TR6 Shaft and Hub Repair

By Ken Gillanders

Several months ago, my son’s TR6 developed a very loose front crankshaft hub. When we removed the worn part, it was discovered that the nose of the crankshaft was worn undersize, apparently by the action of the hub working back and forth on it.

Replacing the badly worn woodruff key slot in the hub was no great problem. We simply had it welded up, and then reshaped it with a grinder and finally a file. However, the worn surface on the nose of the crankshaft was another matter. I had heard tell of a new Loctite product specifically developed to cure this problem, and a visit to their distributor revealed that a new product had indeed been created. Loctite Quick Metal has applications limited only by your imagination.

After cleaning both surfaces with lacquer thinner, a thin coat of Quick Metal was put on the nose of the crankshaft and the inner surface of the hub. After curing for about an hour, it has twice the strength of a press fit!

Later on, we discovered another car (an early TR3) with a very loose inner wheel bearing race. The hub was worn and would no longer hold a race at all. We again used the Loctite product and had a durable and permanent repair.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that this stuff is not cheap! However, it will last for many uses, and a large number of different applications where shaft or hub wear has become a source of concern. Most of us with elderly English cars have become accustomed to bolts, nuts and other various parts falling off, and this new product from Loctite joins their other proven items such as Nut Lock and Stud Lock in being valuable aids for the Triumph owner.