Chief gear box

[stan]

I installed timpkin roller bearings in my cluster gear. one on each end, and one in the middle. I did it when Bob Stark was still in Fullerton, is how long as it has been. I am thinking of building up another transmission. So my question: My NOS cluster gear, has original brass bushings, which the factory used for years. Should I leave it with the brass bushings? I don't have a lot of time on the timpkin roller bushings. I wonder if any one has the timpkir roller bearings with more time. How did they hold up? Stan

[Bubbalowe]

I installed timpkin roller bearings in my cluster gear. one on each end, and one in the middle. I did it when Bob Stark was still in Fullerton, is how long as it has been. I am thinking of building up another transmission. So my question: My NOS cluster gear, has original brass bushings, which the factory used for years. Should I leave it with the brass bushings? I don't have a lot of time on the timpkin roller bushings. I wonder if any one has the timpkir roller bearings with more time. How did they hold up? Stan

The bearings are Torrington needle bearings and won’t last as long as bushing style. Indian transmissions are crude crash boxes and even the best operators make chips. In the 80’s did the needle bearing install but have since gone back to how the Wig Wam made them. Secret is a well tuned engine that can drop to lowest idle possible 1st gear drop in and dump the transmission oil as frequently as possible, oil is cheap parts aren’t.

[kitabel]

I assume the original bushing is bronze, not brass?
The service life of a plain bushing (given adequate size, speed, and lubrication) is much greater than a needle bearing (defined as a roller with a length 10 or more times the diameter). The total contact area of the needles is far less than the complete circumference of a bushing.
A needle bearing which rides directly on the shaft as its journal may also have a problem with hardness: the shaft surface may not be hard enough (Rockwell etc.) to prevent brinneling, etc.
On the plus side: cheap and easy to replace on a regular basis, since no fitting is needed.

[Shaky Jake]

Excellent question and I’ll be following this thread with interest. I’m in the process of rebuilding a Chief transmission myself, with all new gears, bearings, and bushings. So I went through the same question. Mike Thomas makes a strong case for roller bearings in his video, and I respect his experience and knowledge. On the other hand, in my personal experience, bushings are very robust and, though they will eventually wear out, they rarely out and out fail without warning. So I went with bronze bushings in the original configuration. We’ll see how it goes. I’m interested in what others have to say.


Kevin

.

[gharper]

Kevin,

Indian used bronze bushings in all transmission counter shafts from day 1 until the end. Even with the likely infrequent oil changes back then, they still worked. Ok, so they wear a bit, still works! I ran original bushings and main shaft on the 24 Big Chief sidecar rig on the cannonball, same ones I've had in there since 1990, dragging a sidecar. So, I don't see a problem with bronze!

Gene