GEBE Gear Cover
Larymor, I agree. If the GEBE gear cover fails, it should be covered under a warranty, and am surprised they charge mail costs.
Am sure Cat was able to order parts in volume. I did not mean to imply that we are naive on parts costs, but GEBE seems a small enterprise in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State and Olds country, so maybe they can order low volume cheap, but I have a hunch at this point they have some local injection company turning out a few hundred at a time. It is just a feeling I get when talking to them. Small business, getting bigger etc. But, you have a point.
Roy C. has grooves inside his cover, from the vibrations and tightening. If so, all the more reason to maybe reinforce inside with epoxy and glass or epoxy two covers together.
For what it is worth: The point where the cover is held down with the wing nut is definite weak spot. That soft plastic will eventually wear away or crack with the vibrations etc, obviously.
As I noted in earlier comments, I used Pliobond to fasten two stainless steel washers to inside and outside of cover to retard this wear, right off the bat. I later used a lock washer on the top.
I also replaced the idle wheel lever black knob with an acorn nut and cut a scrap piece of golf shaft to use a "finish" cover over shaft between acorn nut and base of the idle wheel lever.
I also filed off every part of cover that touched metal, even when slightly twisted. I believe the cover must be trimmed on all cases except one.
What I did seemed to eliminate the vibrations until I lost one washer ...
In spring I plan to epoxy the washers to the cover and epoxy glass cloth inside to stiffen. Cloth is available at most Mills Fleet Farms etc auto type stores.Epoxy is better than poly glass as it is more flexible and stronger/thicker. You can also use a epoxy paste to hang glass. It is the kind used by fishing rod makers to fasten cork grips and reels seats to rod blanks. Costs more, but maybe easier to use on the cover, but not sure.
Will pass on to GEBE.
