imput shaft required
Discussion
Under the impression that my clutch bearing had expired, I have just pulled out the transmission of my 1982 S3 and found that the clutch is fine.
However, the spigot bearing isn't; it's completely wrecked, as is the end of my imput shaft!
Fortunately I have been able to remove the dead bearing and am relieved to report that the crankshaft is undamaged.
However the imput shaft looks be be beyond repair.
Can anyone tell me where I can get a new (or serviceable used) item.
However, the spigot bearing isn't; it's completely wrecked, as is the end of my imput shaft!
Fortunately I have been able to remove the dead bearing and am relieved to report that the crankshaft is undamaged.
However the imput shaft looks be be beyond repair.
Can anyone tell me where I can get a new (or serviceable used) item.
Many thanks for coming back.
Mine is an early imput shaft that does not have the renewable hardened sleeve as fitted to your '86 model.
Meantime, I have been in contact with a precision engineer in Thornton Heath (I live in Croydon) who reckons that he might be able to reclaim my input shaft buy building it up and then machining it down to take a custom made phospher bronze sleeve, ... for the princely sum of about £50.
.... fingers crossed!
>> Edited by 82s3 on Friday 30th December 16:25
Mine is an early imput shaft that does not have the renewable hardened sleeve as fitted to your '86 model.
Meantime, I have been in contact with a precision engineer in Thornton Heath (I live in Croydon) who reckons that he might be able to reclaim my input shaft buy building it up and then machining it down to take a custom made phospher bronze sleeve, ... for the princely sum of about £50.
.... fingers crossed!
>> Edited by 82s3 on Friday 30th December 16:25
82s3 said:
...I have been in contact with a precision engineer in Thornton Heath (I live in Croydon) who reckons that he might be able to reclaim my input shaft buy building it up and then machining it down to take a custom made phospher bronze sleeve, ... for the princely sum of about £50.
Do not go with the bronze sleeve. The thin shell needle bearing doesn't have an inner race. The needles run directly on the hardened end or the input shaft and the journal needs to be harder than bronze. The replacement sleeve is available from Lotus for not big dollars. Have your engineer simply turn the end of the input shaft down to be a finger slip fit inside the sleeve. Then install the sleeve using an anaerobic retaining compound like LocTite or Perma-Bond. It's a common Lotus repair.
FYI... the problem is also common. If you want to fix it permanently, then convert to a ball bearing. That will involve removing the crank and having the spigot bearing pocket bored out to accept an standard ball bearing. This is basically the configuration Lotus used on the later Esprits with Renault gearboxes except that a bearing with a smaller bore to fit the Citroen shaft is used.
I can give you or your engineer all the info required if you would like to go that way. The ball bearing is dirt cheap. Boring the pocket isn't very expensive (I paid US$60). The cost is more a matter of your time and effort to remove the crank. Then while you're in there you may as well replace all the bearing shells, seals, rebuild the water pump, etc. The job can snowball on you, but the actual cost of converting to the ball bearing is pretty modest.
Regards,
Tim Engel
Lotus Owners Oftha North (LOON) - USA
Yes, the splines are fine albeit they were dry as a bone as was the end of the imput shaft and the "socket" in the end of the crank into which the spigot bearing is fitted.
Also,I noted that the old bearing had not been fitted flush with the end of the crank. Rather, it had bee pushed in too far. No wonder it all decided to give up the ghost.
Having now fitted a hardened sleeve, i've for the transmission back together and re-installed.
One thing leads to another however and I found that my nearside handbrake mechanism wasn't working!
Cutting a long story short I have dismantled both rear callipers, re-built them, and bought a new set of brake pads.
Hopefully we'll be mobile again this weekend, ....
Also,I noted that the old bearing had not been fitted flush with the end of the crank. Rather, it had bee pushed in too far. No wonder it all decided to give up the ghost.
Having now fitted a hardened sleeve, i've for the transmission back together and re-installed.
One thing leads to another however and I found that my nearside handbrake mechanism wasn't working!
