steering cam reassembly and dates

[TexasKnucklehead]

Some time ago I posted about pulling cams off shafts and wondering how to get them back on. I had a decent cam on a shaft but the other (coupler) end was damaged and another cam on a shaft that was cut with a torch -and yet another perfect cam on a shaft that was torch cut leaving about 2" of shaft (I got off ebay for $17.02).

Today I got my best cam put on my best shaft. First I had a trail run with the bad parts, being sure that I wasn't putting a cam onto the same shaft it was pulled off. Just like someone suggested, I heated the cam at 350 for a couple hours, and then I used some 3/8" all-thread to pull the cam back onto the shaft -using washers under nuts until it bottomed out, then using a larger spacer to pull against the section of the cam outside the race. Went on so easy I couldn't wait to do the real thing. Cleaned the splines, heated the cam and pulled it on half way and it stuck. Had to use my puller, and pull it back off. Heated it again, cleaned the splines better, oiled them, and rotated the cam about 30 degrees, and it pulled right on the second time.

Now I've got a good cam, shaft, bearings and good to go!

But also, I did notice that each of the cams has a date code on it as well as "15642". And the end cover (the steering box bottom cover with the olive nut in the center) also has a date code. Of the boxes I took apart, 1 had a date code on the cover of 4 59 while the code on the cam was 7 59. Another 9 58 cover and 10 58 cam. I have a cam with 7 56 and cover with 1 54 -that would be a TR2! The oldest part I have. The cam I used was 8 60 and I think I'll use a 11 59 cover. Some of the covers are bent/bowed as if too many shims were installed and most of my drop arms have a groove that could cause fluid leaking. As soon as my new seal shows up, I'll have a complete box that should perform well.

 

[Tinkerman]

What is it they say? "Necessity is the mother of invention". Good job! The satisfaction of a tough job well done is unbeatable. I guess that's why we go after restoration the way we do.

Cheers, Tinkerman

 

[sp53]

Hey Texk did you peen the shaft end over and re-create the mushroom effect on the worm gear end ?
Steve

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

Actually no. After I looked closer, it appears to me that the very end is MUCH smaller than the rest of the shaft. I'm not sure of it's purpose. There is no way the shaft could retrieve all the way out of the spline (even though the entire length of the cam is not splined). Once cooled, it is a very tight fit -it's tight while the cam is still hot, and creaks it's way onto the shaft when pulling with all-thread. But it wasn't so hard that I thought the all-thread would break or the nuts would strip. I was sure to pull it on the whole way.

-but I should never assume anything. The steering tube that is pressed into the box housing on my best housing, is bent. When I installed the shaft, bearings, race and end plate, the other end of the shaft rubs against the steering tube. So now I'm trying to get the inner race out of the other 2 housings to see which I can use...