Sunny side up? Circlip sharp side vs smooth(er) side

[wjb]

Seems to me that a properly designed transmission is one that you can install a circlip in either orientation and be confident that it will hold it's place without fearing that gears are going to jump out and crash into each other. If Robinson's fix is to cut deeper grooves in the trans shaft with a corresponding sized circlip, well that shows a poor original design, to me anyway.

 

[Martin-Brighton-uk]

Yeah, backcut dogs or not aside, the circlip conundrum is resolved by Robinson by putting in deeper ones.

 

[Tripps]

I don't think they bevel or chamfer them, I think it's just the result of metallurgy and how a punch and die work. ( As a teenager, worked at Pivot Punch and Die)

 

[Martin-Brighton-uk]

I've annotated the circlip photos to show what I mean. The bevels on the inner and outer radiuses are on opposite sides. I have installed mine following the outer radius beveled edge as the one indicated in the manual. So the outer bevel faces the item pushing on it, which does mean that the inner bevel is towards the side of the groove that has been cut in the shaft that would have the force on it. That follows what wikipedia (that couldn't be wrong surely) information on external circlip orientation. This shows that the radiused arc should be away from the force on the inside radius, so it sits nicely in the groove.

 

[Martin-Brighton-uk]

I don't think they bevel or chamfer them, I think it's just the result of metallurgy and how a punch and die work. ( As a teenager, worked at Pivot Punch and Die)

Yeah, I don't think they work them after punching them out. But the way they are punched out, there must be opposing dies, as the inner and outer radiuses have the 'smooth side' on different faces. So like one centre die one direction and an outer die in another direction, coming together on a sheet, could that result in what I see. Anyways, confirmed the old circlips are of exactly the same smooth inner / smooth outer on the other side and the orientation of them previously. New ones going on in the same way. Phew..

 

[Kevin frazier]

from what ive gathered, race teams have conqured the problem of circlips coming loose with spiralux circlips? Dont know if thats spelled right or not and have never heard of them. Jay at murdoch racing enterprises in florida has worked with Bill at robinsons for 30 years he said on different things over the years. Said Bill at robinsons is a good man, explained theyve been running them for years on drag teams bikes and no failures of clips, small world

 

[Martin-Brighton-uk]

These are the ones. Spirolox® Retaining Rings
They look impressive. If Robinson mill the groove deeper and use too, that means it's pretty solid. The logistics of international shipping and cost of it make me reluctant but I'm debating. While the shafts look good again now with damaged dogs replaced out, the deeper circlip thing has me very tempted.

 

[leatal]

I've annotated the circlip photos to show what I mean. The bevels on the inner and outer radiuses are on opposite sides. I have installed mine following the outer radius beveled edge as the one indicated in the manual. So the outer bevel faces the item pushing on it, which does mean that the inner bevel is towards the side of the groove that has been cut in the shaft that would have the force on it. That follows what wikipedia (that couldn't be wrong surely) information on external circlip orientation. This shows that the radiused arc should be away from the force on the inside radius, so it sits nicely in the groove.

That diagram makes no sense to me. A shallow cut groove like our transmission would surely pop the circlip out with a little force and circlip flexing.

 

[TURBO200R4]

Some of the time they replace a snap ring that is failing with one of these spiral rings. certain transmissions get these.
it still has to b the correct one for the installation u r doing.

 

[Gerald]

Some of the time they replace a snap ring that is failing with one of these spiral rings. certain transmissions get these.
it still has to b the correct one for the installation u r doing.

Chevrolet and TRW were using Spirolx for piston pin retainers on full floating pistons in hi-po engines in the 60's on. 396 and 427 engines forged pistons.