A Little later
A Little later
Brian thanks for doing my line drawing for me for our new Logo. I owe you one. Here's a peek. Once again thank you!!! Let me know how you want your more flexes configured. Are you still going you use two sets??? I don't think its needed, but I love it, and think it would be even better in the long run.
You're welcome, John. That was not much work and not near enough to pay for two flex-joints. Let's wait awhile till you get deeper into the trailer thingy, and we'll be approaching tit-4-tat.
Be pondering this thought. I'd really like the front part only (that bolts on the pinion) to be steel, since it maintains the preload on the bearings and it gets hammered pretty hard by the drive key. The combustion impulses are transmitted right through that cog-belt and upper pulley, and all that force is hammering on the drive side of that little square key. I don't think aluminum is a good choice to carry 80 hodersepower especially since only half the area of one face of the key is bearing on the inside wall of the keyway you cut into the part, and for less than half its length. Only 0.11 sq. in. !!
I would only be comfortable with aluminum on that front piece, if you had a couple a hundred hours on yours with it being removed at 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200 hours, and inspected/photographed with a 10x glass to see if there's any evidence that 0.11 sq. in. area is/is not adequate for the load.
Aluminum is fine for the other half of the flex joint. It doesn't get "jack-hammered."
So my final configuration will be...(1) One steel pinion output flange 4140 CrMo, Mcmaster has it in 3" dia. x 1 1/2" length for about $15. (2) Three aluminum female drive flanges done your usual way. All holes for 1/4" bolts need to be a few thou' undersize so I can "gang ream" the hole for alignment. Then I will oil the bolt shanks and press them in with a slight interference fit. I'll have to look but the two bolt holes in each of those three flanges, where the bolts go through the aluminum tube MAY need to be "clocked" a certain way so the moments of inertia have a dampening effect. I'll send you an accurate drawing before we get to that point. I already have one Morflex 302 with a hole in the center (picture below), so I'll only need one more. I do not need any hardware.
Gimme some "seeds" to plant on your trailer so I can be developing ideas.