# Driving with PTO engaged...whoops.



## Kaptain_K

I'm surprised I haven't done it until just the other day. I left the pto engaged the other day on my boom truck/chip dump after using the boom and drove it about 10miles before I figured out why it sounded and felt so funny going down the road. Can you damage your hydraulic pump or blow your seals by doing this? I normally run the engine at about 1200-1500rpm when operating the boom or dump but take the 366 engine up to 3,500rpm while driving.


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## Rookie1

I think youll be alright. I drove a dumptruck years ago and would leave the pto on evry now and then. It never hurt the pump. Just got lucky that the lever to raise never was moved. Couda been bad.


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## treeoperations

as rookie said your probably fine, and the only danger is if some thing starts moving.

just dont leave it engaged all the time while driving cause something will go


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## cuznguido

If you had gone far enough you most certainly would have burned up the pump. I good way to make sure you don't do it again, and also to make sure the PTO disengaged is after the bed comes down pull the lever again like you are raising the bed, and if the PTO is still engaged it will start back up again. Just get yourself in that habit and sooner or later it will save you some money, because PTO's can hang in gear sometimes, not often, bet it does happen.


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## kiwidiesel

cuznguido said:


> If you had gone far enough you most certainly would have burned up the pump. I good way to make sure you don't do it again, and also to make sure the PTO disengaged is after the bed comes down pull the lever again like you are raising the bed, and if the PTO is still engaged it will start back up again. Just get yourself in that habit and sooner or later it will save you some money, because PTO's can hang in gear sometimes, not often, bet it does happen.



Mount a big red idiot light an the dashboard. Its called that for a reason. When the pump is out of gear the light goes out. Cheaper than a new pump.


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## treeoperations

kiwidiesel said:


> Mount a big red idiot light an the dashboard. Its called that for a reason. When the pump is out of gear the light goes out. Cheaper than a new pump.



we put a really annoying buzzer in our truck, you get the hoist up quick smart just so you can turn off the god awful noise haha


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## Mr. Firewood

I drove a bucket truck from Lansing back to Holland just outside of Toledo with the PTO on one time, no idiot lights or anything on just a bad vibration at 45 mph and up and it felt like a u-joint was tied up more then anything :greenchainsaw: on occasion I leave the PTO on in my C6500 but I usually figure it out when I go to shift and it wont let me


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