Thanks Steve for your videos about Scott/Alaskan Tailwheel. They really helped me. I'd like to share an information that could help some of you saving time and money : if you encounter troubles in unlocking your tailwheel, it might be due to a normal wear on the faces of the pawl where it meets the compression springs. It's not easy to clearly identify this wear but the fact is that when theses two faces are too much worn, then the adjacent faces come in contact with the end of the groove of the steering arm preventing the compression spring to be enough compressed to allow the unlocking of the wheel and the freecastering. So to avoid replacing the pawl, I advise you to shorten the pawl by grinding someting like 1 mm at each tips where the pawl meets the end of the groove of the steering arm but DO NOT grind the faces that come in contact with the compression spring. That should give your pawl a second life.
Absolutely great video series here. I just wanted to add (for anyone who needs to do it like I did today) to remove the 'bronze bushing' in order to remove the pin to replace the 'lock spring' can (at least in my case) be a total BEAR. I used a socket that matched the diameter of the busing and pressed it in a vise towards the bottom of the fork. It took more pressure than I ever would've expected. Only push the bushing out enough to remove the pin. Reverse the operation and your good to go but whoa, nail biter!.
Thanks Steve for your videos about Scott/Alaskan Tailwheel. They really helped me.
I'd like to share an information that could help some of you saving time and money : if you encounter troubles in unlocking your tailwheel, it might be due to a normal wear on the faces of the pawl where it meets the compression springs.
It's not easy to clearly identify this wear but the fact is that when theses two faces are too much worn, then the adjacent faces come in contact with the end of the groove of the steering arm preventing the compression spring to be enough compressed to allow the unlocking of the wheel and the freecastering.
So to avoid replacing the pawl, I advise you to shorten the pawl by grinding someting like 1 mm at each tips where the pawl meets the end of the groove of the steering arm but DO NOT grind the faces that come in contact with the compression spring.
That should give your pawl a second life.
Absolutely great video series here. I just wanted to add (for anyone who needs to do it like I did today) to remove the 'bronze bushing' in order to remove the pin to replace the 'lock spring' can (at least in my case) be a total BEAR. I used a socket that matched the diameter of the busing and pressed it in a vise towards the bottom of the fork. It took more pressure than I ever would've expected. Only push the bushing out enough to remove the pin. Reverse the operation and your good to go but whoa, nail biter!.
Many thanks, great Video and technical information. This idea to lock/unlock the wheel is a pure mechanical marvel.
Thanks for the detailed info Steve! Big help in figuring out how this thing goes back together!
I know this is going to be helpful to me in the future. Thanks!