Pto shaft slid in. Won’t disengage.

[J3 Driver]

My son was used his cub today and while using it with his flail mower the pto shaft skid forward about a 1/4” and wouldn’t disengage. I grabbed ahold of the shaft and pull on it and it slide out about a 1/4 inch and then everything appeared to work normally.
Looking at the parts book and service manual I see thinks to hold the shaft from sliding out but nothing to keep it from sliding in.

[Don McCombs]

The PTO shaft bearing has moved from it’s staked position.

[tst]

early pto shafts had the bearing staked in place, was updated by a shaft with a snap ring

[Dale Finch]

If/when you rebuild the PTO, this might help:
http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=100075

[Gary Dotson]

For the PTO shaft to slide in, it has to be a failure of the snap ring, holding the bearing in the housing, or a failure of the bearing, itself.

[Dale Finch]

I can't see that the loss of the staking OR the failure of the bearing retainer ring would allow for the shaft to move FORWARD. There is a widened shoulder on the shaft behind the bearing.

The only way I can see the PTO shaft moving FORWARD is if the set screw on the clutch collar backed out, allowing the collar to move farther back than usual, disengaging the two shafts from each other.

But it's much more likely the sequence of events is backwards...shaft moved aft (due to staking or ring retainer failure) and pushing it IN got it working again...

I am really curious to see what you find when you pull the PTO...please take lots of pictures.