Looking for someone to re-spline an input shaft

peterzekert

peterzekert

Well-known member
Does anyone know of a smart machinist who can turn down/grind down the clutch splines on and input shaft and re-machine a smaller clutch spline.

I've asked Jamie Houseman and I'm waiting for a reply.

I've bought (3) Houseman T50 gearboxes just to own a variety of ratios. The inputs I want to re-spline are from these gearboxes. Still I assume that the hardening is shallow and they'll have to get re-hardened. I just hate to see nice input gears sitting there idle. [I have 6 different inputs if anyone is looking to trade or wants to build a T50. I've also got Houseman T50 gear sets to trade.]

Thanks, Peter
PeterZekert [at] Juno [dot] com
 
You might run into problems there Peter. Most input splines are basically case or induction hardened and that only goes .010 deep in most cases. After you grind or turn it down the new splines will be dead soft and not last. We just graft 2 shafts together to change splines when needed. Same system we use to join pinion gears from seperate rear ends to get desired ratio. We do this for the Mazda second gen cars to get the 4.88 and 5.12 to work. I have special fixtures to do this so one offs are not usually cost effective.
 
Couldn't someone like Jamie Houseman do it?

(I guess this is now redundant since you've revised the original post.)
 
I'd bet Mark Williams can do it. Might be pricy but they can make custom splined axles.


1 (866) 508-6381

Their website seems to be down.
 
Peter,

Steve E. is right; splines usually case hardened (surface only) to resist wear from sliding, and the core left soft (ductile) to resist shock. Any machining/grinding will likely break through (remove) this surface hardening. Probably includes pilot shaft bearing surface on end.

Of course, one could always have a re-machined shaft re-hardened after machining. Minimal distortion, similar to original shaft. Not essential to know original alloy, as carbon will be added to surface only. May be flame hardened, or electrically induction hardened. Probably no special set-up required.

Check with local heat treater; several in St. Louis area. Cost probably not over $75.

Spline cutting is usually a high volume operation. One off will require much set up. Machining costs will be many times heat treating. Google "St. Louis Machine Shops" and dozens will appear. Most are likely not able to do your job, but some will know who can.

FWIW; decades ago, when I managed a machine shop and had a qualified teat treater, I had extra long, partially threaded, through hardened wheel studs annealed (dead soft) so I could cut threads deeper, and then had them re-hardened. Guessed on the alloy so the heat treater knew temperature/quench needs. Raced on them 15+ years with no problems. It can be done.

RJS
 
Peter,

One more thing; (Colombo)

Splines are pretty standard world wide, based on application, each with individual specifications. I'm guessing each spline configuration requires a different cutter.

Would be helpful to know what configuration you want. (SAE #)

RJS
 
Hi Peter,

Sorry if this obvious and something you've already considered , but ... it would seem much cheaper and easier to just get a different clutch disc and pilot bushing than change the input shaft splines. Of course if the shaft is the wrong length, that would be trickier.

-Kyle
 
Wouldn't be rocket science. Anyone with a mill and a rotary table/indexing head could do it, then just get it heat treated.
 
Sandro wrote:

"Wouldn't be rocket science. Anyone with a mill and a rotary table/indexing head could do it, then just get it heat treated".

Yes, but spline cutters are special things configured for each specific spline (cost unknown), and usually utilize a horizontal mill, to minimize cutter deflection. There are horizontal mill adapters for typical knee vertical mills, but unless someone already has the cutters on hand, a one-off item could get pricey.

RJS
 
R. J. Sorensen":sks8nbgy said:
Sandro wrote:

"Wouldn't be rocket science. Anyone with a mill and a rotary table/indexing head could do it, then just get it heat treated".

Yes, but spline cutters are special things configured for each specific spline (cost unknown), and usually utilize a horizontal mill, to minimize cutter deflection. There are horizontal mill adapters for typical knee vertical mills, but unless someone already has the cutters on hand, a one-off item could get pricey.

RJS
Click to expand...

As RJ stated we usually have to wire EDM a special insert for a given spline pattern or you can dress the profile on a grinder if the shaft is long enough. Most splines are broached originally. Drop me a PM Peter if you want to give me a call about your options.
 
Steve E's comment made me realize the cheapest and quickest way to accomplish your project would be to wire EDM carbon electrode(s) and burn the shape in a plunger EDM machine.

But you would need to know the exact spline configuration.

Check your local machine shops.

RJS
 
Close Rj. For 20 years we did that service for Dodge/Reliance on big truck input shafts for strange applications. For internal we used wire cut copper electrodes to burn the splines. For external we had a sealed tube with spline pattern cut in copper cap with internal flush. Basically wire cut any pattern and transfer to shaft. My late night work when I was in school. :mrgreen:
 
I can't think they would be cheap (!!!) but one thing to explore would be machine shops that advertise (IIRC) in some of the high end Vintage magazines, one imagines that they are reasonably often called upon to make one-off parts with splines, and may even have tooling from past jobs. The fact that you have more than one shaft to do is in your favor wrt cost per part....

Al Seim
 
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