Woodruff Key Suppliers

[AussieSteve]

This comes up quite a bit - people looking for replacement woodruff keys for HT engines.
More often than not they make their own or re-work slightly larger ones.

For those that prefer to buy off-the-shelf:-

In the US, woodruff keys can be had from GasBike.net, for $3 each, here, (mid-page, RHS).

In Australia, ZBox have them, $3 each plus $6 postage. (They're not on the 'Spares' page, you need to email Steve for availability, then place the order on the site.)

 

[Alaskavan]

Our local NAPA store carries woodruff keys, but that may just be a rural thing.

 

[GearNut]

I can get woodruff keys at Home Depot, Lowes and Ace Hardware.
None of them are the correct size for these little engines. The stores mentioned do not seem to sell the keys is metric sizes, they are all listed as fractions of an inch in the little organizer bins.

 

[AussieSteve]

Van, are they a nice fit? If so, you're lucky, from what I've read.

As you say, GearNut, the readily available ones don't usually fit without some filing.
I did an MBc search earlier, but only found vague descriptions of dimensions - 1/8", 3/16", 2mm x 10mm. Most guys were fabricating them to fit, not to measurements, it seems.

I measured one that I have here earlier - 2.4mm x 8.9mm x 3.6mm. Mind you, the sharp ends are slightly rounded, so the actual length would be a little longer, point to point.

Hence the thread. I'm sure it'll help someone. (Personally, I hate messing around making things if I can buy them easily and cheaply. I've got enough to do as it is.)

 

[GearNut]

(Personally, I hate messing around making things if I can buy them easily and cheaply. I've got enough to do as it is.)

I'll second that notion!

 

[Fabian]

Where do you go to buy offset woodruff keys for these Chinese engines.
I want to experiment with changing the ignition timing, with known degrees of indexing using offset woodruff keys.

Fabian

 

[AussieSteve]

Fabian, I just did a quick MBc search for 'offset key'.
Didn't find a source except that apparently some karting sites have them. Possibly pocket-bike sites too. The problem is getting the right size. For offset keys, you're probably best off making them by hand.