Triumph Repair: 1500 Spit OD tranny rebuild, input shaft, snap ring

Question
QUESTION: I am rebuilding a 1500 Spit OD gearbox. I have the OD unit removed, the input shaft out but am missing something when it comes to removing the main shaft. What am I missing? I don't see the split washer that should be behind 1st gear. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tim

ANSWER: Hi Tim,
I take it you are talking about the later model gearbox with the steel top cover? There is no split washer behind the 1st gear. (between the 1st gear and the rear bearing) Only a washer. As I remember there is a split washer further forward between the gears but you will only see it when you get the mainshaft out and start to disassemble the mainshaft. Be sure to lay everything out in it's respective order or bag each piece and label them because the manuals are sometimes not up to par. I take it you have not got the mainshaft out yet? You need to take the clip off of the shaft behind the rear bearing (between the rear bearing and the OD) then remove the rear bearing (sometimes not an easy job) that will allow you to remove the mainshaft with all the gears on it out the top. (as long as you have dropped the lay gear and reverse gear down.)

This is the same method used on many of the English gearboxes.
Howard

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rear bearing flange   QUESTION: Howard,

Here is a pic showing the flange behind the rear bearing (prevents it from moving away from the 1st gear any more).

Answer
There is suppose to be a groove in the shaft with a snap ring in it to hold a thinner spacer than that one. How is it secured to the shaft? Because of the machining marks on it I would expect that to be a part that was inside the gear box on the mainshaft separating the gears. There has to be something on the mainshaft to prevent the mainshaft from moving forward through that bearing and I have never seen a British box use any kind of press on sleeve to do that. My guess is that you should be able to pry that spacer away from the bearing and you should see a groove in the shaft where a snap ring was suppose to be and someone has been in this box before and has put things in the wrong place. Unless you have some kind of gearbox other than a late Triumph Spitfire.
Howard