Reproduction Parts

[Rex]

I have recently bought the following from various sources.
1. Star hub front brake backing plate center bushing
2. 45 transmission bronze plain bearing (can't remember which
one)
3. Star hub thrust bearing.
The original parts all had oil/grease grooves, but none of the reproductions have them.

It seems as if many of these and other parts I get have made it through only about 75% of the production operations, but never actually completed.

My new ($350) 45 oil pump's check valve won't seal, and it's obvious just by looking at the seat that it was never surfaced. Does anyone know who can cut this seat for me? I don't want to spend the $115 for a tool I'll use only once.

Is there a source for better parts or is this as good as it gets?

[Paps]

I have nos oem bronze bushings witout the grease grooves. Came out of the packages that way. Made no sense to me. You need your own groove cutting lathe to put them in the way the ones with the grooves are put in. Maybe this was a means to force labor charges on folks ?

You can make your own tool for the pump or buy one from Steve at http://www.resurrectioncycle.com/

Paps

[Bill Pedalino]

The lack of oil grooves in busings is a pet complaint of mone too !! I see it even with new H-D bushings. Especially frustrating with aftermarket cam bushings. This stinks! I would gladly pay a couple of dollars more for a properly machined part. And I would pay ANOTHER couple of dollars for one made in the USA.

I don't have access to a lathe, so I carefully scribe a fine pattern in the new bushings with a dremel. You only need a 3 to 5 thousands cut. I then press the bushing and ream/hone to size. A little crude bit it works and affords proper distribution of the lubrican over the wearing surface.

If anyone has a better idea, please let me know.

Bill Pedalino

[Kojack]

Bill, your solution is perfectly acceptable. Oil grooves don't have to be of uniform depth or width. I worked as a machinist for 25 years and although cutting them in a lathe is the easiest way, your way is fine. Many times an apprentice would forget to cut one or the print didn't show it and we'd put it in with a die grinder later on. We used to make huge old babbitt bearings for the steel mill and the prints actually instructed you to "chip" the oil grooves after machining. It was quicker than setting the part up for another machining operation.

[Paps]

Anyway you come up with to put the grooves in is exceptable but the main concern with the type and style of an oil groove is it's application. If the grooves were originally the twist to the left or the right type, you should try and duplicate them in your new bushings. The reason for this is, the engineering factors taken into consideration, was direction of lube travel. These types of grooves are common in greased bushings also but with grease, lube travel is of no consequence. Any type of groove is good for greased applications as long as the grease can coat the whole bushing wall and faces. Oil is another story though. Most oil passages are designed to allow oil to enter and exit a bushing continuiously. Volume of oil is critical with these types also. Again...this depends on the application of their use. Are the bushings used for slow turning shafts or fast turning shafts ??? Are they subjected to intense heat ?? How much load are they under ?? All of these factors determine the type of oil passages needed. Not enough oil flow can be bad and to much oil flow can be bad as well. Paps