Step by step gear drive removal Radical SR3 with oil cooler
Discussion
Just had to do this so I prepared a summary for my fellow Radical "Home" mechanics.
Please fell free to add or comment on how to do things better.
Step by step gear drive removal Radical SR3 (with oil cooler)
a) Raise car, remove real wheels and place rear section on axel stands high enough to be able to get underneath. Later on, to partially remove the rear uprights you will need to remove the axel stands and support the car via car stands placed safely underneath the tubular frame.
b) Remove rear diffuser: 2 x ½” bolts at the rear and 2 Allen/hex key bolts holding the diffuser in the middle part. Diffuser will drop and it is advised to have something cushioning the drop onto the floor.
c) Remove muffler.
d) Remove rear body support frame.
e) Loosen the two nuts attaching the reverse cable to the engine cradle. In drivers compartment remove the clip holding the reverse cable nipple into position at the reverse gear lever. This will allow the cable to twist freely when you disconnect the reverse cable from the gear box by unscrewing the nut closest to the gear drive.
f) Place car stands safely underneath the tubular frame and remove the axel stands. Remove the top bolts from the rear uprights. The rear uprights will fold down. Do not damage the brake line when folding down the upright. Folding down the upright allows some space to pull out the drive shafts from the hub and gear drive.
g) Drain gear oil by removing the large hose from the bottom right oil line fitting. Remove the fitting and inspect the magnet for any metal parts. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
h) Disconnect both hoses from the gear oil pump.
i) Disconnect the return oil line at the top of the gear drive. Remove the oil line fitting from the gear drive. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
j) Remove the gear drive oil pump. Once the bolts have been removed insert a screwdriver into the two cutouts to gently prey the pump away from the gear drive. I found it impossible to remove or install the gear drive with the oil pump in place.
k) To make final removal and installation of the gear drive easier I remove the cover plate of the ratio gears by undoing the eight bolts. I do not know if this is absolutely necessary but it certainly makes removal and in particular installation much easier.
l) Undo the four bolts that hold the gear drive in place and support the gear drive from underneath. Remember which bolts have spacers. If you use your reversing light disconnect it from the switch now.
m) Turn the gear drive end towards the right hand side of the car. This will disengage the drive unit from the engine. Do not lose the white drive pegs.
n) Now the most difficult part. Twist and turn the unit to somehow make it drop out towards the rear. Easier said than done in particular getting it back in!
o) Installation is exactly the reverse. Most of the nipples of my drive pegs have broken off. I use heavy grease or gasket silicon to hold the white drive pegs in place for installation.
Priming of gear drive oil pump: I found that after refilling oil into the gear drive, the oil the pump needed to be primed to start working. The only way I managed to do this was by overfilling the gear drive to reach the level of the oil pump. I then turned the wheel to see if any oil is beeing pumped. At one stage even this would not work and I needed to use a vacuum pump to suck oil out from the line exiting the oil cooler. Once the pump is pumping I drained the excess oil to the correct level.
Please fell free to add or comment on how to do things better.
Step by step gear drive removal Radical SR3 (with oil cooler)
a) Raise car, remove real wheels and place rear section on axel stands high enough to be able to get underneath. Later on, to partially remove the rear uprights you will need to remove the axel stands and support the car via car stands placed safely underneath the tubular frame.
b) Remove rear diffuser: 2 x ½” bolts at the rear and 2 Allen/hex key bolts holding the diffuser in the middle part. Diffuser will drop and it is advised to have something cushioning the drop onto the floor.
c) Remove muffler.
d) Remove rear body support frame.
e) Loosen the two nuts attaching the reverse cable to the engine cradle. In drivers compartment remove the clip holding the reverse cable nipple into position at the reverse gear lever. This will allow the cable to twist freely when you disconnect the reverse cable from the gear box by unscrewing the nut closest to the gear drive.
