Kirkham Motorsports Assembly Manual

[David Kirkham]

Now you can install the old race into the new input collar. Make sure everything is CLEAN! It should just drop into place with nothing more than a slight tap--if anything. DO NOT FORCE THE RACE!!! Or, anything else for that matter.

[David Kirkham]

Now you need to take the input shaft bearing off of the old (long) input shaft. We are going to be reusing this bearing so don't get gorilla with it!

Here we have a special "bearing splitter" tool with a very sharp edge to get under the bearing so we can press it off. This is a very handy tool. If you don't have one, it is time to CELEBRATE!!! (Because you are about to add to your tool collection!)

You don't have to make the bolts on the bearing splitter very tight. Finger tight is fine. Just make sure the edges of the splitter are under the edge of the bearing. Make sure you are not pressing on the cage of the bearing. If you press on the cage, you will bend it and your bearing will burn up!

AT THIS POINT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PULLED THE NEEDLE BEARINGS OUT OF THE INPUT SHAFT!!! OTHERWISE, THEY WILL FALL OUT WHILE YOU ARE PRESSING ON THE SHAFT AND YOU WILL GET TO PLAY HIDE-AND-SEEK...AGAIN!

[David Kirkham]

We have never found the bearing press to be very hard. So, make sure you have your hand under the input shaft as you are pressing the bearing off. If you don't catch the input shaft, the input shaft will drop on your toe and you will scream--or WORSE, the input shaft will land on the concrete floor and you will not be able to sell it on eBay! (Toes heal...usually.)

In this photo, Sandwich has already caught the input shaft and is now taking the entire assembly out of the press.

[David Kirkham]

Now you need to do a little cleaning of the new input shaft. It comes to you covered in a waxy grease conservative that has generously picked up all sorts of hitch-hikers on its way to you. You will need to clean them off. As in many areas of life, picking up hitch-hikers is not good idea.




Make sure you clean out the area where the needle bearings go.

[David Kirkham]

Now you need to press the old bearing onto the new (short) shaft. You need to use a tube to press the bearing on. A note here: You need to press on the internal RACE of the bearing and NOT on the rollers or the cage. If you press on the rollers or the cage something will be damaged--most likely, your WALLET!

[David Kirkham]

Now take some CLEAN grease (notice how our grease can in the above pictures is ALWAYS in a plastic bag so no boogers can make their way into our tranny to make funny noises later) and put it into the race where the needle bearings go on your new (short) input shaft. We put grease in there to hold the needle bearings in place while we are putting the new shaft back in. Don't be shy with the grease! You DON'T want them falling out when you are putting the shaft back in!