Broken input shaft on 901

[Scott Clarke]

I pulled the motor and gearbox on my '70E today, as I had not been able to engage first gear. I pulled the end of the case off the gearbox to see the castelated nut that secures the fixed first gear on the end of the input shaft floating around with the end of the broken input shaft still held in place by the roll pin. The shaft broke right at the face of the castelated nut. This seems odd. I can understant the shaft breaking behind the fixed first gear, but why where it did? It dosn't seem like it would be under any torsional stress at this location. Anybody have a 5 speed 901 input shaft that they would like to part with?

[TimT]

its not that unusual, sounds like some people have been abusing first gear... it is the weak link in the 901 box

Sounds like symptoms of 30 years of first gear abuse.