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Spridget first-gear lockup and syncro coating

To: uiucuxc!tcgould.TN.CORNELL.EDU!garnett@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Roger Garnett)
Subject: Spridget first-gear lockup and syncro coating
From: sgi!pwcs.StPaul.GOV!phile@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Philip J Ethier)
Date: Fri, 11 May 90 9:31:38 CDT
> 
> Phil- Can you get something more specific on these "Coatings"? Is he
> mayby just refering to the cling charicteristics of the oils, or
> some actual semi-permanant coating? (which should be replenishable)
> I have used non-detergent oil in transmissions at times, but I have
> also used ATF to (successfully) do a good cleanup, and free sticky
> syncros. ATF is pretty detergent stuff.
>  I am aware of some speciality gear oils with various additives,
> (tractors, machinery) but haven't ever seen *any* other comments/tips
> about any coatings on brit trans parts which might be in danger. I
> would think the factor or clubs would reccommend re-treatment at some
> point if something was there.
> RG
>    ________
>   /___  _  \        Roger Garnett           (garnett@tcgould.TN.CORNELL.EDU)
>  /|   ||  \ \       Agricultural Economics   | The All New:
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>
OK Roger, here is the final scoop (I'm sure everybody is sick of this
by now) on the Spridget tranny.  There is a factory coating that is
essential for proper syncro action.  It is sort of like Teflon, but
not as slippery.  Sort of like clutch material, but not as abrasive.
It is some kind of British "stuff", in other words.  I think it is
designed to act as a "semi-slip" material while in the transmission
oil.  Detergents in the oil will remove this coating, making your
syncros go bad.  You cannot just add something to the box to put the
stuff back, because it is only supposed to be in specific places on
the syncromesh system.  If I sound like I don't know what I am talking
about, it is because I don't really know that much about
transmissions.  But Jack Nesset does and if he says use non-detergent,
I believe him.  He showed me the area where the stuff was disappearing
in chunks.  The syncro for 4th was totally nude.  I don't know if you
can recoat these things yourself or if you have to get new parts.  We
were able to come up with good used ones from my box of spares and
that at Quality Coaches.   The detergent oil only wrecks the syncros
and had nothing to do with the original failure:  locking in first
gear.  That was  caused by wear in the gearbox.  The inner shift hub
moved out of its normal range.  This caused the sliding gear to lock
in.  You have to slide the inner hub back.  Many years ago, Jack tried
to make a tool to do this through the drain hole, but was not
successful.  Just as well, as the problem would re-occur.  The only
solution is to disasemble the gearbox and fit a part to restrict the
movement of the inner hub.  Jack is revealing exactly how this part
works, so you will have to reinvent it yourself.  He does say that
this particlar failure will never happen again to this gearbox.
phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov
--
Login name: phile        In real life: Philip J Ethier
Phone: 298-5324


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