Patent ID: 7832936

Claim:
A method for delashing a shaft in a shaft assembly, comprising the steps of: providing a housing having a bore extending therethrough for receiving a shaft therein, the bore including a shoulder extending into the bore and a bore constriction extending from the shoulder to an exterior surface of the housing; providing a bushing on an end of the shaft such that at least a portion of the bushing is spaced apart from the shoulder to define a cavity therebetween when the shaft is positioned within the bore; providing a solid plug insertable into the bore constriction, the plug having a base portion and a plurality of arcuate-shaped channels disposed longitudinally along an exterior of the base portion and spaced apart from one another; positioning the plug in the bore constriction so as to abut the bushing and so as to be in fluid communication with the cavity when the plug is not melted; applying an axial compressive load to the plug, whereby the axial compressive load is transferred to the shaft via the plug and the bushing abutting the plug; and melting a material of the plug in the bore constriction after the plug is positioned in the bore constriction such that the melted material flows along the channels formed in the plug and into the cavity to substantially fill a space between the shoulder and the bushing to engage the bushing and the shoulder for maintaining an axial compressive load on the shaft.