Knowing my own limitations and having struck out for six months trying to track down this clutch operating shaft from various vendors (it's a rare part, perhaps only a couple of dozen cars were produced with this), I have decided to try to have one made. I have the original factory blueprint for the shaft and am looking for a machine shop that would be able to make me one. I have no idea where to look and have no idea really how much I should pay. If anyone out there could steer me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.
It'd be cool if the HAMB had some "one-off machine shops" as Alliance Vendors. It could be somebody working out of their garage. Have you checked the yellow pages and called around? I suspect some places won't want to bother with a one-off or small run, but they could probably lead you in the right direction. There's a shop up here that I think would do it and for cheap, but I've only used him for an easy welding job. Rookie guess is it'd cost at least a few hundred dollars. Thanks, Kurt
You could try these guys http://www.emachineshop.com/machine-shop/index.php I dont know anything about them but it seems like a kewl idea Gary
I'm curious as to how this would be made. How would the serrations be done? How about the bend? If you didn't need the bend, it'd be that much easier to make.
Give Mark Burton a call. He has a one man machine shop in his garage and he does some fantastic work. http://burtonmachine.itgo.com/ You can see a lot of his work on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/burtonmachine
Pc. of 3/4" stock then looks like you could heat/bend it then machine it, the center line is constant.
The serrations aren't really all that important. The levers were pressed over the serrations and brazed. I have no problem making the levers (I have blueprints of these as well), and I can weld them in place instead of doing it the "factory" way. The bend is the BITCH for me--it has to be there to clean the brake pedal. I am now thinking I should have gone to hanging pedals from a later Lark, but I really like the under the floor master . . .
How about another way around it? Buy something like a circle (donut; pintle hook hitch for example), cut and weld it to straight sections?
Could do that, I suppose, But one end of the shaft has to be turned down .030 to accept a bushing (which I have) which in turn mounts to a bracket and recepticle on the side of the T-85 (which I have). If I can't find someone to make this for a reasonable (whatever that is) pile of money, I will cobble something together.
The "serrations" are a straight knurl, done on a lathe. The bend will probably have to be done hot, in a special fixture. I would center drill both ends, so the part could be checked between centers after bending.
Someone in the area should have a lathe that'd turn it for you. Call Hollywood Hot Rods and ask if they will do it or if they can recommend someone.
the machining of theshaft and the knurling wouldn't be a problem,it's that dip that complicates it. as chaos10meter suggested ,heat and bend first..then machine how accurate does that bend have to be?
Instead of the curve, couldn't you build one like a crankshaft, with the "curve" being like a journal that is offset from the centerline? If the only function of the curve is to avoid part of the brake pedal it should be pretty easy to do. You could make it look really nice, and unless this is for a concours restoration it shouldn't be an issue with the "correct" police.
This would be a pretty simple part if it weren't for the bends. That's a really tight bend radius for .750" stock. It would almost have to be drop forged to produce that curve. The ends would have to be machined concentric, on centers, after the bend is produced. The serrations are a post operation on a lathe with a straight knurl. You might be able to pie cut bar stock, bend, then weld together. Either way, the lathe work, cutting to length, and drilling would be last. [/quote]
The thing will just rotate back and forth about 35-40* correct? I'm thinking you just need a good fabricator...not a machine shop! Looking at the blueprint kinda makes it seem like some critical machined part, but theres no real precision needed...just the ability to clear the pedal and not have any sloppyness in the pivots. What does it pivot on? Brass bushings? HMW plastics are available that might allow a minor amount of misalignment without binding. Do you have pictures of the location it fits in and what it attaches to?
In addition to heat & bend, you could also make that a weldment if you had a ring to cutup with a 1 1/8" radius I'd bet anymore it's cheapest to CAD/CAM and just whittle the thing on a CNC. good luck
I can do it. Let me set down with the print for an evening or two, and I'll PM over a quote. You said you can do without the knurls, yes? That'll make it easier for sure. You just need the one, right?
I am by no means a genius but I did surf the hamb last nite. It is amazing that someone would step up and volunteer to help you out.. I have seen some awesome fabricating on here and one way that I have not seen mentioned. Make your shaft out of 3/4 O.D. tubing, band saw a series of cuts where the bend is and weld them up after you get your shape..
I'd just heat and bend it around a pipe with the right radius...reheat and bend the ends straight. Clamp into a piece of 1/4 angle iron and reheat to straighten evenly, cut to length and then weld on the arms... It's not a crankshaft!
The serrations on the right are for the lever that a rod connects to to pull back the shaft that the throw out bearing is mounted to that dumps the clutch. The serrations on the left are for the lever that a rod connects to that goes to the hill holder (No-Roll). If you don't have a hill holder, you don't need to worry about the serrations (or lever) on the left.
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