Gearbox

[kerryblu]

Hi All,
Stripping down my box today, the WM says to use a "dummy lay shaft" the lay shaft is 17mm dia. so my ? is can I make one, and if so what is the dia. and length of the dummy shaft.

thanks.
Gerald.

[Chancer]

The length is just short enough to pass between the thrust washers, the diameter a couple of thou less than the shaft (which will not be a metric dimension, its probably .6875") so that it can be pushed through the front bore (which is an interference fit) by the real layshaft when you assemble the box, the purpose of the dummy shaft is to hold the needle rollers in position.

I made mine by cutting down an old layshaft and grinding down the diameter.

[oldelanman]

I used a piece of aluminium tubing cut from the handle of an old golf umbrella - not a very close fit but good enough to keep the needle rollers in place during assembly. It measures 16mm diameter x 177mm long.

[ardee_selby]

It's a looooong time ago so memory may be fading...

1.0 I know I didn't have a dummy shaft to use during dismantling...just a "suitable drift".

2.0 I don't recall using a dummy shaft for assembly either!

3.0 IIRC the "kit of parts" I got included a couple of hard(ish) rubber balls that were used to hold the needle rollers in place.

4.0 I believe that was how they were assembled at the Halewood plant.

I think I still have the balls...somewhere (no comments please! )

Cheers - Richard

[kerryblu]

thanks lads,

I will sort something out tomorrow now I know what size I need, (no pun with the balls intended), I suppose it must be the same as the lay shaft, fitting between the 2 washers, thanks again.
Gerald

[Chancer]

Well I would never have thought of using my balls

It just goes to show that when you are stumped and eventually give up all hope there is usually in fact a solution close to hand, phnaar phnaar

I suspect that by the time I finally restore my Elan and recon the gearbox my balls will no longer be hard enough to use

[kerryblu]

Part B,
well sorted the dummy shaft, now trying to put new bearings in the box, got all the box stripped, front bearing off the front shaft, now the problem, can you take the main shaft bearing and its sandwich plate off the prop shaft end? or do you have to take all the gears off the main shaft? If so how on earth do you get that little snap ring on the main shaft off as it doesn't have 2 small holes to undo it? All help appreciated.

Gerald.

[AHM]

I use a piece of 1/2 in copper gas/water pipe. Grease the rollers and they will stay in place unless you bang it around.

The bearing carrier plate comes off first, but you are going to take the synchro's and gears off to clean them... aren't you!

Chancer, the seals bearings and rollers are metric so maybe the. Layshaft is too.

[Chancer]

Straight up?

Were they really using metric bearings on 60's Ford gearboxes?

I confess I have never had call to measure them.

[rgh0]

The snap ring should have its ends cut at an angle. You use blade ended snap ring pliers the engage these angled ends so you can expand it to remove.

cheers
Rohan

[garyeanderson]

The snap ring should have its ends cut at an angle. You use blade ended snap ring pliers the engage these angled ends so you can expand it to remove.

cheers
Rohan

If you need to get the snap rings off, you may want to read this topic on the Slave cylinder snap rings, they are the same type and they need to be installed with the correct orientation or you will have a bitch of a time getting them off again if you mess up something and need to do the job again.
Clutch slave retaining clip
elan-plus-f13/clutch-slave-retaining-clip-t17341.html

As far as the layshaft gear goes, to install the needle bearings go you have to wash ALL of the gear oil off with a solvent that is water soluble such as kerosene and "gunk", wash off with scalding hot water to remove the "gunk" and kerosene and the parts will "flash" dry before the orange surface rust forms. Then you can use the grease or Vaseline to pack the needle bearings. It's near impossible to get grease to stick to the layshaft gear with any trace of gear oil remaining. I have not used a "dummy" shaft, just grease or Vaseline and align the layshaft gear and insert the layshaft.

These boxes have all been apart at one time or another, once you have done one the next becomes pretty easy.

[kerryblu]

Hi,
well it looks like i'm off to the shops to try to buy a snap clip tool, but out west of Ireland I don,t think I'm going to get it.
How about the main bearing, can it be tapped down the shaft towards the prop end, or do I take all the gears off?

thanks guys for all your help.
Gerald.
S4 70 OEW

[ardee_selby]

Gerald,

See pm

HIH - Richard

[AHM]

Gerald,

Do you have the manual?

Simon

[kerryblu]

Hi all and Simon,
Yes I do have the WM, on page 172 item 23 remove 3rd gear.
next 24 press off main shaft....... bearing
next 25 press off 2nd
It doesn't seem to be done in logical order, and by pressing off dose it mean the gears are held in the vice, and pressure is put on the shaft to push it out? Richard sent me info that I hope to look at tomorrow, hoping this will tell all I need to know. Couldn't get snap on pliers but got cur clip ones and they worked fine in taking off the small snap on clip on the front of the main shaft.
Cheers Gerald.