300 update, TA linkage and PTO seasonal disconnect?

I have gotten back to the 300 and have put in the new sleeve, it was my first time doing that but it went fine from the freezer to the block with a block of wood and a hammer. The piston will be replaced with one from ebay that should be here by the end of the week. The #1 cylinder exhaust valve is stiff, I can tap it open and shut but it does not work freely. #4 both valves were stuck but i put some ATF and PB Blaster on them and now they are working fine. I am wondering what else I can do to the #1 exhaust to free it up or if it could be bent and binding for that reason. In looking over the tractor I have a couple of questions, first does the missing pin in the TA linkage affect anything since the TA lever is rusted in the forward position or is it only needed if the TA is being shifted? Second, I have been reading about the IPTO seasonal disconnect on these tractors and am thinking mine does not look right. From what I read the lever is supposed to be bolted to one of the holes and mine is not. Should I try to move it or should I just leave it how it is for now, and could this be the cause of the mysterious howling that the PO described to me? Any advice will be much appreciated. I don't need to get this tractor operational right away since I have the H for haying this summer, so it is nice to have a project that I don't have to rush.
Zach

I think I'd pull the sticking valve to see what you can see, check the valve, give the stem some love with some really fine sandpaper (600+). If you have to you can ream the valve guide out. With the valve out you could try the hand lapping thing on the valve face, the twisty motion might solve your sticky problem on the stem. If you were wanting to get really extreme take the valve out, polish up the stem, stick it back into the head with out the spring, chuck the stem end into a cordless drill and spin it slowly while spraying a lubricant on the valve stem while moving if in and out, kinda a "twist, lube & stroke motion"(get you mind out of the gutter now).

On the valves, I would remove them and clean/polish the stems as needed. Take a metal gun cleaning brush and associated handle along with your favorite solvent and work that back and forth in the valve guide to remove whatever residue is causing the sticking.

Yes the disconnect lever has a hole slotted to edge that should be drilled. Lever has a shaft that goes through plate with another short lever inside that slides a drive dog on splines.
Probably the shaft or inside lever is twisted or damaged and thats probably from worn or damaged drive dogs wanting to slide the dogs out of mesh. Seasonal disconnect shifter parts won't handle the pressure.
Could find a solid splined coupling inside replacing the dogs. Some don't bother to remove all the shifter parts when replacing the dogs.
Not hard to remove plate and see whats up but oil needs drained. Any replacement other than shifter parts requires split.
Pin and connecter link releases the T/A clutch when main clutch pedal is pushed down. Unless the rollers, pins and springs are completly shot or removed from the T/A unit, bind up and hard gear shifting is the result of the linkage not adjusted and operating correctly.
May want to make sure the engines is okay before worry about the other parts. Suspect you probably end up with a internal T/A clutch repair or maybe a complete center section removal to get every thing repaired.
For the howling maybe the first check would be to see if oil is in the pto unit. Or if the seasonal disconnect will disconnect it, see if that stops it. Then go from there.
Forgot to say sometimes you can find the seasonal disconnect dogs welded together.

The missing pin on the TA is what allows the main clutch and the TA clutch to release at the same time for easier shifting.

If the low side of the TA is shot, it won't make any difference. Considering how the TA lever is stuck, I'd imagine that's the case.

You can give the TA a quick check by pulling the cover off the torque tube and seeing if you can roll the planetary unit in both directions. Tractor in neutral, clutch pedal down. If you can, the ramp and roller assembly is shot. No worries though because the TA clutch will hold and you can run it in direct until such time as you decide to fix the TA.

<a href="http://s140.photobucket.com/albums/r16/Wardner/?action=view&current=W-400078.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

This is the seasonal disconnect. I chose to disable the shifting capability and used the split shaft collar to keep the dog from sliding out of engagement. The collar grabs the IPTO shaft firmly. This can be done without any disassembly of parts.

Wardner, what diameter is that split shaft collar?

I believe it is 1.25". Can't guarantee though. I have a spare shaft that comes before it and measured the OD of the splines. That shaft carries the other half of the dog coupling. I bought my collar from the Surplus Center in Lincoln, NE.

Zach; Ref the seasonal dis-connect. My Super MTA has one. It looks to me like someone has modified yours. Mine has one hole in it and I use a crescent wrench to move it back and forth. Helpful hint, it comes out of gear real easy, to re engage the PTO put tractor in neutral with switch off and have someone turn the engine slowly until you feel the gears engage. Ellis