help with driveshaft/speedo adapter key!!!

T

TJ500

Member
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
661
Location
Lockport, Manitoba. Canada
Got sled all back together today after changing driveshaft bearings... went for a ride and noticed speedo not working.... sure enough, found speedo key from driveshaft to adapter mangled beyond repair....

cleaned as much key material out of drive shaft as I could but only have about one half inch from end of shaft cleaned out...

questions..

1) how deep is this keyway in the driveshaft?... is there still a whole pile of material in there?
2) the half inch I do have cleaned out isn't squared off and when I place a good key inside, it spins freely and will not drive the adapter... seems as though the 1/2 inch I have is stripped??? Is this key way MUCH deeper han 1/2 inch and can I expect a squared keyway in further than the half inch I have recovered?.....

3) HOW DO I CLEAN THIS KEYWAY OUT?...

thanks..tj..


thanks...
 
get a new key compare it to the old one. clean out what you can see and then if a little bit is still in the square portion and you can clean it out, you can drive it into the drive shaft as it is hollow. be careful and go slow. the key holder needs to be completly clean for the square key to contact the key holder and to work and register speed properly. it is not fun to have to pull that drive shaft and pull out the holder and press in a new one. been there done that. ski
 
The entire key measures just a hair over 1.75" in total length. I have a brandy new one here in my hand as I type this. I can't imagine that the key would have rounded out the shaft. The shaft is much harder metal than the key... just for this reason!! Perhaps taking a drill bit that is smaller than the keyway hole and slooooooowly running it into the hole would reveal if there is still some key material in there? I had to use a pick and a small needlenose to get mine cleaned out.
 
the end of the shaft is hollow and alot deeper than 1 half inch. DO NOT USE A DRILL BIT IN THAT SHAFT INSERT! the insert is alot harder than the key and will take the abuse of the key, but the drill will bite into the square area and break off and be lodged in there. (been there done that) the bit will break because the size you need to evacuate that insert is very tiny, brittle and prone to breaking. then you have no access to get an easy out in there to remove the insert (been there too) then after you get the drill bit out, you will break the easy out off in the shaft because it is held in place with GREEN industrial strength locktight. and you now are paying someone to remove all of this in there and replace the insert and key which you should have done in the first place (dont ask). get a new key measure the old and figure out approx how much is in there. if there isnt that much in there, get a ROUND PUNCH WITH THE TIP AND SHAFT SMALLER THAN THE KEY DIAMETER. and drive in the remaning portion of the key into the shaft. it is alot easier to do this on the bench with the shaft out of the sled. cause finally if you do mess up the insert you can get a machine shop to extract the old insert and press in a new one for you. if the key doesn fit all the way in properly you will be doing this all over again. it isnt fun so dont cut corners. do it once and do it right. when in doubt replace the insert and key together, niether cost very much it is just time and labor intensive to replace them. ski
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top