Gearbox/Prop splines - Alloy or Steel?

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JordanL
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Joined: 05 Apr 2011 06:09 pm

Gearbox/Prop splines - Alloy or Steel?

Post by JordanL » 20 May 2011 06:33 pm

Are the splines that slot the gearbox and prop together Alloy or Steel?

Changed the clutch on the rotten racer, then had to make a bracket up for the rear of the prop as the original was knackered, put the prop back on and the bracket snapped, remade the bracket, prop back on again, had it running and the prop moved with the bracket tight.

Want to know if we can weld the prop before a weeks worth of extra work is sent to the scrapyard in the sky.

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Speedy88
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Location: Bristol

Re: Gearbox/Prop splines - Alloy or Steel?

Post by Speedy88 » 20 May 2011 10:50 pm

Steel as it rusts brown I'd assume.
'88 340 Williams (Sold)
'85 360 GLS - Drift project (Sold)
'77 Colt Sigma
'96 940 Drift project

Ride_on
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Joined: 26 May 2009 05:34 pm
Location: Belfast, N. Ireland

Re: Gearbox/Prop splines - Alloy or Steel?

Post by Ride_on » 21 May 2011 02:10 am

Definitely steel. Presume you are talking about a 340 (with the reference to alloy)

340s have a hollow alloy tube for a drive shaft but the couplings are steel. 360 has a narrow solid steel drive shaft supported by bearings inside a torque tube. Both use splined clamps to connect to the gearbox.

The driveshaft coupling clamp is a fairly precise bit of kit, obviously I have no idea of your expertise in 'remaking' this but if the original parts are not torqued accurately they will not be tight enough (overtightening strips the threads reducing the force) knackering the splines, the 340 also needs to be in the right position to ensure even overlap front and back. Usually its the 340 driveshaft side that gets knackered, needing a replacement driveshaft, and such things are like hens teeth. Sometimes the alloy tube will become detached from the flexible joint around the coupling, especially if hammered to remove.
1980 345 DL_______1987 360 GLE (project car restored to GLT spec and B230FT'd)
1984 360 GLT______1987 360 GLT
1983 360 GLS______1989 360 GLE
1985 340 GL_______1986 340 1.4
1985 360 GLS______1995 940 SE 2.3 Turbo Estate (daily)
1987 340 GL 1.7

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Alex Laidlaw
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Location: Oxford and Worcester

Re: Gearbox/Prop splines - Alloy or Steel?

Post by Alex Laidlaw » 21 May 2011 07:55 pm

I'd try and get another bracket. If you weld it together you'll probably damage the rubber that bonds the female insert on the prop to the aluminum tube. If the prop survives you'll have no trouble selling it for more than the scrap man would give you on here!

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