cleaning up a keyway

[Ellen Lancaster]

we are trying to clean up a keyway in a Fairbanks Morse light plant. We can do the shaft well enough on a small drill press/milling machine combo, but the one in the flywheel has a fair sized zow in it and is presenting more of a problem.

Any hints would be greatly appreciated.

FYI, I'm new to antique engines (mine is a Stover), but have a little more machine shop experience.

thanks!
Ellen

[Elden DuRand]

Ellen:

What I would consider doing with the flywheel would be to thoroughly clean the old boogered-up keyway then coat a new key (that fits the shaft nicely) with release agent and press it into the clean keyway which has been filled with iron filled epoxy.

Wipe off the excess then walk away from it for a day or so.

Remove and clean up the key then take a file or scraping tool and remove any excess epoxy.

If the keyway is in really bad shape, you might want to consider coating the key -and- the shaft, insert the key in the keyway of the shaft then, with the epoxy in the old flywheel keyway, install the flywheel and clamp it down.

Then, it would be up to you whether or not you remove the flywheel after the epoxy has cured and clean up the excess or just forget about it.

At least, that's what this jackleg would do.

Take care - Elden
http://www.oldengine.org/members/durand/

[jht1057]

Ellen,

Is it possible for you to use a broach to clean up the flywheel keyway and then machine another key to fit the cleaned up flywheel cut and the shaft?

[Jim Tremble]

Originally Posted by Ellen Lancaster

we are trying to clean up a keyway in a Fairbanks Morse light plant.
Ellen

For Pete's sakes, Ellen. You are a club member so just bring it to the shop and we will fix it for you. Not a big deal.

Jim

[Ellen Lancaster]

thanks for the offer, Jim! I'll remember that - but it kinda takes the fun out of it if I can't get greasy! May need to take you up on it, haven't talked to Jim to see how he was doing on it.