f) Place car stands safely underneath the tubular frame and remove the axel stands. Remove the top bolts from the rear uprights. The rear uprights will fold down. Do not damage the brake line when folding down the upright. Folding down the upright allows some space to pull out the drive shafts from the hub and gear drive.
g) Drain gear oil by removing the large hose from the bottom right oil line fitting. Remove the fitting and inspect the magnet for any metal parts. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
h) Disconnect both hoses from the gear oil pump.
i) Disconnect the return oil line at the top of the gear drive. Remove the oil line fitting from the gear drive. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
j) Remove the gear drive oil pump. Once the bolts have been removed insert a screwdriver into the two cutouts to gently prey the pump away from the gear drive. I found it impossible to remove or install the gear drive with the oil pump in place.
k) To make final removal and installation of the gear drive easier I remove the cover plate of the ratio gears by undoing the eight bolts. I do not know if this is absolutely necessary but it certainly makes removal and in particular installation much easier.
l) Undo the four bolts that hold the gear drive in place and support the gear drive from underneath. Remember which bolts have spacers. If you use your reversing light disconnect it from the switch now.
m) Turn the gear drive end towards the right hand side of the car. This will disengage the drive unit from the engine. Do not lose the white drive pegs.
n) Now the most difficult part. Twist and turn the unit to somehow make it drop out towards the rear. Easier said than done in particular getting it back in!
o) Installation is exactly the reverse. Most of the nipples of my drive pegs have broken off. I use heavy grease or gasket silicon to hold the white drive pegs in place for installation.
Priming of gear drive oil pump: I found that after refilling oil into the gear drive, the oil the pump needed to be primed to start working. The only way I managed to do this was by overfilling the gear drive to reach the level of the oil pump. I then turned the wheel to see if any oil is beeing pumped. At one stage even this would not work and I needed to use a vacuum pump to suck oil out from the line exiting the oil cooler. Once the pump is pumping I drained the excess oil to the correct level.
Edited by BioBa on Monday 16th September 07:00
Just had to do this so I prepared a summary for my fellow Radical "Home" mechanics.
Please fell free to add or comment on how to do things better.
Step by step gear drive removal Radical SR3 (with oil cooler)
a) Raise car, remove real wheels and place rear section on axel stands high enough to be able to get underneath. Later on, to partially remove the rear uprights you will need to remove the axel stands and support the car via car stands placed safely underneath the tubular frame.
b) Remove rear diffuser: 2 x ½” bolts at the rear and 2 Allen/hex key bolts holding the diffuser in the middle part. Diffuser will drop and it is advised to have something cushioning the drop onto the floor.
c) Remove muffler.
d) Remove rear body support frame.
e) Loosen the two nuts attaching the reverse cable to the engine cradle. In drivers compartment remove the clip holding the reverse cable nipple into position at the reverse gear lever. This will allow the cable to twist freely when you disconnect the reverse cable from the gear box by unscrewing the nut closest to the gear drive.
f) Place car stands safely underneath the tubular frame and remove the axel stands. Remove the top bolts from the rear uprights. The rear uprights will fold down. Do not damage the brake line when folding down the upright. Folding down the upright allows some space to pull out the drive shafts from the hub and gear drive.
g) Drain gear oil by removing the large hose from the bottom right oil line fitting. Remove the fitting and inspect the magnet for any metal parts. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
h) Disconnect both hoses from the gear oil pump.
i) Disconnect the return oil line at the top of the gear drive. Remove the oil line fitting from the gear drive. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
j) Remove the gear drive oil pump. Once the bolts have been removed insert a screwdriver into the two cutouts to gently prey the pump away from the gear drive. I found it impossible to remove or install the gear drive with the oil pump in place.
k) To make final removal and installation of the gear drive easier I remove the cover plate of the ratio gears by undoing the eight bolts. I do not know if this is absolutely necessary but it certainly makes removal and in particular installation much easier.
l) Undo the four bolts that hold the gear drive in place and support the gear drive from underneath. Remember which bolts have spacers. If you use your reversing light disconnect it from the switch now.
m) Turn the gear drive end towards the right hand side of the car. This will disengage the drive unit from the engine. Do not lose the white drive pegs.
n) Now the most difficult part. Twist and turn the unit to somehow make it drop out towards the rear. Easier said than done in particular getting it back in!
o) Installation is exactly the reverse. Most of the nipples of my drive pegs have broken off. I use heavy grease or gasket silicon to hold the white drive pegs in place for installation.
