Mowing your lawn can be a sweaty process sometimes especially when you have a big lawn. In such cases, a Scag Mower, a powerful machine with a massive-pressure taking capacity, comes in handy to make your mowing schedule a walk in the park.

The Scag Mower comes with a Power takeoff (PTO) clutch that controls the flow of power to your mower’s blades. As a result, if your Scag Mower has a faulty PTO clutch, the blades will not function. In most cases, repairing the PTO is close to impossible, and thus many people opt to replace it instead.

But, how do you replace the PTO Clutch on a Scag Mower? Replacing the PTO clutch is not a daunting process if you have the proper guidelines to follow.

Luckily, this article details all the steps you need for this process and with these guidelines, even a first-timer can replace the PTO Clutch of a Scag Mower in a jiffy. Nevertheless, you still have the option of contacting a professional assistant who will make the whole process much easier and faster.

How to replace the PTO clutch on a Scag mower, step by step:

  • Step 1: Disengage the Mower
  • Step 2: Access the Cutting Deck
  • Step 3: Extract the Pulley Housing
  • Step 4: Extract the Belt
  • Step 5: Disconnect the Clutch and the Electric Wires
  • Step 6: Loosen the Blade’s Bolts
  • Step 7: Extract the Clutch
  • Step 8: Replace the Clutch
  • Step 9: Test the Performance

Note: We also explain these steps with proper explanation below.

Is It Crucial To Replace The PTO Clutch On A Scag Mower?

If your Scag Mower has a faulty PTO Clutch, it will not function properly. It is no doubt that you will have a very rough time while mowing your lawn. Still, a faulty clutch can also affect the related parts of your lawn mower.

As such, if your PTO Clutch you should either repair or replace it. Replacing a faulty PTO clutch on a Scag Mower will help prevent the following:

  • Uneven Mowing

A well-operating PTO Clutch is essential for the overall performance of your lawn mower. Remember that the function of the PTO clutch is to control the flow of power to the blades of your lawn mower. A faulty PTO clutch will impair the working of the cutting blades. As a result, the mower will leave an uneven cut along its wake.

  • Short motor Lifespan

A lousy clutch may damage the mower’s motor. In extreme cases where the clutch is broken, the entire engine system can fall into havoc. Therefore, it is crucial to replace the PTO clutch on a scag mower if you realize that is faulty. Trust me, clutch replacement is way less costly than having to purchase a new engine.

  • Faulty Mower Blades

If your Scag Mower has a lousy clutch, it can result in the blades not engaging even when you engage the deck. In the same case, the blades may still spin even after you disengage them. This faulty blade performance can ruin the sharp edges of the blade or even permanently damage them.

  • Damaged Belt

If the PTO Clutch of your lawn mower is faulty, then the quality of the belt reduces. This is because the belt does not work properly. In this case, the blade is subject to excess wear and tear each time the mower engine runs.

How to Replace the PTO Clutch on Scag Mower? (Step-by-Step)

How to Replace the PTO Clutch on Scag Mower?

To prevent the above-mentioned problems, it is important to replace a faulty PTO clutch in a Scag mower. First of all, you’ll need to choose the right place for you to park the mower, a Scag mower occupies a larger space than ordinary small lawn mowers.

Besides, ensure that it is on flat ground with no ditches and hills and it should be an open ground or a well-ventilated place. There is a step-by-step guide on how to replace the PTO clutch on a lawn mower and it includes:

Step 1: Disengage the Mower

The first step when replacing a faulty PTO clutch is to disconnect the spark plug. With the plug disconnected, the belt cannot move and in turn, the blades cannot spin. This helps prevent a system glitch in the operating system of your lawn mower.

So, disconnect the spark plug to ensure that your lawn mower and its operating system are safe.

Step 2: Access the Cutting Deck

You’ll also need to place the lawn mower in a suitable position to make the process of replacing the clutch much faster and easier. In this case, lower the cutting deck so that you can easily reach the blades as well as the clutch drives.

Step 3: Extract the Pulley Housing

If you have a Scag Mower, the cutting blade connects to the PTO clutch. To access the mower blade, you have to extract the pulley that covers it. So, you’ll have to remove the pulley cover to get t the lawn mower steel blades

Step 4: Extract the Belt

After removing the pulley housing, you can now loosen the mower’s belt and remove it from the lawn mower.