Cutting a long story short I have dismantled both rear callipers, re-built them, and bought a new set of brake pads.
Hopefully we'll be mobile again this weekend, ....
And to further ruin his day - there is a very light criclip that holds
the input shaft in the primary shaft. If this is missing, the spring
in the primary shaft pushes the input shaft into the crankshaft,
making Bad Noises and Expensive Metal Shavings. The nylatron bushing
on the input shaft is there to help prevent that...
Mike
the input shaft in the primary shaft. If this is missing, the spring
in the primary shaft pushes the input shaft into the crankshaft,
making Bad Noises and Expensive Metal Shavings. The nylatron bushing
on the input shaft is there to help prevent that...
Mike
Fear not guys:
1. The imput shaft is securely fitted back in the Primary Shaft; I have treble checked that the circlip has seated properly and made sure that the spring went in as well.
2.A brand new Nylotron washer has been fitted.
3. Both the new spigot bearing and the clutch splines have been greased.
...I'm just off the my garage to refit the rear calipers (now looking like new!), torque up the drive shafts, re-fit the silencers and double check everything else is properly torqued down, etc. and the transmission is oil tight and bleed the brakes.
Hopefully we'll be back on the road later today, pending of course the next thing going wrong!
1. The imput shaft is securely fitted back in the Primary Shaft; I have treble checked that the circlip has seated properly and made sure that the spring went in as well.
2.A brand new Nylotron washer has been fitted.
3. Both the new spigot bearing and the clutch splines have been greased.
...I'm just off the my garage to refit the rear calipers (now looking like new!), torque up the drive shafts, re-fit the silencers and double check everything else is properly torqued down, etc. and the transmission is oil tight and bleed the brakes.
Hopefully we'll be back on the road later today, pending of course the next thing going wrong!
Whilst on the subject, I have my tranny out at the moment. The nylatron washer is fine (but I'll probably change it anyway 
). The splines are OK and the input shaft is held captive by the circlip. However there does seem to be a lot of 'slop' compared to what you'd normally expect on an input shaft: I assume that as the input shaft is unsupported without the crank bearing, this is normal play? The tranny worked OK, no nasty grinding or slipping and there are no metal shards anywhere, so I trust alles in ordnung 
). The splines are OK and the input shaft is held captive by the circlip. However there does seem to be a lot of 'slop' compared to what you'd normally expect on an input shaft: I assume that as the input shaft is unsupported without the crank bearing, this is normal play? The tranny worked OK, no nasty grinding or slipping and there are no metal shards anywhere, so I trust alles in ordnung Yeah, I found the same thing on mine; a fair amount of lateral movement.
However, there was no "rotary" play/backlash in the shaft and moreover, when I removed the Imput Shaft and checked it's splines, I could not see that there had been any wear.
The same applied to the splines in the end of the Primary Shaft.
So, as you say, Alles would seem to be in Ordnung.
However, there was no "rotary" play/backlash in the shaft and moreover, when I removed the Imput Shaft and checked it's splines, I could not see that there had been any wear.
The same applied to the splines in the end of the Primary Shaft.
So, as you say, Alles would seem to be in Ordnung.
82s3 said:
Yeah, I found the same thing on mine; a fair amount of lateral movement.
However, there was no "rotary" play/backlash in the shaft and moreover, when I removed the Imput Shaft and checked it's splines, I could not see that there had been any wear.
The same applied to the splines in the end of the Primary Shaft.
So, as you say, Alles would seem to be in Ordnung.
Phew! [wipes brow]
deecee said:
Define Lateral Play...
Its Normal for the End of the Shaft to be able to go from Side to Side or Up and Down.
If you're talking about Excess Movement In and Out of the Tranny, you may have a Problem.
On mine, it takes a certain amount of effort to compress the spring behind the input shaft - doesn't move much, though. I was talking about side-side/ up-down; looking at a cross-section of the 'box it's obvious why it does this: it's just contrary to what you expect if you've never seen it before! Bloody French designers
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