Muncie 1310 slip yoke repair

[Gary R.]

I have talked about spray welding slip yokes over the years and have the yoke out of my 69's Muncie in hand now so I figured I take a couple of pictures. This yoke was bad when I first rebuilt this Muncie back in 1982. At the time we used to have a lot of Bridgeport mill motor shafts repaired by spray welding so I took it over to the shop for them to check. I swapped a couple of new carbide tool bits in exchange for having the yoke spray welded and turned back to size. I put about 20-25k miles on it between '82 and '04 then put the car up for a body off. I used this yoke to test fit a new tail bushing on a Muncie I'm rebuilding now. Fits great and has little wear on it. The business, shop, spray welder, and the guy who knew how to do it are all gone now but the yoke lives on.

[Timothy B.]

Re: Muncie 1310 slip yoke repair

Gary,

We saved a gradall center pin using the spray weld method, worked great and never had any problems, also saved $$$$.

Where are you going to be located next week at Carlisle.

[Joe L.]

Re: Muncie 1310 slip yoke repair

I have talked about spray welding slip yokes over the years and have the yoke out of my 69's Muncie in hand now so I figured I take a couple of pictures. This yoke was bad when I first rebuilt this Muncie back in 1982. At the time we used to have a lot of Bridgeport mill motor shafts repaired by spray welding so I took it over to the shop for them to check. I swapped a couple of new carbide tool bits in exchange for having the yoke spray welded and turned back to size. I put about 20-25k miles on it between '82 and '04 then put the car up for a body off. I used this yoke to test fit a new tail bushing on a Muncie I'm rebuilding now. Fits great and has little wear on it. The business, shop, spray welder, and the guy who knew how to do it are all gone now but the yoke lives on.

Gary------


This type of wear can also be corrected by hard chroming and subsequent machining. This results in a part that is actually better than original as the hard chromed surface is basically "immortal". However, it's expensive.

I absolutely do not recommend the more popular method of repairing these yokes which is to machine down the worn surface and install a sleeve. This significantly weakens the yoke and, in my opinion, is completely unsatisfactory.

[Gary R.]

Re: Muncie 1310 slip yoke repair

Joe...... Chrome would work but as you mentioned is cost prohibitive. Bridgeport offered chrome ways as on option on their machines and it lasted a very long time compared to the std iron scrapped ways. I haven't seen a spray welder around here in years, with all the machine shops and factories closing in the NE it has become obsolete these days. Most small electric motors are throw aways now and all made out of the USA. Global economy = less USA manufacturing. I haven't seen any sleeved yoke repairs, are they just turned a pressed on or some type of spline to lock them? I also haven't seen any of the new yokes, I believe they are also imported but don't know for sure.

[Joe L.]

Re: Muncie 1310 slip yoke repair

Joe...... Chrome would work but as you mentioned is cost prohibitive. Bridgeport offered chrome ways as on option on their machines and it lasted a very long time compared to the std iron scrapped ways. I haven't seen a spray welder around here in years, with all the machine shops and factories closing in the NE it has become obsolete these days. Most small electric motors are throw aways now and all made out of the USA. Global economy = less USA manufacturing. I haven't seen any sleeved yoke repairs, are they just turned a pressed on or some type of spline to lock them? I also haven't seen any of the new yokes, I believe they are also imported but don't know for sure.

Gary------

The "rebuilt" yokes I was referring to have about the end 1-1/2-2" machined down by about 3/32- 1/8" in depth. Then, a sleeve is pressed on and, possibly, machined down to the stock OD of the yoke shaft (assuming it was not the correct OD to begin with). No locking feature I know of is used. The sleeve does restore the wear surface and makes that as-new. However, the machining down of the yoke shaft significantly reduces its strength and that is definitely NOT restored by the sleeve.

I also believe the reproduction yokes are imported. How good they are, I do not know.

[Gary R.]

Re: Muncie 1310 slip yoke repair

Hi Tim..................
Sorry to get back to you late. I will be in the same spots as usual for me, behind Al Knock= L116-117. Building R on Friday around 1:00. I think my old boss now has the spray weld setup, it was hooked up to a south bend lathe. I will have to call him and see.