PTO Shifter Shaft Set Screw Removal

[John Waak]

Before I make a mess of things, I thought I'd better step back and ask your advice.
I am rebuilding the PTO on my After-Type transmission (1954 C1-PW6-126). The sliding fork is attached to the shifter shaft by a set screw. The set screw is locked by a punch to the metal directly next to the set screw hole thereby forcing a bit of metal firmly over the shoulder of the set screw. I began to remove the metal by carefully drilling the offending metal away. Do any of you have experience with this situation? Should I continue to drill, or is there a better way?
Thanks

[John S]

a carbide or high speed steel burr for a hand held air grinder works nice. You will have better control of what is going on that with a drill

[John Waak]

Thanks, John. That's exactly what I did. It was one of those simple tasks that, late at night, I wasn't thinking clearly. Thank goodness I have made enough mistakes to recognize when things are about to go wrong. Anyway, the next morning I took out the screw. Got the PTO apart, cleaned up and Glyptaled the inside. Tomorrow I should mount it back on the transmission. Maybe even get the tranny back in . . . that'd be a Labor Day celebration.

[Gordon Maney]

I have always disliked the use of a punch mark to prevent rotation for this very reason.