I ground an old roller bearing and it worked just fine as a plunger.

Randy

Got a magnet? Eyes aren't what they used to be. Steve (CTR)

Thanks Steve.  I may try that next.  Now, I am putting on the third gear and I cannot locate the plunger????  MAybe it shot out across the garage on disasssembly.  My eagle-eyed daughter found the spring.  I'm going to try to make a plunger with an old roller bearing.  I have Vernier calipers.  I figure I will grind one end down small diameter then cut the bearing in half.  I don't know why it wouldn't work.  Otherwise I will have to wait one week when I order one.  Has anybody out there made one of these?

Can be a PIA, I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one who takes a main shaft all the way down and build back up. I'll do my best to put this in words. I have several Dollar Store paring knives the really cheap ones with a plastic handle and the blade is thin and flat on one side and beveled on the other. I bend the tip just a little. Grab the shaft in vise with soft jaws place gear with bearings then the spring and detents. Lower the splined ring in place. Hook the tip to compress one detent in pushing down so the ring tips a bit and captures that detent. Keep pressure on that side and with the tip compress the other detent keeping pressure on the ring when it clears, the ring will fall in place and you will feel better. I do a lot of them and once in awhile one will be a real bear and I walk away and come back. Steve (CTR) 

OK,, I got it.  Only took two and a half hours.  Now for the third gear.

Hi, I'm having a HELL of a time installing second gear onto the mainshaft of my 3 synchro box.  I got the gear on ok with the 26 needle bearings and the little plunger.  Now, I can't get the two dogs depressed to slip the lock ring over.  I have used two small screwdrivers that were ground and filed at thin as possible and two ice picks.  The latter slip off repeatedly.  I'm thinking of cutting one coil off of the spring to make it so it doesn't have to compress as much.  On the three synchro, there is no hole in the synchro ring to push an ice pick through.  Any ideas?  How have others accomplished this task.  This is getting old after two hours of trying and I'm getting ready to hit my beer frig.  Thanks in advance and I will try anything at this point.

Randy in Wisconsin

1968 Morris Cooper S