and lever, you also must have the lever to shift between PTO high ratio and the PTO low ratio.

You will end up with a good tractor when you get the restoration done.

Regards

FredM


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

Hey FredM. No problem 
I don't have lever to shift between PTO high ratio and the PTO low ratio because i have two PTO shafts. Upper low ratio and bottom high ratio.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Hi Misior:

I think I had better close my mouth before I put the other foot in as well, but I will never forget the new 454 tractor we received at the Institution, this was like a sports car against the MF35, DB 990,995 and 1210 and prior to the 454 we received a Inter 554, nice power house but the brakes left something to be desired, these were outside band type and through those I could have lost an inmate, but that is another story. 

Yeh!!, the 454 was an innovation in itself with the advanced operating facilities for the day, you have a good tractor.


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

Welcome back.
Yesterday I mow a large lawn mower. I used PTO 1000obr. To start the mower you need to raise the engine speed of about 1200-1300 because the mower gives a very high load and engine fades. Is in this case better to use PTO 540 instead of 1000 and raise the engine speed to 2000?


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

have you checked to see if your mower is to run with 1000 RPM's, this will be apparent if the drive shaft coupling has the fine splines to connect to the 1000RPM drive shaft on the tractor.


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

The mower has to work with 540obr
I mean how it will work better:
1. pto 1000 rpm - to get on the mower 540rpm, the engine must be running at around 1100-1200rpm - feel that it is heavily loaded,
2. 540rpm pto - to get on the mower 540rpm, the engine must operate at approximately 2000 to 2100 rpm - the engine is running slightly but at high speed.
The engine reaches maximum torque at approximately 1600obr but it may be too little to mow grass on PTO 540.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

can you attach a photo of your mower ?.

if your machine (mower is designed to run at 540 RPM) please don't use 1000RPM, if your mower has 2 heavy blades attached to a cutter beam there is a good possibility that a blade bolt could shear and let a blade loose to become a missile and that would be very bad if people were close by.

I am sure that if you were to operate your mower at 540 RPM at 1600 to 1800 RPM you will get a satisfactory cut, also at this RPM you will get better fuel economy by using the torque range.

Try different engine speeds and see how the mower cuts, naturally in heavier going you will probably have to use more revs, trial and error Misior.


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

Below is a picture mowers like mine.
Cutting width 162cm. Each plate has 3 blades.
So I understand that under heavy load work best at an engine speed around the maximum torque?
At lower engine speeds feel that the engine gets tired.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

wow !! I think I have seen something like that back in the 70's, I can't see you having a problem with running your mower at the tractors torque range, to run the 454 at maximum revs will be wasting fuel.

seeing your mower being like it is, even in heavy going the machine shouldn't load up because of the two cutter plates and the easy discharge of the cuttings.

do you have a manual for the mower, this should say what PTO speed to run this at.

as I said previously, you will have to go by trial and error to work out the best rev range for the engine, you will work this out after a few runs.


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

The mower is 1999 production.
So not so old. In our regions it is very popular.
Today, I will try different options.
I thought that the use PTO1000 will be able to drive at lower engine speeds and it will lower fuel consumption. But unless the mower puts a heavy load, and the motor is overloaded and burns more fuel.


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## Misior (Dec 26, 2015)

Yesterday I did try to like you said.
At 540 PTO can be very nicely to mow the grass at an engine speed 1500-1600 rpm.
Start the machine is much more easy and not put such a load on the engine.
Everything is good only problem with the clutch as described in another topic.


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