Thanks for the advice!
I checked the thrust wasshers one more time and checked the needle
bearing position and you're right on! The cages appeared to be flush
with the ends of the gear, and the diameter of the grooves coincided
with the diameter of the bearing cages. The grooves were very shallow
but I'm sure that was the cause.
I find that the bores for the needle bearings are deep enough that the
bearings can be driven in maybe another quarter of an inch. I honestly
don't remember how far I drove them in when I assembled the gearbox a
year ago. I think I'll put new ones in, since I have the thing apart,
and drive the bearings further in, in hopes that it will take longer for
them to walk out to the ends, unless someone knows of a reason to not do
that.
Now, is there any particular trick to use to prevent a recurrence?
|