Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) KDP kilt with Tab

[LandShark]

Finally got around to tabbing the KDP today. A rather straight forward procedure with no surprises. The pin was out about 1/8" and was set flush with a tap with a BFH. I made a tab out of some 1/16" sheet metal. All the other bolts under the cover were tight, but the bolt used to hold the tab was barely snug when I took it out.



I guess I spent a better part of the day doing this; including trips to the hardware store, another trip to the post office, and another trip to take a neighbor a spare set of keys for her mini van because she locked her two small kids in it with the engine running. At least she left the AC on. It was 95 degrees here today!

 

[grtescpa]

Originally posted by LandShark

Finally got around to tabbing the KDP today. A rather straight forward procedure with no surprises. The pin was out about 1/8" and was set flush with a tap with a BFH. I made a tab out of some 1/16" sheet metal. All the other bolts under the cover were tight, but the bolt used to hold the tab was barely snug when I took it out.



I guess I spent a better part of the day doing this; including trips to the hardware store, another trip to the post office, and another trip to take a neighbor a spare set of keys for her mini van because she locked her two small kids in it with the engine running. At least she left the AC on. It was 95 degrees here today!

Hope 1/16 sheet metal is strong enough. I used 1/8 band iron. I read that the pin can work its way out with considerable force.

Bill

 

[illflem]

I had the same thought. I reported here about a email I received from a person who made a tab out of a sawzall blade. A couple months later he removed his cover to find the pin had worked it's way back out 1/4" cracking the tab right next to the bolt head. Judging by how hard some pins are to pound back in either they were never in all the way or come out very slowly with great force. I think a few folks may have gone with thin tabs in order to not replace the bolt with a longer one, probably not a good move.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Let's think about what's being said here and look at it a little more closely. The pin is not being pushed out by internal pressure like a bottle jack, it vibrates out because of the diesel vibrations. With a very hard metal like an old saw blade, the end of the pin touching the metal that is almost as hard as glass vibrates and transfers energy causing a stress crack where it's bolted down. With a softer metal like a fender washer or similar, I doubt very much that the pin will slowly bend the metal out and eventually fall into the gears. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this as time passes and people with tabs eventually open their gearcases down the road. I'm betting (hoping?) the softer tabs will be OK.

 

[LandShark]

Ron: I also was wondering about the 'great force' illflem mentioned, pushing out the KPD's. I just can't imagine the KPD pushing out the tab with a force that would break or bend 1/16" mild steel sheet metal.



On the other hand; using a sawzall blade for this fix is just plane wrong! Anyone who has ever used a sawzall or jig saw blade knows how brittle they are. I wouldn't be suprised that you could crack one in this application just by tightning in down, if it didn't fit perfectly.