Installing bronze shift pads.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
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Installing bronze shift pads.
I'm starting to put my T56 back together and the bronze shift pads are VERY tight. When I am pushing them onto the fork it is having to spread the pad and it's taking small amounts of bronze material off of the inside of the pad as it tries to spread it's way onto the shift fork. I know they are supposed to be tight enough that they don't move around, but this seems excessively tight.
Did I get a cheap set or is this normal? It definitely doesn't look like it's sitting square in the synchro compared to the stock nylon ones. It's spread further at the opening.
Did I get a cheap set or is this normal? It definitely doesn't look like it's sitting square in the synchro compared to the stock nylon ones. It's spread further at the opening.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 123
Likes: 15
Replying to myself. I just measured it.
The groove in the synchro slider is 11.24mm wide. The installed bronze pad is 10.86mm wide at the opening. A brand new stock nylon pad is 10.55mm wide at the opening.
It's tighter, but I don't know that the 0.38mm is anything to worry about. I think the bronze would clearance itself against the steel if it was slightly too tight anyways. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than myself on these chimes in.
The groove in the synchro slider is 11.24mm wide. The installed bronze pad is 10.86mm wide at the opening. A brand new stock nylon pad is 10.55mm wide at the opening.
It's tighter, but I don't know that the 0.38mm is anything to worry about. I think the bronze would clearance itself against the steel if it was slightly too tight anyways. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than myself on these chimes in.
Last edited by Potent68; Mar 14, 2020 at 05:52 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 123
Likes: 15
Thanks. I think the reason I noticed the metal was from trying to put it on too gently over and over. Once I got it started, just slowly pushing it on with a vice and a 2x4 (between the vice and the pad) they went on much easier. All 8 are on now. Time to move on to the synchros.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 279
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From: Granby CT
Typically the issue with bronze pads is that due to the nature of the machining process there are larger radii in the corners where injection molded plastics can have "sharp" internal corners. The easiest way to address this is to put a small chamfer on the sharp corners of the fork itself with a deburr tool. Having machined my own pads this was the toughest decision when designing the pads, trading off the thickness of the web for less chamfering on the forks.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 279
Likes: 77
From: Granby CT
Having them tight on the fork is okay as long as your not massing with the surface finish of the pads when fighting to get them on. That being said if the fork is then excessively tight on the synchro id reassess the pads. The last thing you want is for the pads to heat up and gal on the steal surface.