Step 5: Disconnect the Clutch and the Electric Wires

Before you can replace the existing PTO clutch with a new one, you’ll have to disconnect the wires that connect the clutch to the electrical components.

To be precise, there are two sets of wires that are connected to the clutch of your lawn mower, you have to disconnect them.

Step 6: Loosen the Blade’s Bolts

Remember to remove the flywheel before you start to loosen the bolts of the blade. In this step, you’ll need someone to help you out. You’ll have to remove the screws and bolts that mount the clutch to the lawnmower body.

The assistants can now come into the game; one can help keep the nuts in position as you unscrew and remove the bolts and the other can help keep the mower stable. You should be keen not to damage the body of your lawn mower and your assistant or even hurt yourself during the process.

Step 7: Extract the Clutch

After removing the bolts, the clutch will detach from the lawn mower’s body. At this stage, you can easily remove the faulty PTO clutch from your Scag mower.

Step 8: Replace the Clutch

To install the new PTO clutch, all you need to do is reverse the seven steps above. Start by placing the new PTO clutch in place and then reinstall the nuts and bolts. Check to ensure that everything is in order before tightening the bolts and nuts.

After that, reinstall the flywheel and reconnect the two electrical wires from the mower components to the clutch. Also, install the belt on the pulley, then move on with the blades, and lastly the spark plug. And voila! Your Scag mower is now ready to work.

Step 9: Test the Performance

Finally, you have but one important step remaining and that is to test the engine. Start your lawn mower and let the engine run for a few minutes. Check to ensure that the clutch and all its connected mower parts are functioning well and you are good to go.

Related Guide: My Lawn Mower Won’t Turn Off

How Do You Check Scag PTO Clutch?

We have already seen that it is necessary to ensure that the PTO clutch of your Scag mower is in good shape. A faulty PTO clutch can potentially damage the mower making the repair cost even more expensive. You can easily check whether the PTO clutch functions properly by engaging and disengaging well.

Since the PTO clutch controls the power flow to the mower blade, checking the operation of the blade is mainly an easy way to determine whether the clutch is in good shape.

Jack your Scag mower such that you can easily see the underdeck, start the engine and engage the clutch while you observe the blade operation. Remember to be extremely careful and stay away from the blades to avoid accidents, you can even let a professional do it and observe the clutch operation from afar.

Related Guide: Install Side Discharge on Lawn Mower

How Do You Remove PTO Clutch From Zero Turn Mower?

To remove the PTO clutch from a zero-turn mower:

  • Start by disconnecting the spark plugs
  • Then, release the blade belt
  • Unplug the electric wires that connect the clutch to the electric components of your mower
  • Unscrew the flywheel cover
  • Remove the mounting bolts from the clutch after which you can easily pull the clutch off the mower

How Do You Change PTO Clutch On Zero Turn Mower?

To change the PTO clutch on a zero-turn, you’ll have to follow the above process to remove the existing clutch. After removing the faulty or lousy PTO clutch, you can now install the new one as follows:

  • Put the clutch in its place and connect the mounting bolts and screws.
  • Check to ensure that everything is okay before tightening the nuts and the bolts
  • Reconnect the PTO clutch to the electric components
  • Reinstall the flywheel housing
  • Finally, reconnect the spark plugs and test your engine

How Do You Remove Stuck Electric PTO Clutch?

The electric PTO clutch is attached to the engine crankshaft and its function is to control the cutting blades of your lawn mower. If the electric PTO clutch of your lawn mower is stuck, the blades in your mower will not engage or disengage.

Therefore, you’ll need to remove the stuck clutch and reinstall it using the procedure above. Besides, if you notice that the clutch still has some faulty operations, you should replace it with a new one.

Conclusion:

A faulty PTO on a Scag Mower can damage the blades, belt, and motor leading to an expensive cost of repair. Besides, if you’re a bad PTO clutch will also cause your mower to produce loud pesky sounds and irritate your neighbors.

So, knowing how to replace a PTO clutch on a Scag lawn mower is a necessity for lawn veterans and newcomers alike. As you’ve read in the article, it is an easy process that will handle with an assistant to help out whenever needed.

Victoria Peterson
Author

I am a passionate gardener who wants to help you create and maintain your dream yard. I know that it can be daunting to take on a project like this, but I am here to help. I have been gardening for years and have learned a lot along the way. I want to share my knowledge with you and help you create the perfect yard for your home.

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