Eagler's Nest
Engines => 3 cylinder Radial => Topic started by: Chuck in Indiana on August 03, 2025, 04:43:37 AM
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Here's an ongoing issue. The starter pinion is unsupported outboard, and *mine* has a fair amount of slop when extended. It apparently climbed on top of the ring gear, trashed that, and broke the starter casting. Kamil Verner sent me an unfinished ring gear and a .dxf file as a replacement. That is the black one on the left that I have about 40 hours on.
(https://static.imgzeit.com/large/fc5299000dcf128c/20250802_151558.jpg)
If you look closely, many of the teeth are bent, and there are a couple of places where it is damaged badly.
So. I made a new one out of 4130, thinking I could heat treat it. Bad idea. :) The heat treat guy was afraid it would warp, and I should have made it out of an air hardening tool steel. I'll do that on the next one if needed.
This time, I set it up by taking up the slop in the pinion shaft when measuring.
(https://static.imgzeit.com/large/14f059aeb5c47f2e/20250802_163219.jpg)
Time will tell.
Question.. is this slop in the pinion shaft "normal" or do I just have a bad pinion assembly?