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Re: Churchill tools

To: <mcandrew@pol.net>, <fot@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Churchill tools
From: "BOB KRAMER" <rkramer3@austin.rr.com>
Date: Mon, 30 May 2005 11:15:57 -0500
Jim,
You can do it all without the special tools.

The circlip on the front of the mainshaft can be removed with a couple of 
long, thin screwdrivers. Use a rag on top to avoid any risk of breakage and 
you can even be aggressive about twisting it off. Take a dremel grinder and 
put notches in the new one and it will go on and off easier next time with 
standard circlip pliers.

You can get a plate type bearing separator or just use the edges of a vise 
to get the front bearing off the input shaft since you will be putting a new 
on one anyway. A foot long piece of 1.5" (I think that's the right size) 
pipe will allow you to hammer the new one back on. Hit the bearing on the 
inner ring only. If you cut off the threads that come on the pipe you can 
avoid little shards of thread breaking off. I put a layer of grease to catch 
that stuff and wipe it off to be safe, but frankly even if crud gets in 
there you can (should anyway) rinse with WD40 and re-oil..

On the back end, you can either hammer the mainshaft through the case with a 
lead mallet (after pulling the countershaft to avoid gear contact) or build 
a tool out of plate steel and threaded rod. Picture a plate with a 4" hole 
in the middle with the 6 boltholes lined up with the tranny extension 
mounts. Then drill 2 - 3/8" holes on opposite sides and mount threaded rod 
with nuts on both sides to lock them in. Get another small thick plate for 
the back end of the mainshaft, and drill it for the rod. Crank down back and 
forth on both rods and push the mainshaft through the rear bearing. Putting 
that one back on after reassembling the gears is touchy. I have wired the 
gears together like they show in the Haynes manual and done it free hand. 
The critical issues are to prevent the shifter hubs from loosing their ball 
bearings and supporting the front end of the mainshaft while you use a 
longer pipe to hammer the rear bearing home. I have used a stack of wood 
blocks successfully. Stand the gearbox on the floor,  bell housing down with 
the blocks supporting the shaft. I wedge thinner wood blocks under the bell 
housing to keep everything square. Here it is more important to keep the 
swarf out of the bearing. not that you can't clean it up, it's just more 
work.

Pay attention to the 2nd-3rd bushing clearance and make sure that the 
bushing turn freely in the gears. Not so important about turning on the 
shaft but I polish that too. You can put little shims under the springs in 
the shifter hubs to increase detent. They sell them if you look at the 
catalogs, but I believe a hole puncher might be perfect size if you had the 
sheet stock. Take the time to disassemble the shifter and replace the 
o-rings. You can check those detents as well as those the early cars had 
detent cones that wear out. You have to guess at the tension you want in the 
shifter, again with shims, but it is OK to do it trial and error on the 
bench, Make it just a hair tighter than you think is right to cover for 
wear.

That's all I can think of right now, but you definitely can do it without 
special tools. I don't have any.
Bob Kramer
rkramer3@austin.rr.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mcandrew@pol.net>
To: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 6:40 PM
Subject: Churchill tools


> Anyone know of a source for the special Churchill tools needed for working
> on Triumphs?  I don't care about originality- reproductions, machine
> plans, pictures of your homemade tools- would all be appreciated.  My son
> and I are about to start learning how a gearbox is taken apart and
> (hopefully) put back together.
>
> Thanks
>
> Jim McAndrew
> 1957 TR3
> Tyler, Texas 

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