Sounds like the PTO clutch positioner bracket bolts may have fallen out allowing the PTO assembly to rotate with the crankshaft. That is probably why it did not seem like the 2 unplugged ends could possibly connect back together, the PTO had stopped in a position different from where it is supposed to be held stationary by the positioner (or locator) bracket. Bracket bolts were probably loose for a while and fell out completly (along with the bracket) the last time you cut off the PTO after mowing. But since you managed somehow to get the wires plugged back together and energized the PTO without the positioner to hold the PTO clutch body stationary, the PTO clutch body tried to rotate and sucked the wiring into the works at warp speed (well, at least at crankshaft speed). Oh, BTW, don't go near machinery after consorting with Ms. Cocktail or you could end up having difficulty shaking hands with people (or worse).

hello Mownie
Thanx for the info....it sounds like thats exactly what happend...i do have the parts manual so that should help in finding what bracket i would need.As far as the pto goes,do i now need to buy a whole new one or is there a switch i could wire together with whats left of the frayed one??Is it something i could do(without the cocktails of course)...once again thanx for taking the time to help!!

Well, if there is at least 1.5 inches of good wire left emerging from the clutch, splices could be made. Before I would begin splicing, I would check the wires with an ohm meter or continuity tester to make sure the coil circuit was still complete, meaning that the wires did not pull loose after entering the clutch. The problem now that I have said all that is.........the splices need to be made using electrical grade solder and heat shrinkable tubing to seal the splices against moisture and corrosion. In addition to the issue of connecting the wiring back together, you still have to secure the clutch against movement meaning, can you account for the positioner bracket? If you don't have the old one a new bracket must be obtained.

Hello
Once again I thank you Mownie for the quick reply...it sounds to me like i would be better off buying the new clutch,im not that good at soldering....the tractor is at my retirement home 250 miles away(i retire aug 1st)but the parts guide that came with the tractor has a bracket called a clutch anchor...im assuming that is what came off.Im probably gonna just take it into traverse city and get it fixed...i have been learning alot from experience and from you guys on here and i really do appreciate it... Mownie you definatly rock!!!

I call it a positioner, I've heard it called a locator, anchor sounds good too. No matter what they call it, it must be there to keep the clutch from rotating along with the belt pulley. I don't begrudge you for getting a new clutch and letting a shop do the work. As I have observed in this forum, the tech level of "the average person" actually has no average level. Instead, it ranges from 0 to 100. My point here is that while I (and other professional techs) can work and communicate on the upper end of the scale, most people are not employed in the mech. repair field. If a person (original poster) comes to this forum to seek a solution to a problem they're having, depending on the tech level of the OP, they will probably be able to decide if the repair methods offered by respondents is something they feel "up to tackling" themselves or if they need to "hire it out". No matter what decision is reached, they will still know more about the subject than when they first posted the question. There are some very knowledgable people on this forum that (I'm sure) work professionally in the mechanical repair trade. I'm humbled (somewhat) that they are willing to help people find answers and define repair procedures the way they do. Good luck, enjoy your retirement, and stay tuned to this forum, you never know what you'll find.

HELLO EVERYBODY,

my dilema is i bought a ariens gt 19,nice tractor!
however i had experienced the pto kicking out,reading your blogs i found info on checking the coil of the clutch,mine
had 1 ohm the insulate was all cracked and no disc remained
just metal to metal.so i purchased a new clutch $385.00
installed it with a new idler pulley,set my clearances to .0012 and started it up,it still is kicking out,not as often but there is no pattern,it may work for 10minutes or
10 seconds..please almighty tractor guru's what should i check next?do i have a bad ground if so whats the location,the switch feels ok in operation.if i dont get this fixed my wife is going to kill me after spending that kind of money on a part.

This has all the signs of a "poor/intermittent" connection. First, physically check all the wiring connectors that have any relavance to the PTO operation (PTO switch, seat switch, any relay) for being loose or corroded. Be sure to check the ground side of the PTO circuit for good connection also, a circuit must have good grounding as well as feed. If you don't find any loose or corroded connectors, you will likely have to begin bypassing or "jumping" switches in the PTO circuit til you isolate the problem. If you have an Ohm meter you can test the individual switches for resistance or losing continuity when you wiggle the switch wires or the operator portion of the switch. To test switches with an Ohm meter you must disconnect the switch wires from that switch lest some other component in the circuit lend a false reading to your work.

HEY MOWNIE,thanks for the info.would you by chance have a
wiring schematic you could e-mail me?or are most of the components in the dash cluster? and what about the ground location)s

No, I don't have a wiring schematic. Possibly another forum member can dig one up. You can still check some things just as well without a schematic. Most schematics are not extremely "intuitive" to the reader unless he is well versed in interpreting them. As to identifying ground locations...look for a wire (or multiple wires) having an "eyelet" terminal that fastens to the metal frame or similar metal surface with a screw or bolt through the "eye". When you find one of these (and there may be more than one location) be sure to examine the wire strands where the eyelet is crimped. This is a relatively common defect in all automotive wiring. Make certain that the fastener (screw or bolt) is tight and free of corrosion. You might have to loosen the fastener to check all that. The PTO switch is easy to identify and you just need to access the backside of that switch to check for loose connectors or corrosion. The seat switch is located near the seat (of course). Maybe someone will post a link to a schematic for your machine. You should go ahead and post the model #, serial #, and engine model and brand as most web sites that could have a schematic will ask for that information.