RustX7

Page 63 of the Haynes 62-63 of the Haynes - "Seat the key in the keyway of the eccentric shaft."

1) Now, I'm PRETTY sure that I have that key. It's a little piece of metal that's like a rectangle, but round on one side?

2) If this piece is indeed the key they're talking about, then mine is, well, not perfect. It has a couple of very very slight gouges on it from sitting around the garage for a year. Whether it's the gouges or just the design itself, I think I'd have to force it to sit right in the keyway. How hard is it to get the key to sit in the keyway? Should it just slide in or is it normal to have to tap it in place with a small hammer or something? Should I find a new key or deal with mine?

The very last thing I want to do is damage my eccentric shaft.

Kenteth

? I thought the keyway was a grove on the eshaft so which the flywheel can't just sit and spin, its "locked" into place...
EDIT:

You can see it in this pict

WAYNE88N/A

It should be able to be put in place without tools (like hammers)...That being said, if there are small burrs or nicks on the key, sand them down a little until it will go in. The fun part is keeping it in place while you're trying to shove the 20 pound flywheel on to it exactly lined up...

RustX7

Kenteth, that groove is the keyway on the flywheel. What goes through that groove is a key - a little piece of metal that slips into a similar groove on the eccentric shaft.

So, Wayne.. you're saying that the key should be smooth enough to basically slide around in that groove?

WAYNE88N/A

It won't really "slide" unless it's pushed (like when you shove the flywheel on & hit it). It shouldn't be loose enough to move side-to-side or anything like that, but once it's in you will be able to move it fore & aft with a little finger pressure. If you can't get it in, sand the burrs off until she slips in without a hammer & punch. Remember, once the flywheel's back on, there's nowhere it can go...

Kenteth

ahhh.. i thought the key was molded to the eshaft, my bad!

Mobius

the key should slip in pretty tight but not so much that you'd have to hammer it in with a punch. It is suppose to be a snug fit.

If you have gouges, just get a new one. While you *could* if absolutely necessary sand it down....

Why?

Waynes' ultra crafty so he's definately not off base.

But, it may be a safer route to just go with a new one.

Cheap to buy and cheap to ship.

I think its part number is: 11-7050-0820


http://www.mazdatrix.com/getprice.as...m=11-7050-0820


http://www.mazdatrix.com/B5.HTM


For less than 10 bucks I say **** it. Get loco and go new.

RustX7

I just did the sand down technique ten minutes ago... it fit in there OK. It seemed to be fully seated and the flywheel fit on OK. It definitely wasn't sliding around though, and I don't think I'll want to be around when that key needs to come out, but even then I bet a little prying with a screwdriver would do it.

Anyway I'm assuming that it will serve its function in there.

Watch, now some other well known guru will come on and be all like "You did what?! Stupid!!! Now you need another new engine!!!"

Mobius

it'll probably be just fine.

But in my opinion for cheap parts like that, I go new.

The key keeps the flywheel from spinning freely around the eccentric shaft. It's very unlikely that your key could detonate from stress fractures that the gouges you describe might have been an indication of, but stranger things have happened.

That's why for my own piece of mind I really try not to reuse questionable parts like that. Especially when they're like 3 bucks.

WAYNE88N/A

You'll be all right man, quit worrying about it, if it fit in fairly tight, there's no where it can go. Hell I ground the crap out of my oil pump drive gear key (little thang on the oil pump shaft), because the damn thing had burrs all over it and wouldn't let the drive gear go over it without knocking it out of the keyway. As long as you have no "rotational" play with the key installed, you'll be fine...