Logan Countershaft Repair

[lcorley]

Hi guys.
I have an 04TLC-700 with a broken bearing support on the countershaft bracket. A prior owner made a temporary repair with a bolted-on doubler over the break.



I'd like to make a more permanent repair, but I haven't been able to find another countershaft bracket (LA-302). So I'm contemplating fabricating one. Here is a sketch of a couple of options using pillow blocks for the countershaft bearings.


The one on the left looks more like the OEM part, but I feel the one on the right would be easier to fabricate.
I'd welcome some comments on this approach, and I wonder if someone can tell me how critical the alignment is for the flat belt pulleys.
I can make adjustments with shims and slotted mounting holes, but I'm wondering if there's a need for some kind of screw adjustment, similar to the OEM setup.


Thanks in advance for any feedback.

regards,
Leon

 

[MBfrontier]

I can't see the piece that is broken in the picture but I would be thinking more along the lines of TIG welding the broken piece back together and save the time it would take to try to make a whole new bracket.

I think the bolts that hold the bearing tube on each side of the countershaft bracket adjust the yaw of the countershaft cone pulley in relationship to the spindle cone pulley. I don't know how critical the alignment is.

Good luck with your project.

Mike B.

 

[Redlineman]

Howdy;

I'm never one to dissuade anyone from a project, but I agree with Mike. I would weld or braze the bracket and get it going again. That will likely be satisfactory, but it will also give you time to shop for a replacement. I've seen them come up on ebay before, so just be patient. They are different than the Logan 200 versions, by the way.

I also assumed the countershaft bearing holders were to fine tune shaft alignment and flat belt retention. I would imagine they found that wasn't really a problem in reality, as the later part is a solid unit with no adjustment. Far simpler and cheaper to produce, I'm sure. Definitely easier to install! These bearing holders are pretty fussy for adjustment. I was surprised that it took such a deft touch to get them working properly. Tension on the adjuster bolts has to be pretty light or it all binds up.

 

[rickw55]

I repaired my broken Logan 200 countershaft bracket by silver-soldering it back together. It was a clean break; I did it by tightening the adjusting screw too tight.
It is holding well, and if all the pieces are there on yours, I'd recommend that you consider repairing yours the same way.
Rick W

 

[lcorley]

Thanks for the input.
It's quite possible I'm overthinking this. after all, I'm a retired engineer.
I shied away from welding the bracket, because of all the horror stories about welding cast iron.
But brazing or silver soldering I hadn't considered.

Leon

 

[MBfrontier]

Hey, Leon.

You're right. Cast iron is difficult to TIG weld unless you can find someone locally that has experience. FWIW, here is some info from Jodi of Welding Tips and Tricks on how he tackles welding cast iron. I have limited experience pre-heating steel spindles before DC TIG welding and letting the weld slowly cool to avoid cracking and it looks like the process Jodi uses for cast iron is similar but on AC with a different filler. I've also used my BBQ grill for pre-heating the metal which has the added benefit of making your finished part smell like hamburgers. Just kidding. Here's the link:

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/welding-cast-iron.html

Also, it looks like you are getting some good suggestions from other posters that have had good results with silver solder. Good luck with whatever route you decide to go. I'll be interested in watching this thread to see how you make out.

Mike B.

 

[Mister Ed]

OK, not lathe related but old cast iron related. My real hobby is rebuilding old farm windmills. I have recreated portions of broken CI parts, as in a piece was broke off and completely missing. Other times, just brazing two broken pieces parts back together.