Straight Six Posted April 1, 2017 Share Posted April 1, 2017 I found a small pin on the magnetic drain playground of my Vitesse's gearbox today. Looking at the technical manual it looks a lot like the counter shaft pin.What function does this pin perform? Can I drive the car (it's been running fine with no undue noises). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Looking at the manual its unlikely to be the pin youre talking about as this is installed in the output extension housing side of the main gearbox housing so really cant come out of the sump plug hole. If it was to exit at all it would be via the extension housing if you had removed the speedo drive or coupling and drained oil from there.Its more likely to be one of the layshaft roller bearing needles of which theres quite a few in the main gearbox casing. Its difficult to see how it could have come out of place in use however during a rebuild they are notoriously easy to dislodge while moving the layshaft.....Obviously its not ideal running these bearings with the incorrect number of needles but it could even be one of the original needles left in there during a rebuild while the new needles were all correctly installed!If you could post a good close up picture of the offending item we might be able to positively identify it along with its possible history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 yes the layshaft spindle pin is outside the running gear , but does fit in an oil drain relief especially in the rearcover or OD adaptor casing , could it escape ...not reallywhat can and does escape is needles from the input shaft/mainshaft spigot and this is the main culprit zone for failures wear and tear .agree a picture would tell a better tale Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Six Posted April 2, 2017 Author Share Posted April 2, 2017 Thanks for the responses. I'll try and take a photo soon, but I can say that it is definitely a slotted spring pin, not a bearing needle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Six Posted April 2, 2017 Author Share Posted April 2, 2017 Here it is..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 oh yes thats no needle bearing thats called a dowel and I believe not the same as the pin used to fix the layshaft. It looks like they are used to locate the top cover of the gearbox casing and also the remote gearlever housing that goes on top of that. It couldnt have come out of place in service but could have fallen out of either during reassembling of the box and you've been very lucky not to suffer major damage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Item: 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Quoted from glang oh yes thats no needle bearing thats called a dowel and I believe not the same as the pin used to fix the layshaft. It looks like they are used to locate the top cover of the gearbox casing and also the remote gearlever housing that goes on top of that. It couldnt have come out of place in service but could have fallen out of either during reassembling of the box and you've been very lucky not to suffer major damage Yes, that looks like a pretty strong possibility. I think the countershaft pin would be longer than that.Certainly it looks like a complete one not a broken one........ and I don't see how the countershaft pin can have got into the main casing from where it normally lives, especially without getting caught in any gears.Possibly it has lain there since the last rebuild? Bloody lucky it's not got picked up in the oil swirl and gone into the gears.Running without the countershaft pin in place will mean that the shaft rotates in the casing and will slowly wear the casing. Probably won't show any symptoms until the case is quite worn.Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 you got me wondering now as I cant remember if the casing dowels are hollow roll pins as in the photo or solid.... The one in the photo looks a bit chunky and short to be item 30 ditto the layshaft one - we need one of the 'encyclopaedia' members on here to settle this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Six Posted April 2, 2017 Author Share Posted April 2, 2017 Thanks all. Easy enough to find out if its item 30 on Pete's diagram. I haven't had the cover off this box since the last time I removed the drain plug, if in fact I'm not sure I've ever removed the cover but again an easy one to check. P.S. Not sure how the predictive text changed magnetic drain plug into magnetic drain playground in the original post, but well done for guessing what I was on about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Don't think it's item 30 - that will be thinner.Pretty sure the box cover to remote dowels are solid. They are sometimes solid on the box to cover joint too (they were on the Spitfire box I did recently) but perhaps not always.Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny-Jimbo Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 Trying to think where rollpins are used on the cars... door hinges... gearshift remote to box on an Acclaim...Certainly an unusual find in a gearbox. Daft question, but it was definately on there when the plug came out and it didn't get picked up off the floor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 locating dowels for the inlet manifold would be a fair match I think - though how one should end up in the gearbox....... Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 l go for the tail of the layshaft spindle short and dumpy roll pinpete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I think youre right Pete cos if you look at the Rimmers site pic of the pin it looks pretty much identical! Question is if it is missing in the OPs gearbox what effect could it have.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Not a lot it, as already said it stops the spindle rotating in the case,, early 3 sync didnt use itSo theres loads about that never had one fittedand yours might be just a surplus lucky it didnt mince thingspete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Six Posted April 6, 2017 Author Share Posted April 6, 2017 Thanks all. Box back in now and operating fine (as before - it came out because of a clutch issue) so fingers crossed and I'll let you know if anything goes bang in the future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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