WTB: Nylon window clutch gears

[TravL350]

I know these are hard to come by, and those who have spares are probably saving them for their own coupes! Just wondering if anyone either has some they can part with or knows where to get them. I am borrowing Jesus' photo here, I hope thats ok:

Thanks in advance,

Travis

 

[Stevehose]

Never seen the gear available separate from the box. It would be amazing if they could be reproduced for existing boxes. Hint hint

 

[TravL350]

That's kinda what I thought and also what I am working towards. I found this site: http://gearsmade.com/ which looks extremely promising, but probably also pretty expensive. I will let everyone know what I find out. I don't have one out of the car to send to him right now, but I plan to pull the rears out of my car this weekend.
It would be very cheap and easy to 3D print the plastic part out of Nylon 12, but I am not sure yet how to join the plastic to the splined metal part. Also, it would have to be SLS which is pourous, so I don't know how that would behave over time in the grease bath (maybe fine). I read through the previous thread about the idea of making these from a few years back and seems like there wasn't much of a conclusion. If anyone has ideas about how to join new plastic to the metal part, let me know your thoughts.
-Travis

 

[Stevehose]

A couple years ago I sent a gearbox to someone who was looking to reproduce them but I never heard anything after I did.

 

[TravL350]

I just got a quote from ProtoLabs on the plastic parts printed in Nylon. Would be less than $50 each, but still not sure how useful that is without a way to join to the metal hub.

 

[rsporsche]

so here is a question - can this gear be removed easily? once the box is opened.

 

[Markos]

I just got a quote from ProtoLabs on the plastic parts printed in Nylon. Would be less than $50 each, but still not sure how useful that is without a way to join to the metal hub.

Go for it! They have should be about $10 to print in Nylon.

 

[adawil2002]

Have talked to the guys at odometer gears about reproducing them, tooling for a run is cost prohibitive for the level of demand.

I have a partially stripped nylon gear to donate to anyone who wants to try to scan and 3D print.

 

[TravL350]

so here is a question - can this gear be removed easily? once the box is opened.

I believe it can be, though I have not done it myself. It is pressed on to the splined hub that mates it to the smaller steel gear outside the box.
Once I get mine taken apart to take accurate measurements I will get a few prototype parts made to try out.

 

[adawil2002]

so here is a question - can this gear be removed easily? once the box is opened.

Yes, it is press fit on a splined shaft. It can be easily removed by placing the small gear on the back of the case over an opened bench vice. Then using a nail set and hammer to press the splined shaft out releasing the nylon gear.

To reinstall, use the vice as a press to push the splined shaft and gear back together, use a short copper or PVC pipe to ensure it's pressed in and engages correctly.

 

[TravL350]

Have talked to the guys at odometer gears about reproducing them, tooling for a run is cost prohibitive for the level of demand.

I have a partially stripped nylon gear to donate to anyone who wants to try to scan and 3D print.

Hi Andrew - I got the gear out of the transmission, only to find it is in perfectly good shape. I was planning to cannibalize it to measure the inner metal part that the nylon / delrin gear is molded over, but it seems silly to waste a good part. You mentioned having a stripped one, would you be willing to drop that in the mail to me sometime?

Thanks,
Travis

 

[adawil2002]

Sure thing Travis.