Rotoflex - Churchill tool info

[hurricane36]

I'm rebuilding a rotofex rear end and need to set the end float. I have machined up the "special" tools to do this apart from the gauge tube with the recess/slot in which enables you to check the spacer & shim thickness reference Churchill S 325 - 1 and S 325 - 3. ( pages 3.124 to 3.127 of the Workshop manual) Does any one have one I could look at and measure up or could anybody tell me the dimensions of the overall length of the gauge tube and the length to the slot. (you will need a micrometer).
ta Kevin.
PS This might be something the club could get manufactured its a simple bit of machining and would not cost much. The rest of the tool you can improvise

[That Man]

Hi there Hurricane36

  i do have one of these tools and some other Churchill tools at home, but unfortunately i'm in france at the moment so i can't tell you right now.
I must admit though, i don't use it, i prefer to use a DTI and measure the actual end float, i machined a cv joint to be a slide fit (I'm fwd) so i could assemble and disassemble the hub with ease.

I'll post the dimensions you need when i get home at the weekend .

Gordon

[hurricane36]

Gordon
That's fantastic. I was going to turn down a shaft too but in the end turned the tool up from new. I must admit after looking at a site in the USA I was gong to measure the actual end float with a DTI as well but the challenge to make the tool took over from the actual problem to hand - still it's all good fun and keeps the gray matter working.
Thanks once again
Kevin  

[That Man]

Hi Kevin

I Have good news and bad, the good news is i've found not one but three shimming tools, the bad news is none of them are the genuine article :-/. I had some made by the apprentices where i used to work about twenty years ago (doesn't time fly :) )  the problem is i never got around to checking them myself, but they are all the same size so there is some hope.

The length of the sleeve is 47.79mm (1.8815") and the length of the shaft is 95.25mm ( which, as all Triumph anoraks know is 3.75" ) from the outer bearing shoulder to the small end.

I'm still looking for my original tool, I guess i've just put it up safe somewhere!

Gordon

[hurricane36]

Gordon,
Thank you so much for the info. I had made some assumptions and was quite close in fact. One extra dimension I need is the depth of the recess in the sleeve tool (S325-1) or the dimension from the bottom whichever is the easiest to take. (The sleeve tool is shown in Fig 70 page 3.126  of the repair manual.) The recess takes one of the 5 available spacers and shim(s) I think the depth of the recess should be between 0.142" (3.6072 mm) to 0.161" (4.0894 mm).

Thank you so much again for your help.

Kevin
PS do you know if any genuine new hubs are available? Mine are slightly worn where the inner bearing fits (as happens with usage). I'm worried that those now available might actually be old units which have been welded to add material in this area of known wear and then turned down to the correct size. This could lead to embrittlement and subsequent failure in my opinion??.

[That Man]

Kevin ,

The slot in the sleeve is just a window so you can get to the end of the shaft within, it just need to be wider than the spacer,shim and feelers combined, it's not used for measurement.

As for the hubs i don't know as i'm front wheel drive, which uses the same wheel bearing setup as the rotoflex GT6+Vitesse.

Gordon

[hurricane36]

Ah! now I understand, I could not follow the logic when I first tried to understand how it worked. I had assumed the slot was a set distance for measurement so thought I would make it and then all would become apparent. I'm using a GT6 Rotoflex set up which I had assumed used the same hubs as the FWD.
Thank you once again for all your help
Kevin