M548 winch engaged with PTO disengaged?

[LTUSN]

With the engine off, I engaged and disengaged the PTO in an attempt to lock the drive line so I could torque the u-bolts, no luck. Fwiw the PTO lever is properly adjusted.

Fast forward a few hours, I started the engine put the trans in *reverse* and unbeknownst to me the winch engaged, took up the slack, broke the guide bar and when it ran out of room, started making a loud noise every second or so, which sounded like gears not quite meshing. I shut the engine off immediately, released the tension in the cable with the bolt head on the winch transfer gearcase, and rescued my guide bar which had been ripped out of it's welds.

The winch clutch was out of adjustment, which explains the gears not meshing. What I can't figure out is how the PTO got engaged with the PTO lever in the disengage position, and furthermore why it was reeling in while in reverse. Very weird and I can't duplicate the problem now. I assume it had something to do with screwing around with the PTO lever with the engine off. I tried to follow the torque path in the transmission TM, but it's over my head.

Anyone had a similar experience?

Doug

 

[73m819]

I am guessing the pto is engaged to a live movement gear instead of a neutral gear in the trans, this is so the f/r of the winch can have multiple speeds.