The Ford Barn

MikeK · 02-03-2013, 12:25 PM

Does anyone have a good photo of a Gemmer shaft that has been damaged by running in a a non-stock needle bearing housing? I'm looking for picture(s) that show either ripple indentations from the rollers, a ridge buildup at the edge of the wear print, galling, or ??

KR500 · 02-04-2013, 12:07 AM

I have done boring of sector housings for quite a few years and never had a complaint of which you speak. However if the Torrington bearings are pressed in with too tight of a press fit the sector may be running on a collapsed Torrington bearing as the wall of the bearing is not very thick. Are you speaking of the sector shaft?

Kevin in NJ · 02-04-2013, 06:58 AM

My brothers car has a needle bearing conversion with a Argentine sector. It was installed in 1970 and has been fine since.

He has a theory on the issue. The original A sector was made with the metal and hardness to work with bushings. This metal may be too soft to handle the needling bearings. People see the later Ford units with the needle bearings and just make the assumption that it should work for the A. Ford would have changed the metals used for the needle bearings.

Most modern sectors run on needle bearings. So a company making the new sectors are more likely to make the shafts to work with the needle bearings. BUT that does not mean they will always make them that way.

There is wide difference in the success rate of these conversions. That could be accounted for by the potential wide variance of the sectors that are used.

In a private discussion about this problem I learn that one person who did steering rebuilding had converted all the sector to needle bearings. He quite doing this as there were too many failures. He switched to bushings and never had a problem.

The above is all conjecture and there is no data to support what I have said.

I do know that the bushings being sold today from many suppliers appear to be truck king pin bushings and do NOT have the correct ID to allow for a properly sized round hole to be formed.

I would love to see some failed sectors too. I would also like to see enough markings that we might be able to determine the manufacture of the sector. This would also include the color of the square end of the shaft.

BRENT in 10-uh-C · 02-04-2013, 07:06 AM

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Mike, I know what you are asking for and we may still have one as we tore down a unit this past week or two that was restored 5 or 6 years ago using roller bearings. Let me see if we kept it for the customer to inspect.

02-03-2013, 12:25 PM	#1
MikeK Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Windy City Posts: 2,919	Looking for Picture of Damaged Sector Shaft Does anyone have a good photo of a Gemmer shaft that has been damaged by running in a a non-stock needle bearing housing? I'm looking for picture(s) that show either ripple indentations from the rollers, a ridge buildup at the edge of the wear print, galling, or ??

02-04-2013, 12:07 AM	#2
KR500 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Addison,ll. Posts: 454	Re: Looking for Picture of Damaged Sector Shaft I have done boring of sector housings for quite a few years and never had a complaint of which you speak. However if the Torrington bearings are pressed in with too tight of a press fit the sector may be running on a collapsed Torrington bearing as the wall of the bearing is not very thick. Are you speaking of the sector shaft?

02-04-2013, 06:58 AM	#3
Kevin in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East NJ Posts: 3,398	Re: Looking for Picture of Damaged Sector Shaft My brothers car has a needle bearing conversion with a Argentine sector. It was installed in 1970 and has been fine since. He has a theory on the issue. The original A sector was made with the metal and hardness to work with bushings. This metal may be too soft to handle the needling bearings. People see the later Ford units with the needle bearings and just make the assumption that it should work for the A. Ford would have changed the metals used for the needle bearings. Most modern sectors run on needle bearings. So a company making the new sectors are more likely to make the shafts to work with the needle bearings. BUT that does not mean they will always make them that way. There is wide difference in the success rate of these conversions. That could be accounted for by the potential wide variance of the sectors that are used. In a private discussion about this problem I learn that one person who did steering rebuilding had converted all the sector to needle bearings. He quite doing this as there were too many failures. He switched to bushings and never had a problem. The above is all conjecture and there is no data to support what I have said. I do know that the bushings being sold today from many suppliers appear to be truck king pin bushings and do NOT have the correct ID to allow for a properly sized round hole to be formed. I would love to see some failed sectors too. I would also like to see enough markings that we might be able to determine the manufacture of the sector. This would also include the color of the square end of the shaft.

02-04-2013, 07:06 AM	#4
BRENT in 10-uh-C Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eastern Tennessee Posts: 11,519	Re: Looking for Picture of Damaged Sector Shaft Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Mike, I know what you are asking for and we may still have one as we tore down a unit this past week or two that was restored 5 or 6 years ago using roller bearings. Let me see if we kept it for the customer to inspect. __________________ . BRENT in 10-uh-C . www.model-a-ford.com ...(...Finally Updated!! ) .