Standen Cyclone Bevel Gearbox Recon

[DrWazzock]

As its too wet to do anything outside, I thought I would install new bearings and seals in this gearbox.
It was manufactured by "The Motor & Gear Company Ltd, Chadwell Heath Essex."


I have searched best I can for replacement seals and bearings on 123bearings website.
They are all ball bearing races and seem to be metric sizes despite the machine being 50 years old and having mainly BSW nuts and bolts and imperial shaft sizes external to the gearbox.
There are shims against one of the bearing races that holds the crown wheel. I wonder is this is for a certain amount of preload? Shims add up to 1mm.
Not sure there is any means of adjusting the backlash. There is a thin gasket on the outer end of the pinion bearing retaining collar but I think its for sealing only. The pinion shaft position seems to be limited purely by circlips, one round the shaft the other in a groove in the bearing outer race.

 

[DrWazzock]

I think the distance of pinion position into the box is actually determined by the pinion outer bearing retainer gasket thickness. The position and preload or endfloat of the crown wheel is determined by shims fitted in next to its bearings.

I will renew the bearings and use same shims and gaskets in same positions as original and maybe try some gear tooth paint to check overlap and go from there.
Is this right?

 

[davedb]

Yea that sounds like the best plan

 

[Lincs Lass]

If you are interested ,theres a full cyclone here ,all the gear boxes ,piles of web bars