Priming of gear drive oil pump: I found that after refilling oil into the gear drive, the oil the pump needed to be primed to start working. The only way I managed to do this was by overfilling the gear drive to reach the level of the oil pump. I then turned the wheel to see if any oil is beeing pumped. At one stage even this would not work and I needed to use a vacuum pump to suck oil out from the line exiting the oil cooler. Once the pump is pumping I drained the excess oil to the correct level.
Please fell free to add or comment on how to do things better.
Step by step gear drive removal Radical SR3 (with oil cooler)
a) Raise car, remove real wheels and place rear section on axel stands high enough to be able to get underneath. Later on, to partially remove the rear uprights you will need to remove the axel stands and support the car via car stands placed safely underneath the tubular frame.
b) Remove rear diffuser: 2 x ½” bolts at the rear and 2 Allen/hex key bolts holding the diffuser in the middle part. Diffuser will drop and it is advised to have something cushioning the drop onto the floor.
c) Remove muffler.
d) Remove rear body support frame.
e) Loosen the two nuts attaching the reverse cable to the engine cradle. In drivers compartment remove the clip holding the reverse cable nipple into position at the reverse gear lever. This will allow the cable to twist freely when you disconnect the reverse cable from the gear box by unscrewing the nut closest to the gear drive.
f) Place car stands safely underneath the tubular frame and remove the axel stands. Remove the top bolts from the rear uprights. The rear uprights will fold down. Do not damage the brake line when folding down the upright. Folding down the upright allows some space to pull out the drive shafts from the hub and gear drive.
g) Drain gear oil by removing the large hose from the bottom right oil line fitting. Remove the fitting and inspect the magnet for any metal parts. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
h) Disconnect both hoses from the gear oil pump.
i) Disconnect the return oil line at the top of the gear drive. Remove the oil line fitting from the gear drive. Do not reconnect the fitting as it will be easier removing and installing the gear drive with the fittings not in place.
j) Remove the gear drive oil pump. Once the bolts have been removed insert a screwdriver into the two cutouts to gently prey the pump away from the gear drive. I found it impossible to remove or install the gear drive with the oil pump in place.
k) To make final removal and installation of the gear drive easier I remove the cover plate of the ratio gears by undoing the eight bolts. I do not know if this is absolutely necessary but it certainly makes removal and in particular installation much easier.
l) Undo the four bolts that hold the gear drive in place and support the gear drive from underneath. Remember which bolts have spacers. If you use your reversing light disconnect it from the switch now.
m) Turn the gear drive end towards the right hand side of the car. This will disengage the drive unit from the engine. Do not lose the white drive pegs.
n) Now the most difficult part. Twist and turn the unit to somehow make it drop out towards the rear. Easier said than done in particular getting it back in!
o) Installation is exactly the reverse. Most of the nipples of my drive pegs have broken off. I use heavy grease or gasket silicon to hold the white drive pegs in place for installation.
Priming of gear drive oil pump: I found that after refilling oil into the gear drive, the oil the pump needed to be primed to start working. The only way I managed to do this was by overfilling the gear drive to reach the level of the oil pump. I then turned the wheel to see if any oil is beeing pumped. At one stage even this would not work and I needed to use a vacuum pump to suck oil out from the line exiting the oil cooler. Once the pump is pumping I drained the excess oil to the correct level.
Edited by BioBa on Monday 16th September 07:01
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