Grasshopper 721d2 bearing gone bad on "Field Assembly W/Brake"

Hello all. Can anyone help with replacing the "Field Assembly W/Brake" or the bearing inside it? I own a 90s Grasshopper 721d2 and the clutch locked up bogging the motor today. After it cooled a little I got it running and also got the clutch in to engage the blades briefly so it still works. Upon further inspection I found the bearing has gone bad and several ball bearings are gone, the seal about blow out completely. I'd like to ask a few questions about disassembly.

#1-How do I get the bearing off? I can disassemble everything short of taking the clutch off the shaft. Appears to have a keyway on the shaft. I assume a gear puller is needed?
#2-Can I just replace the bearing or will I have to replace the entire assembly? It still works fine just the bearings bad.

Part #12 on parts manual (388872 Field Assembly W/Brake). Will post those asap.


Thanks in advance for any advice offered. I tried to post this in the Grasshopper forum but it would not let me due to post count. If a mod could move this to there it would be great. Thanks again.

The PTO clutch just drops off after you remove the bolt holding it on. I use an old piece of foam 4" thick under it for when it falls down and crushes your hand under it. Makes the impact a lot less painful. If it refuses to come off then penetrating oil is needed. I like PB Blaster. It works so much better than WD40.

BlazNT said:

The PTO clutch just drops off after you remove the bolt holding it on. I use an old piece of foam 4" thick under it for when it falls down and crushes your hand under it. Makes the impact a lot less painful. If it refuses to come off then penetrating oil is needed. I like PB Blaster. It works so much better than WD40.

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Thanks for the reply and sorry for the late response. The rearward/outside bearing was shot. I used the PB Blaster, soaked the clutch shaft for a day or so. Still would not budge. The Clutch on this mower mounts horizontally on the rear of the engine. A gear puller isn't an option due to the rearward frame. I ended up using two short ropes as endless slings attached either side behind the clutch and tied off outside the frame then inserted a rod and twisted to carefully pull the clutch. I just kept spraying PB Blaster on the shaft and tapped lightly on the old clutch till it broke free in a short time. Was completely seized on the 25 year old mower. Was relieved to find the clutch shaft undamaged, hit it with scotch brite to polish and the new clutch slid right on easily. Mentioning all this to maybe help others who run into similar issue. Thanks to all here for the information on this site.

Thanks for following up. It's always nice to hear how a problem was resolved.

Pictures of your rope trick sure would help others on removing that clutch. Sounds ingenious.