Custom transaxle

[Leon]

Jac, Bob,
This is done in 6061 and has been heat treated for a day in the Oven. The guys at the foundry did say it would move if we Machined it first so we have done the Heat treatment before hand and the finish seems real nice for the small bit I machined so far. So you are right Jac about heating it first. As I have said earlier these guys do the casting for Hollinger and Albins so my alloy and treatment is the same as theirs.
FIY, the raw casting is 28kg. The guys have said I can loose a bit of weight by thinning her down in bearing bulk heads in the pattern and also the B/H surface has a lot of un needed meat which I will machine off. The side plates and rear housing have to be added to that of coarse and they are about 10kg, the gear stack and Diff approx. 30kg so I'm thinking 70kg finished.

Cheers Leon

 

[Leon]

Had a few hours in the workshop this week and a bit of progress on the T/A, machined the B/H face the rear face and milled the side plate faces, marked out the bearing locations and the shift rod locations so this week will get these all machined and get the studs for the side plates and rear housing done so it starting to look good. Hope you guys like it.

Cheers Leon

 

[Terry Oxandale]

How can one not like it? Love the work and the updates. Glad to see the steady progress, so keep it up Leon. Sounds like the weight of the T/A is going to be very reasonable.

 

[Craig Young]

Hi Leon
Looking great...Great thread to watch

Cheers Craig Young

 

[Robert May Eng.]

Hope you guys like it.

Cheers Leon

Understatement

Bob

 

[Leon]

I have now machined the main and ley shaft bearing locations, this was a real challenge but I managed to get it bang on for centre spacing, the only issue is the rear carrier housing is a little off line with the main case. Lesson learned, I shouldn't have machined it until it was attached to the main case and line bored it as one. I'm not too concerned as this is only the prototype so will adjust it to suit, the main aim here is to get the shift rods all sorted and make it function. Once I have that sorted I will set up the diff which is where the challenge will really start. I'll put some pics up once I have the shift mechanism finished.

Cheers Leon

 

[Leon]

Man time fly's, 6 months since I last posted on the Transaxle. I have been flat out with the car but will now devote some time back to this. I have redesigned the shift rod position as the earlier design worked OK but was harder to locate the rod as it came nearer to the middle of the case whereas this will now be higher and more to the right the same as the LG Hewland set up. I will be casting another rear and main case for this as I don't want to chop and weld the original case. I will still finish the first one and use it for a spare and mock up unit, I'll get some photos of the new patterns when they are done.

Cheers Leon

 

[Terry Oxandale]

It's good you've got some confidence in the design. I'd be too worried that something else will come about that would necessitate yet another (3rd) casting. Are you going to go ahead and complete the assembly of the first casting before setting the design for the second one?

 

[Leon]

Hi Terry, The change is pretty minor and doesn't effect the main structure of the case. It will just make running the rod from the joint at the rear of the tub to the box itself better and less angle on the last joint so will help the rod slide better where it goes into the box as there will be less side thrusting.

Cheers Leon

 

[Leon]

Hi Folks, been a few months since last post but we have been making head way all be it slowly. I have modified the rear of the casing to better accommodate the shift rod system and also made a new side plate design. A second case will be cast in the next month or so and the gear stack for this is on its way. A slight change in Ring gear is also afoot with the 8.8 R&P being used. The stub axles will also be made in the next month or so. Watch this space.

Cheers Leon.

 

[Leon]

The gear set has arrived now so I can really start to get this thing done. I'm fitting a Jerico straight cut dog engagement gear set in this box, The diff is a 31 spline light weight Nascar 9" unit using an 8.8 ring and pinion 3.55:1. The nice thing with this gear box is the output shaft has a spline already on it right at the bearing end (this is to run an oil pump) so I will get the pinion bored and the same spline machined internally and retained with a slim lock nut. The pinion depth will be achieved with shims on the face of the bearing. The std tapper bearing will carry the rear thrust load of the pinion. The std out put bearing on the main shaft is replaced with a tapper bearing to handle the deceleration load. Custom stub axles have been ordered and hope to have them in a month or so and the new case and side plates will be cast as soon as I get back from work in three weeks. I hope to have some photo's soon.

Cheers Leon.

 

[Randy V]

Some exciting progress!

 

[Leon]

Hey guys, just a quick update, patterns are at the foundry so will have a full set when I get back from work early August, I cut down the out put shaft and sent it and the pinion gear to the Engineer who is doing the spline and also making the stub axles. The other thing that needed to be sorted was the input shaft to drive the Lay/Cluster shaft, as the Cluster shaft is run on an internal shaft with needle bearings I have chosen to run a spud shaft using the same needle bearings at the back end and I machined a spud shaft from Moly that is sweated into the other end that will carry a ball race bearing, into the end of that is a Winters drive shaft with a 10 spline that has a Winters coupler from the Spigot shaft which I have not yet decided if I will adapt a standard Toploader or custom make. I'm trying to use as many off the shelf parts as possible to make it easier for replacement when needed.
When I get it all back I will get some photo's up, I'm hoping to have it finished before Christmas.

Cheers Leon.

 

[John]

I'm hoping to have it finished before Christmas.

your not the only one

no pressure mind you.

kaspa

 

[Leon]

Hi John

What did you think about that gearing? Have you got uprights yet?

Cheers Leon

 

[John]

yeh i have a pair of Ultima alloy rear uprights
gearing yeh very interesting, ill have to have a think on that one for a while.

cheers Kaspa

 

[Leon]

Watch this space, Another housing has been cast with up dated shifter and side plates this one is set up to bolt behind a Chevy B/H and has Jerico internals.

Cheers Leon.

 

[John]

Bloody hell this is worse than waiting out side the delivery room for your first born.

BTW did you get the dimensions for the bell housing?

cheers John

 

[Leon]

Yep, got that. Going to pick up the castings this morning so will be getting into cleaning them up and mounting the diff first, then I have the reference point for the shaft centers. I nutted out the input shaft yesterday after having another look at it. I'm doing a floating spigot shaft so you can cut it to the right length once you have it all assembled, Its going to be the business. I do have to make another section to house the QC gears but that's not a biggie. I keep you up dated, and that other stuff we talked about, I'll have something for you to look at next week.

Cheers Leon.

 

[John]

i'll be waiting with baited breath, BTW you have a PM
cheers John