Hey everyone! 

I've searched high and low, can't find an answer... 

My L52 transmission started making a clunk in everything but 4th gear.  It made it home, pulled it out, cleaned it up a bit then pulled the shifter cover before I brought it in, about 4 teeth gone from the input shaft. 

Needed a new input shaft of course, and what the owner of a local transmission shop called cluster gear set or the counter shaft I see everywhere else...

I ordered a hd bearing cover plate from Marlin, planned on dropping that off for him to use on the rebuild.  He called that it was ready to pick up before the part arrived.  I picked it up on the 8th and the part showed up on the 9th, grrr...  no problem

Pulled the tail housing off to see what was involved in swapping out the bearing cover plate and noticed the counter shaft they installed is shorter than the old one??  There's a pocket bearing in the housing that the end of the old shaft rode in, this one doesn't??  They replaced the bearing there, but since the shaft is shorter, it serves no purpose.

I'm hoping this is a design change maybe?  Less stress on the input bearing somehow?  I don't know, it seems like it would be stronger the other way, with the tail of the counter shaft supported by the bearing.  I definitely want to get the stronger bearing plate installed but think this shaft could be the wrong part, from an L50 or other?  The only thing I've found online was from the fine forum here (Thanks!)  back to 2004, nothing concrete just a similar question http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=5740.0

Itching to get it back on the road, but would rather have this ironed out before I put everything back together.  He gave me a 6 month warranty, been in business 12 years seems legit I just think they didn't know, notice, put in what the supply house sent maybe.  I wanted to take it back and have him put the plate on, now not sure what to do! 



Here's the new shaft installed


Old counter shaft


Extension housing



I should have just ordered an L52HD
Thanks for any help or input

Okay, good to hear...   both the manuals I have show the shaft with that extension into the housing.   Hoped this was a change for the better?
Thanks

Thanks for checking.  The 5th gear is there, this new counter shaft just stops after the threads, about an inch shorter.  I thought that might be a difference between the L50 and L52?  I think I read the only external difference was the weep hole on the input bearing retainer on the L50, not sure about the internal changes other than the input bearing itself.

I found some parts supply places online, a couple list parts for L45/L52.  Not sure what all interchanges?  Or if that bearing pocket was cast into the tail housing on an L50 or they did that for the L52.  I'll have to check on getting a good used one from Marlin.

Thanks again

Yeah, that looks identical.  Have you rebuilt this one or replaced that counter shaft?   Is there a bearing in the bottom of the tail housing on yours?  I want to think this is a design change, somehow less stress on the input bearing.  Appreciate the help!

Update:  Design Change

Got a call back from the shop that did the work.  He called his supply house and the manufacturer of the counter shaft, they both told him it was a design change.  He said something about the rear bearing supporting the load and the bearing on the end of the counter shaft wasn't needed.  Offered to put my old shaft back in if I wanted.

I'm hoping to get it in tomorrow or Friday for him to put that Marlin retainer on, a moving truck by Monday?  Fingers crossed... 

crazykooter is the man, your pics confirmed it!  If I'd could give you a turtle point, I'd pile them on.

Thanks!

Got about 200 miles on it now, everything together last weekend.  Everything bolted back together, fill the fluids, turn the key....   and click, dead battery ha ha.

Seemed a little notchy going into 2nd and 4th but it's getting better, must be breaking in...  I will dump the fluid and put a synthetic in at 500 miles.  I thought I read somewhere about putting GL4 in, not quite as slippery as GL5 and helped the synchros grab better.  I'll give that a try.

Thanks again!

Update:  At almost exactly 500 miles, Bang... clunk clunk clunk.

Last Friday, 11th I headed out the gate about a mile down the road.  There was a loud bang, radio on so I missed the bulk of it.  I pulled over expecting something hanging down or a visual, nothing.  I took off again and didn't hear it until about 35mph or 3rd gear. 

Pulled the tranny back out and took it into the guy that rebuilt it.  A clip in the rear let loose or broke and 5th gear moved around and broke, had a tooth missing.  He had it ready to pick up yesterday , got it bolted in today.  (Getting a lot faster at it!)

Seems strange its in the rear housing after my shorter shaft initial question here?  I didn't even ask him about it, he wasn't really thrilled to have to throw time and money into again.  He covered it all under warranty and said things like that happen...

Only about 10 miles on it now...  but once again, all seems good.  Time to burn some gas and try to break it I reckon.

did they overhaul your entire trans, or did they just repair any damage?