The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts PTO on Main drive shaft

I just got a Chevrolet that I believe is a 1946 1 1/2 ton. Here are the numbers off of the data plate. Model#9OS10 Serial#3539

There is a PTO that is part of the main drive shaft. Either the gear OR the rear end are coupled to the front shaft off of the transmission. Is this a Chevrolet factory item or after market or some sort?

Here is a picture:
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm311/jungerfrosch/1946%20Chevrolet%20truck/Driveshaftpto.jpg

The latter obviously. Where does this shaft originate and/or go to? The photo doesn't really show this. Was this a fire truck?

Sorry I wasn't clear enough....The shaft at the top of the picture runs to the transmission and the shaft at the bottom runs to the rear axle. The center section slides forward(up) to engage the gear that other wise spins freely on the front shaft. The center section would slide back to engage the rear section of the drive shaft to drive the rear axle. In the middle where it is sitting in the picture neither the rear axle nor the gear are engaged.

I got the truck out of a field where it had sat for years...as far as I know it was being used as a farm truck in some capacity... it's original life I have no idea about.

If the PTO is aftermarket(which I was thinking to begin with...but who knows), has anyone ever seen such a drive before? I believe it is an engineered system as it is too well done to be homemade, unless someone had their own machine shop. I've never seen or heard of such a system before, granted I am only 30..so this truck is 34 years older than I am.

That may have been used to drive anything from a winch to a turd wirler (manure spreader) ha ha. The later would be a better guess as it appears as though the truck must move for the PTO to be driving anything. If on the other hand the truck is in neutral while the PTO is in gear then it would most likely be for something like a winch. It was very common to drive fire pumps from either the front of the engine or the drive shaft as the PTO’s that come off the side of the transmission didn’t offer enough horsepower, but I have never seen one that was chain drive or that was not an enclosed gear box.
That is an interesting little unit for sure, I bet that Spanky may have seen such a unit he loves them tow trucks and it also looks like it may have been used to drive a tow body???