Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-13-2020, 12:51 AM   #1
35ragtop
Senior Member
 
35ragtop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gold Coast , Australia
Posts: 249
Default Driveshaft spline wear

Hi all,
I am wondering if anyone has tried this idea? (1948 Mercury)
The splines on the diff end of my solid driveshaft are worn so that the spline coupling is a bit sloppy. Getting another driveshaft in premium condition is almost impossible, so Im wondering if welding the coupling onto the driveshaft would work. The earlier V8,s had the coupling welded onto the hollow shaft.
Are there any metallurgy issues with doing this?
I would like to know what others have done, as getting the shaft built up and re-splined is a big deal cost wise.
Dave
35ragtop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2020, 02:01 AM   #2
Brian
Senior Member
 
Brian's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Masterton, New Zealand
Posts: 3,816
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

I think your idea is sound....you're lucky, normally it's the pinion end of the coupler and pinion splines that wear; a harder fix. Keep it all aligned when you weld it; set it up in a lathe .
__________________
Unfortunately, two half wits don't make a whole wit!
Brian is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 05-13-2020, 09:10 AM   #3
19Fordy
Senior Member
 
19Fordy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Coral Springs FL
Posts: 10,879
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

No doubt welding will work. You might want to consider plug welding the drive shaft by first drilling holes in the coupler as well as a circular fillet weld around the end of the coupler.

But, first read the rest of this post, including the red ink.

I can't help but think that there must be some way of building up the worn splines so that you could mate the coupler onto the drive shaft so its nice and tight and still pin it to the rear end spline as when stock. That way the drive shaft is still removable if you remove the coupler pin.

How are worn splines repaired in other situations?
Here's a whole lot of helpful info. on how to repair worn splines.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

EUREKA! Just found this.

I think this product from BELZONA will solve the problem. Amazing stuff for repairing worn out splines. Watch the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN8R0TrQOiA

Last edited by 19Fordy; 05-13-2020 at 11:33 AM.
19Fordy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2020, 05:44 PM   #4
Newc
Senior Member
 
Newc's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,462
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

Yes; I used the Loctite product on pinion spline for a '37 diff. Just note ther is a primer and an activator. got the products fron Fastenal , cause they have to be shipped ground... Amazon could not ship them. Newc
Newc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2020, 08:31 PM   #5
Talkwrench
Senior Member
 
Talkwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 2,687
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

what wear...???
__________________
"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"
Talkwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2020, 01:31 AM   #6
35ragtop
Senior Member
 
35ragtop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gold Coast , Australia
Posts: 249
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Rob you could fix that with Araldite! LOL!
I have done some research on those epoxy products. Obviously the more expensive ones, are better , one would hope. locktite Fixmaster Superior Metal is a alternative to the Belzona product. They show examples of using it on heavy farm machinery splines, so it may work. The trouble is, if it doesn’t, there is a lot of work to take it apart again and I’m not getting any younger!
Thanks for your input everyone.
Dave
35ragtop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2020, 02:21 AM   #7
Lawrie
Senior Member
 
Lawrie's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Qld, Australia
Posts: 4,197
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

And if it doesn't work it will bugger the pinion bearings as it migrates to the rear end.
I know.I never cleaned out a machined driveshaft and the swarf did them in
Lawrie
Lawrie is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2020, 04:18 AM   #8
35ragtop
Senior Member
 
35ragtop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gold Coast , Australia
Posts: 249
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

I tend to agree Lawrie,
after that spring tour that we called in to see you, I pulled the diff out of my 38 because of a noise and found that the ch....se made 6 spline coupling had worn and the filings had migrated into the ring and pinion. Another $1400 for parts ( ring, pinion, bearings, seals etc.) The thought of that strong epoxy granular wearing away and dropping into the diff worries me.
I’m heading off to see if I can get one end of a coupling welded to the solid driveshaft .Afterall the early 30s cars only had one end pinned.
Dave
35ragtop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2020, 04:26 AM   #9
35ragtop
Senior Member
 
35ragtop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gold Coast , Australia
Posts: 249
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

I will just clarify my above statement re the parts I replaced. I did replace the ring and pinion but it was to go from a 3.78 to a 3.54, not because of damage. The bearings were stuffed and quality Timkens were around $600 for the full set.Dave
35ragtop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2020, 09:08 AM   #10
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,371
Default Re: Driveshaft spline wear

Maybe that's why Ford made the shaft & pinion one piece in those early years of the Mercury. Maybe they shouldn't have stopped doing that.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:08 AM.