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I inadvertently let the outside of the 1st and 2nd sync hub shift and of course let all the springs and balls out (everywhere!).... What is the trick to get these things put back? I thought many years ago when I rebuilt the gearbox on my 1300, I used a piston ring compressor but that doesn't seem to work.

Do you need several people and small screwdrivers/drifts to simultaneously push on the 3 balls?

Gary

I used a tight fitting cable tie to hold them all compressed in place, then just pushed them in one by one with a screwdriver for the final bit whilst pushing down to engage it. Might not be the best way tho?
Hope that helps
Steve

Best £25 you'll ever spend...

http://www.guess-works.com/Shop/Parts/d ... htm?id=279

Yes, I know, I need to get out more...

You can get a lot of cable ties for £25!

stevenleece wrote:I used a tight fitting cable tie to hold them all compressed in place, then just pushed them in one by one with a screwdriver for the final bit whilst pushing down to engage it. Might not be the best way tho?
Hope that helps
Steve

Steve, thanks. Sounds like a good idea. I just found an old thread where it seems that someone modified a jubilee/hose clamp with a hole in it just big enough to pass the spring/ball through. It looks like the idea is to tighten the clip enough to allow it to still rotate and then align the hole in the clip to the hole in inner hub section and then insert the spring and ball and then rotate it to the next position etc. Then as a last step pry the balls in using small screwdrivers.

Sounds like the same basic idea. I was just able to make it work with the help of my wife (still needed more hands).

Lakeland, that looks like a nice tool. Just insert the spring and balls and then slide the tool over the uncompressed springs and then rotate it to simultaneously compress all three?

Gary

As a cable tie is flexible you can slide it just above the springs then one at time press in the ball bearing and slide down the cable tie, ensuring the cable tie remains over the fitted ball bearings as you go. Again when trying to engage on the hub just use a small screwdriver and as the cable tie is flexible it’s easy to just pop them in whilst pressing down.

If you were doing a few gearbox builds or rebuilding regulalary I’d probably agree the tool from guessworks could be the way to go.

I have the cable tie in the tool box now as I have another 3 boxes to build and it took me about 2-3 minutes per synchro hub once I got the technique.

Cheers

Steve

I've also been using the cable tie method for years . Much easier than a jublilee clip as there is a bit of give to push the balls down . The tool from guessworks does look good though ... ken

You can use an old hub outer modified by grinding out some tapered slots in the outer ring. Grind the slots to different depths and you can fit one ball and spring at a time as you push the hub onto the inner. Once all three are in place you fit the real outer on behind and one quick push onto a flat surface and it's done. Make sure you have the outer hub orientation correct for the mainshaft locking pin.
I shot blasted the tool to make it an easy slide fit over the inners.
Also works on the 3rd/4th hub.

stevenleece wrote:You can get a lot of cable ties for £25!

You need to get out more too Steven

Cut a strip of steel and bend thus;-



place the springs in and then the balls with a dab of grease, then place the steel strip over, pinch an knock the hub with a soft mallet



Cost - zero.

This one of mine I've been using over 35 years now.

I use the jubilee clip method. Place the inner hub in the outer ring, fit the springs, rest the balls on the end of the springs with a little grease and compress with a large jubilee clip. Don't tighten it too much. Insert small (tiny) screwdrivers through from the top of the inner hub where the balls are located so they push the balls in. Then tap the center hub down using a dead-blow hammer. It will pop right into place.

Lakeland997 wrote:

stevenleece wrote:You can get a lot of cable ties for £25!

You need to get out more too Steven

Fair call, but that’s less time on the mini!! Saying that I do have a spare £25 and it is my birthday so I may venture out! Ha ha

I use the cable tie method but put the whole lot inside a big clear plastic bag with two openings just big enough to get your hands, a small screwdriver and the hub inside. Dob of thick grease on the balls. Works a treat every time and if the balls just fly out, they're still inside the bag anyway.

Managed this with the dexterity of fingers and a screw driver ...?

I have had the pleasure of seeing the guessworks tool in action, and would say it is is 25 quid well spent.

On a related note, I was sweeping out behind my bead blaster yesterday and there was a small gearbox spring amongst the sweepings. A good 20 feet or more from my workbench...

Big Jubilee clip.

First time reassembling a gearbox.

I did not read this post first so here is how I did it.

Found a hose clamp of suitable diameter (in my plumbing bucket) and placed this around the gear.
Inserted the springs and then the balls. Slightly adjusting the clamp as you go. You can see one of balls
Through one of slats in the clamp.


You can now assemble the gear/hub inside a zipped plastic bag in case the buggers try to escape.
I used a socket and mallet to set the two pieces together.

It's the 3 sync hubs that are harder to do as they have stronger springs than 4 sync. Like others I made a Heath Robinson tool to do these.

On 4 sync hubs I've always used a ball point pen with the clicky bit retracted. Pop in the springs, position bearings on edge of hub then poke them in one at a time. Work around the hub ensuring to retain downward tension on the hub centre. The trick is that once a bearing is partially engaged not to release pressure on that part of the hub or it's ping, start again. I've done so many now with this technique that it only takes me a few minute to do a pair of hubs.

I 3d-printed the special tool. Someone shared the 3d-model of the tool somewhere in a forum IIRC.

I have the original factory tool (SP or Churchill - can't remember which) and to be honest it makes the Guessworks one look complicated.
Its not much more than a stout ring of metal with a tapered inner.
You simply assemble the inner hub and spring on top of it and give the hub a shove so it slides into the ring and pushes the balles into the holes. Then put the ring over the outer hub and push the inner hub through.
If you manage to misalign the hubs you can push the inner back into the tool and try again, without having to fiddle with your balls again!