Strange washer inside the Ricardo transaxle

[Magnus]

I have Ricardo transaxle for my GT40 and find one shims inside the oil chamber... Look at the picture and try to help me to figure ut out why it was lying there...? it was inside the large screw on picture 2.
Thanks
Magnus

 

[Randy V]

It looks like it may be a shim that belongs on the end of the mainshaft or counter shaft - perhaps inside the rear housing? I know tansmissions, I just don't know that transmission.

 

[Terry Oxandale]

I'm going to make perhaps a silly suggestion that it is the sealing washer for the large bolt (plug)?

 

[Randy V]

That's not so silly Terry!

 

[Magnus]

Thanks for the tips, but It´s impossible that the shims is the washer for the bolt. I have take one picture to show the dimensions.

 

[Doc Watson]

I don't know the box but the washer looks to be ground to an exact thickness, therefore it could be a shim washer from one of the shafts inside the box. It also looks to have been 'ripped' so could have been an assembly issue, perhaps was damaged during install and didn't make it to the trash can and fell into the bottom of the box. A more serious possibility is that it failed in position and was ripped off a shaft, if it is a shim washer.

Is the gearbox new? has it had a recent service which was a change of ratio or something to explain why a shaft would be removed?

Sorry no definite answers but some possible explanations.

Andy

 

[Olivier S]

+1 with Doc, looks like a shim washer.

If I were you, I'd try to contact them directly with the exact dimensions of the shim, and ask them what it could be...

http://www.ricardo.com/en-GB/Who-we-are/Contact-us/

Olivier.

 

[Randy V]

There's been a few of us now that think it may be a shim... I don't think I would run that gearbox until it had been back apart and verified to be in good operating order.
Purely speculation here ---
It could well be that the person assembling the transmission had dropped that shim and could not find it, then went ahead and fitted it with another.. If that's the case, the shim in your hand is a spare now and has probably not caused any damage considering that it looks to be in pretty good shape.
But on the other hand....

 

[Magnus]

Thanks for the help.
I bought this transaxle for about 6 years ago. I have no history on this transaxle previous life ...
I think its much safer that I don´t start screws it apart. It´s probably better with just a shim less. From experience, it becomes much more spareparts after I disassemble and put together things

 

[Olivier S]

Ah ah!

I also sometime experience the "F**k! Why is there a supplementary nut now that I have reassembled the whole thing????"

More seriously, if it is a shim, and if it is missing somwhere, you could ruin your expensive gearbox!!! Shimming gears IE pinion/ring is pretty important.for setting the propers contacts, same for roller bearings...

You shoud really try to contact the manufacturer, they should be able to give you a hint about what it is used for, then, you can focus your own inspection into precise areas into the gearbox... Saving you time, money, and grey hairs....


Olivier

 

[Erik Johnson]

It looks like a differential bearing shim to me. During setup it can sometimes be necessary to change these out several times until the correct tolerance is met. This can be time consuming and perhaps one of these fell into the gearbox and we not seen during assembly.

Just my thoughts on this one.

Erik

 

[Magnus]

I have now contact Ricardo. Hope they understand my explanation....

 

[Randy V]

Sounds like a good choice Magnus..

 

[glenbinegar]

The ring looks like a Spiroloc, which is a type of snap ring. It should have just less than 2 windings with the ends separated where it is bent. They are commonly used to retain floating pins in pistons as well as retaining gears on a shaft. The have precise dimensions to fit in grooves and there are tools for removing them for service (sometimes without damaging them). G;-)

 

[Magnus]

Still no reply from Recardo..
But this shim can not be a spiroloc? just a simple flat shims for me.
Have take 2 more picture.

 

[Jac Mac]

have a look at some of these pics to see if its any where..not my pics, I just had a quick google.