# Taper lock on a straight shaft



## kittydog42 (Sep 18, 2007)

If you design it that way, you are going to need a thick spacer to hide the coupler that connects your crankshaft end to your motor shaft. You should just have a new coupler made up with the pilot bearing and everything already in it, it will probably be easier. You don't really need to design it with a taper lock hub since if you have it seat against the motor bearing at the back of the coupler, and the throwout bearing at the front of the clutch pressure plate. The setscrews work fine there since the assembly can't move either forward or backward, so there isn't any stress that way. 

It is when you are setting the coupler at a random spot on the shaft that it is advised to use a taper lock. If you used setscrews there, depressing the clutch could cause the assembly to move.


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## booksix (Aug 26, 2008)

Thanks, that make sense. In that case I'll keep it simple and go with set screws.

As for the coupler, I'm not sure I follow you. First off, the crank is from a 5.0 liter V8 so it's pretty big. I planned on hacking the back off and machining the center out to fit right over the motor shaft. So there shouldn't be a coupler to connect the two, but now thinking of it, I would need to space this piece off the back of the motor to space the flywheel off the motor enough...


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## judebert (Apr 16, 2008)

My adapter came with a taperlock coupler. There are some low-resolution pictures there that might help you out. The ADC 9" has a keyed shaft, which keeps the coupler from rotating. The taper makes it squeeze... like the dickens. 

I'm having no problem with it.


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## booksix (Aug 26, 2008)

Ok, I think I get it:

The adapter that goes on the motor shaft is keyed and is a straight cut (no taper on the ID). It has a slot cut in it and the OD is tapered so when the 2nd adapter pulls over it, the slot that was cut closes and clamps the inner adapter to the motor shaft....?

Now I see how making it from scratch would be better. Is there a standard taper rate I should have the machinist use?


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## alt35000 (Sep 2, 2008)

Global Spec has many great taper locks for electric motor shafts. Registration takes a few minutes and then you can search by shaft diameter. There's nothing nicer than a well made connection thats easy to remove and much more solid than a keyway. The cost for a WarP 9 bearing is about $50. You will need to make the flywheel adaptor that will also screw into the bearing. When mine is finally running, I'll publish drawings for a '95 BMW 318i adaptor. There aren't any out there without paying a fortune. Mine will be free.


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## kittydog42 (Sep 18, 2007)

It is true that a taper lock coupler will not go anywhere once set, but the fact of the matter is, neither will a keyway/setscrew design (if done properly), since there is nowhere for the coupler to go. The coupler is bound at the front and the rear so it wouldn't move even if you left the serscrews out. The keyway is the prime power transmission medium in this case.

If you design the coupler improperly (with the coupler set by depth and not bound on both sides), and use setscrews, then there is a real chance of issues with the coupler slipping.


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