How to Remove the PTO in a Cub Cadet Tractor

Turn off your Cub Cadet tractor and pop the front engine cover to access the oil drain plug located on the oil dipstick's base on the engine's side. Place an oil pan under the plug, then unscrew this plug with a socket wrench and allow all the oil to drain out.

Insert the oil drain plug back into the hole and screw in clockwise using the wrench.

Look to the rear of the Cub Cadet tractor's Briggs & Stratton engine for the circular flywheel. Remove its cover by removing its bolts with a socket wrench.

Place a flywheel pulley over the exposed Cub Cadet tractor's flywheel. Have an assistant hold this pulley in place as you remove the flywheel nut at the center of the part with the socket wrench.

Attach the flywheel pulley's two arms over the outer sides of the flywheel so that the pulley's center bolt is hovering over the PTO shaft. The PTO shaft's top is on the center of the actual flywheel.

Tighten the flywheel pulley's center bolt until the flywheel pops off the engine. Place the flywheel to the side.

Remove the Cub Cadet tractor's flywheel key. This small metal piece can be found directly under the removed flywheel and can simply be pulled straight up and out.

Use your socket wrench to remove the bolts that hold the oil pan to the bottom of the Cub Cadet tractor's engine. Set the oil pan aside.

Find the PTO shaft. This long, rectangular shaft is visible once you remove the Cub Cadet tractor's oil pan. It it is held in place by two bolts that must be removed with your socket wrench.

Take a rubber mallet and firmly hit the top center of the engine assembly where you removed the flywheel. This will free up the PTO shaft. Slide it out.

Replace the old PTO shaft with a new one and reassemble the Cub Cadet in reverse of the manner in which you took it apart.

Add the necessary oil to the Cub Cadet tractor.