TR2/3/3A What could be binding? TR3 Gearbox/OD

[Moseso]

Monday I mated my gearbox to the OD, filled it with oil and went to spin it up and test it. Both the gearbox and the OD moved easily by hand but, once mated, are very stiff. I think I just burnt up my Milwaukee Magnum drill in the attempt. Last time I did this, the same drill labored a little to get the oil pressure up in the OD -- but nothing like this Monday.

Now it's all full of expensive Red Line oil, and I am in a quandary what to do. I feel like I need to look in between the gearbox and OD again. Can the gearbox be stood up on the bell housing with a full charge of oil in it, or is there a vent that the oil will run out of?

 

[TR4nut]

Bummer-

I can't recall where, but I think the top cover has at least one vent so you are at risk of leaking there.

Not sure what is binding, Moses - for me the hard part was getting everything to mate up in the first place - once mated it is difficult to think where things can be misaligned.

A club buddy showed me his trick for getting things back together - he put the od side down first, this let gravity help keep the cone clutch locked in position so the dummy mainshaft can be pulled. Then the gearbox was lifted bellhousing side up and pressed into the od for final makeup. The od pump roller was also wired down to avoid clearance problems with the cam on the mainshaft.

 

[TR3driver]

Worth a try, but I think it's going to leak. Why not just drain it into a clean pan?

I pretty much always wind up having to take it back apart 2-3 times, to shim the accumulator if nothing else. So I use cheap 30wt for the initial tests, then drain and refill with Redline after it all checks out.

My binding problem proved to be that the clutch I robbed from another unit was too thick; but I doubt that's your issue. Apparently it had swollen from being soaked in carb cleaner many years ago. I carefully turned off about .030" in the lathe, and so far it seems to be working fine.

 

[Moseso]

Clean pan??? Where do I find one of those???
I guess that's what I have to do then. REALLY clean a pan. Bleccchhh!
Yeah... I'm [censored] at myself (now) for putting in the good oil. Yet another "live and learn" day.

The only thing I can think of is that the things are somehow just misaligned enough that the main shaft is binding in the bushings in the OD. That part of my main shaft (just behind the oil pump cam) is pretty shiny.

 

[TR3driver]

Clean pan??? Where do I find one of those???

Try your local thrift shop

Afterwords, you can even donate it back, and they'll clean it again :laugh:

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Yep,

Was going to suggest a turkey roasting pan, disposable foil one.

Cheers,
Tush