The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 59 2-ton PTO

i have a 59 2-ton and i want to put a dump bed on it. i went to a local junk yard and they have a few. i dont want to invest to much if the original pto system is not reliable. how does the original system work and are they known for being pretty warn out or in decent shape when found in junk yards. thanx

I have a 1 ton with a dump bed. My pto comes off the SM 420 transmission. I don't know how common these pto's are so you might have a problem locating one, if that is the route you are going. I also don't know what transmission you have, but they used the SM 420's on lots of these trucks.

I've got a lever in the cab that connects to the valve that is back by the hydraulic tank and cylinders.

I've not had the chance to use mine to see if it works or not, but I've not heard anything bad about them. It's got a marking on it, but it's still too gunked up with grease for me to read well... and I've already scraped about 100 lb's of grease and grime off this truck.

There is no such thing as an "original" PTO. All PTOs were after market. Some had forward and reverse. These were used with winches. Some had engaged and disingaged position only. These were used to drive hydraulic pumps and this is what you want. There were several manufacturers and about the only thing that can go wrong is the seals wear out.

dmazzillo,

I am not sure what transmission your truck has, but the more common system would work something like this.

a cover plate would be removed from your transmission, and the PTO box would be bolted on.

This in and out box would be attached to a shaft through several u-joints. The shaft would terminate in a small hydraulic reservoir with an internal hydraulic pump. On top of the reservoir would be manually operated valve that operates the ram.

If your truck doesn't have a dump bed now, you would have to get the PTO, shaft, pump and valve plus the ram or rams and what every structural stuff tied to the bed and frame.

If you have found a donor rig with all this hardware, I think the only concern would be a leaky cylinder or dripping valve. You would have to remove the scissor, or whatever system from the donor truck without destroying it, and that stuff isn't light.

I think the most common system would be a Spicer/Chelsea, but I don't know. If you could get the setup from the salvage yard for a good price, you could deal with any leaks later.

Stuart

automarc has described a piston pump within a reservoir. However in those old dumps you'd only find gear pumps, a cast iron setup with sliding or rotary valve. No reservoir was used and the oil contained within the systwem was simply recirculated unless it had other hydraulic equipment as on a highway dep't unit. As for the PTO's they are extremely reliable but are made for specific transmission models so it is important that you find one from the same tranny as yours. If you use a wrecking yard hoist replace all the hoses and fittings for safety reasons. Inspect the cylinder rod for pitting.

The PTO's are mainly from Chelsea, Muncie and Tulsa. The gears, shafts, shift forks, bearings/bushings as well as seals all go bad so inspect it carefully.

ive got a pto...25 bucks...but you should be able to buy them from salvage for about that....

thanx for all yalls help...fatweed, i might be interested in your pto cuz a salvage yard near me has a dum bed but its missing the pto. when you say u have a pto, you mean the part that bolts to the side of the transmition? and is your pto for a 59 2-ton?

How to Determine What PTO is Needed for your Transmission.

If the transmission model number is not known thereby making it difficult to determine the PTO model required this is the procedure that is used and is what any good counterman needs to help you.

1. LH,RH or bottom application location desired?

2. 6 bolt or 8 bolt opening?

3. Is drive gear toward the front or toward the rear of the opening?

4. Is drive gear spur cut or helical cut gear?

5. If helical cut is it a LH or RH helix? (use thumb on either hand to determine)

6. Number of teeth on gear?

7. Intended use of the PTO, ie., hydraulic pump, mechanical winch, water or vacuum pump, etc.

8. Controls type desired/offered.

Armed with this information you can confidently approach any driveline distributor or dealer and find a suitable Power Take-Off.

Dmazz, I went through the same thing a few years ago when I wanted to put a dump bed on a '49 Chevy I had. I looked for a while till I found a guy that just happened to have an old PTO laying around his shop that just happend to match up to my transmission perfectly.

The PTO itself is not very big. The case is Aprox 5-6" wide x 6-7" tall and sticks out off of the tranny about 6-7", and weighs maybe 5 pounds or so. It has a gear inside of it that is mounted on the shaft that sticks out of the rear of the PTO case. This gear slides back and forth on the shaft to engage or disengage the pto shaft. The engagement is controlled by either a lever or a cable, depending on how old the set up is. The old trucks used a lever through the floor for engagemant, later models are cable acutated.

The outside of the PTO will have a flange around it with bolt holes in which to mount it to the trans. On the side of the trans, there should be a rectangular plate that should match the same dimentions and bolt pattern as the PTO your wanting to use.

When you take that plate off to see if the PTO will work, make sure you have a drain bucket underneath it because when you pop that plate loose, all of your gear lube will come pouring out. If you get to a point when you have a PTO mounted up, then it's a matter of connecting the shaft of the PTO up to your hoist with a series of shafts and a flange bearing or two.

These old systems were reliable for years. And if you decide you don't want to go that route, you can alwys install an electric PTO to run your hoist pump. Many people use this set up when they don't have a mechanical PTO.

Rezman

if its a 59 chevy , i think all from 48 to 72 used the sm420 for a four speed... my 59 2 ton and 54 one ton both have sm420's and so has everything else ive seen. course.. hehehe who knows.... anyway..i think ive got a couple of pto's ,,,real common here in farm country... but theyre pretty common anyway...so if you can get one in a salvage yard locally for 25 to 50 bucks that be better than shipping probably... really about the only variation in a single speed for the 420's is the output shaft size,,,and that dont matter if youre starting from scratch and going to have to build a shaft anyway.. you can adapt the yokes to different size shafts at both ends....

Hey cletis,,,im typin this from Dallas, here for a three day convention but leavin to go home in about an hour,,,and i knew i wouldnt have time to catch up to anyone... maybe next year..???
and as per usual,,ive been busier than a one legged guy at an A oh well ya get the idea....
havent even posted or read much here....

Another way to go is a bolt on aftermarket electric over Hydraulic unit.It will save a costly rebuild on an old worn out hoist.I have seen them in the Northern Hydraulics and Agri Supply Company catalogs.

A company called Crysteel also makes a nice lay in unit made for 2-tons on up. You might give them a look.

Rezman