MTFCA Forum

Hi,
my 1921 Pick-ups gearbox have "collapsed" by most likely use of incorrect material for the triple gear bushings, so that it have had severe wear resulting in broken teeth and then total failure when the broken teeth ended up in the mesh.
I have obtained another good set of drums and triplegears that have worked together, and now I am controling the pins in the flywheel. They do not appear weared at all and no ovality can be meassured and since the sit firmly in the flywheel, I seriously consider to reuse them.
But they seem to be some sort of oversize. They measure 17,40 mm which is a little under 11/16" (17,46 mm). However looking on Langs catalog it seems the standard size is 0,677", which is close to 17,20 mm. I know a little of the cars past, and it may very well be back to the early 1970's that this engine and gearbox was last overhauled. Back then we did not have the same fast and easy access to spare parts from the US and both the triple gear bushings and the pins may have been made by a local machine shop.
The "new" triplegear I have has what appears to be correct "original" bushings but with a too little bore. My plan was to try to find a 11/16 reamer but I think the 0,06 mm (0,002") gap is far to insufficient. Or is it? I'm not interested in seized bushings.

Please advice

Hello Michael D !!
I have never needed to replace the pins in a flywheel. I prefer it that way IF I have that option. And so far, I have always had a good flywheel with good pins in it.
However, I do know, that oversize replacement pins used to be available, and probably still are. I believe they were actually available way back in the model T days even as repair replacements. So they could have been changed at almost anytime in the past.
Oversize pins were sometimes used as slightly worn gear bushings could be used with simple honing to fit.
The bushings in the gears are critical to any amount of reliability. There was a recent run of inferior bushings made that have resulted in several failures with only a couple thousand miles (few thousand kilometers). One such failure was our "Admin Jeff" that helps maintain this forum! The material quality and the fit are both critical in those bushings!

Link to one of the treads about Jeff's troubles;

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6162

I thought I read a couple days ago that Bob Bergstadt just had some new ones made to Ford's original material specifications.

A place to start?

http://bobsantiqueautoparts.com/

Fit is also VERY important. Too tight and they will burn out from insufficient oil. Too loose, and they will beat themselves apart. If I recall correctly, the clearance should be about .003 inch total.

Thanks Wayne, after I made my post, I googled and found this old thread.

A couple years ago Gaslight in Urbana Ohio had some oversized pins, got them by mistake but I know they had more.