A very good reference article....One observation is that the cork sleeve that fits over the main shaft can split if it is at all tight to get onto the shaft...For that reason I fit the cork inside the clutch sleeve, apply a little grease and then fit both parts at once to the shaft....The cork also benefits from being soaked in thin machine oil for a couple of days before fitting....
Read in conjunction with my previous article on clutches I'd say just about every aspect is covered!....Ian
Hi Robb, nice contribution, thank you for sharing!
The cork is often missing/overlooked, I always thought it was there to keep the small felt ring in place against the sleeve gear. But see now that it might also prevent oil getting in the clutch through the keyway in the shaft....?
One thing that surprised me is that you write that you have designed the spring compressor, which is not true as you copied mine years ago.
You kindly asked if you could, and I agreed, no problem.
But your claim of the design now implies that mine is a copy of yours which is not fair.....I recognized it is just a 'slip of the pen' but please rectify..
Just to complicate things I'm claiming 'parallel rights'...:laughing: ...I made mine from an old piston and it worked on exactly the same principle..I made it one Christmas (ironically) when I had two M20 clutches to overhaul.. Trying to get the nuts back on drove me to distraction and I decided I had to find a better way...The result was the tool...I lent mine to Ron Pier to copy years back....
Regarding the cork I never fit them, at least not since I reassembled mine once and realised I didn't have a cork to hand...I've done 1000's of miles without it and the omission doesn't seem to cause a problem..I don't fit the tapered felt either....Ian
As Ian said, after borrowing his, I made my own and wouldn't want to be without it. The only difference is, that Ian probably used a BSA piston and mine is Triumph, but it works just as well.:smile: Ron
I surely would not want to claim anything, I see it more as a contribution for the sake of the owner/restorer and as a tribute to our great machines and also to do something in return for all the great advise here given so freely.
The more of these tools are available the better as it saves lots of strips threads and cursing.:relaxed:
Now and then I am making a small batch of these spring compressors and for a moment didn't like them to be seen as copy's or even steals of Robb his tools.
But on second thought, no problem...who cares...happy new year!
Probably the feltring and corkbush gets more function when the long bush in the sleevegear gets worn and more oil will seep through...
Lubricating the long sleeve bush seemed to be a difficult problem, weak point in lots of designs. Hard to get oil there and too much oil will easily work out. Maybe a modern O ring seal in a groove at the end of the bush will do nowadays ???
A few weeks back there was a topic about different mainshafts....compared a few and one difference I found was in the pattern of the oil grooves/spirals over which the sleeve gear runs. Looks like BSA acknowledged this lubrication problem early.
Interesting about the oil groove...I posted about potential main shaft differences when I spotted different part numbers but have yet to get all mine out and do some comparisons...I was hoping someone might know the answer...Personally, I wasn't aware of any potential differences until recently and I've handled scores of them over the years!!...
Lubrication design issues aside, I find the quickest way to destroy the sleeve gear bushes is not to maintain the gearbox oil at a sufficiently high level...With the standard set up and no sealed bearing, particularly if the field stand is used, the oil level can drop to critical levels in just a few hundred miles...I recommend a check every 300 miles...I'd be interested in anyone else's view on this....Of course with the sealed bearing fitted the situation is much improved and that should be considered a 'must have' modification at rebuild time...Ian
Yes, indeed. I am very sorry for that. My first attempt was not as sleek as yours. I humbly apologize my friend and thank you for this opportunity to set it straight.
Hi Michiel W. Thank you for your kindness in accepting my apology. What country are you in? I have a gift for you and want to tag it.
You are a true gentleman, and you have taught me a great lesson. Cheers, Robb