F Gear Coupling Sizes 1 - 9

Installation Guide
INTRODUCTION:

The following document is intended for the explicit use of Lovejoy

customers to aid in the installation of Lovejoy power transmission
products. The information may be considered privileged and should
only be disseminated as an active part of conducting business with
Lovejoy, Inc.

Although the coupling may have been properly specified during the
design and selection phase before the coupling was ordered,
operational conditions could possibly have changed prior to
installation. Lovejoy, Inc. provides the information and technical
support necessary to ensure the appropriate gear coupling selection
was made relative to the product specifications and limitations of
Lovejoy’s power transmission products. The end user is ultimately
responsible for verifying the suitability of the final coupling selection
F (flex-flex) FFR (flex-rigid)
based on the actual service conditions at the time of the coupling
installation. Figure 1

Correct installation and alignment practices will ensure longer

coupling life, trouble free operation, and a safer operating installed by the user. Safety equipment, coupling guards, and shields
environment for the coupling. Please thoroughly review all of the are not provided by, nor are they the responsibility of Lovejoy, Inc.
instructions in this document prior to installing this coupling and
placing it in operation. Proper safety guidelines and practices should Symbols and text format used in this document may contain safety
always be followed during every phase of installation and operation. information and will appear similar to the following:

This installation document is considered part of the purchased

product and should be retained for future reference. Warning! This symbol indicates safety measures which
must be observed to avoid personal injury.
SAFETY:

Accidents involving rotating equipment may result in loss of life, Caution! This symbol indicates safety measures which
serious bodily harm, or property damage. The purchaser of this must be observed to avoid damage to coupling.
equipment must assure that the equipment is properly assembled,
installed, safeguarded, operated, and maintained. This equipment
should never be operated at, or subjected to, conditions that exceed
manufacturer’s specifications.
PRODUCT INSPECTION:
Consult all applicable Federal, State and local laws and regulations
covering the safe operation and maintenance of equipment, Prior to installation, the coupling, components, and all hardware
including, without limitation, the USDOL-OSHA “Lockout / Tag-out” should be examined for damage that may have occurred as a result
procedure set forth in 29 CFR 1910.147. of shipping or handling. Refer to the chart below (Table 1) and the
exploded view on the following page (Figure 2) to ensure all the parts
Because of the possible danger to persons or property from as ordered are present.
accidents which may result from the improper use or unapproved
modifications of the product, this product must be installed, For maximum protection, the coupling and all components should be
maintained and operated in accordance with the procedures, stored in the original packaging. All parts should be measured prior
standards, and engineering specifications specified in the product to installation to ensure correctness of parts to meet the application
literature. To assure safe operation, this product should be inspected requirements; such as the hub bore diameter, shaft diameter, shaft
in accordance with the instructions described in this document. separation, bolt lengths, key sizes, etc. The BSE (shaft separation)
Proper guards and any suitable safety equipment or procedures as dimension should be measured from the end of one shaft to the end
may be necessary, or as may be specified in safety codes, should be of the other shaft, not to hub faces or pilots (see Tables 2 and 3).

Table 1 - Product Inspection (Component Quantities)

Size: >>> F1 F 1.5 F2 F 2.5 F3 F 3.5 F4 F 4.5 F5 F 5.5 F6 F7 F8 F9
Hubs 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Sleeves with O-Ring 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Quantities

Seal and Pipe Plug

Gasket 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Exposed Bolts and Lock 6 8 6 6 8 8 8 10 8 14 14 16 16 18

Nuts per Hub

Shrouded Bolts and Lock 6 8 10 10 12 12 14 14 14 16 - - - -

Nuts per Hub

Page 1 of 5
 Figure 2

PRODUCT INSPECTION (continued): must be clean and free of any foreign materials prior to attempting
assembly or installation. A clean cloth dampened with a
Note: Although F-Series gear couplings may be shipped with the hub nonflammable solvent should suffice for this cleaning.
inside the sleeve, the complete couplings are normally shipped
unassembled. The O-Ring seals are typically packaged with the All sleeves, seals, hub bores, shafts, keys, and keyways must be
accessory kit. checked for raised metal, nicks, burrs, dents, gouges, etc., and
should be dressed or repaired accordingly prior to installation.
Caution! Lovejoy manufactures couplings based on the shaft
details provided by the purchaser. Lovejoy will not be COUPLING INSTALLATION:
responsible for inaccurate or incomplete information
supplied by the purchaser. Lovejoy recommends that SLEEVE POSITIONING ( prior to hub installation):
customers re-check all shaft dimensions.
The sleeve will need to be slid onto the shaft with the O-ring installed
It is the responsibility of the purchaser to assure the
prior to installing the hub allowing adequate room to mount the hub.
interface connection (flanges, bolts, keys, hydraulic fits,
Care should be taken to support the sleeve and prevent accidental
etc.) between the coupling and connected equipment is
damage if the sleeve were to slip while placing it on the shaft. Once
capable of handling the anticipated loads.
the sleeve is on the shaft, allow room to install the hub. The sleeve
will need to be supported to prevent damaging the seal. The flange
face should be oriented toward the end of the shaft.
Warning! Before beginning the coupling installation, make sure HUB INSTALLATION:
the machinery is made safe. Disconnect and lock
out all power to the equipment. No part of the Caution! Hubs and Sleeves must be supported during installation
installation should be performed on moving or to avoid accidental damage should they slip.
unstable equipment.
1. Lovejoy supplies ‘inch’ dimensioned ‘F’ hub straight bores with
REQUIRED TOOLS: bore and keyway tolerances conforming to ANSI/AGMA 9002-B04
standards for interference fit unless otherwise specified.
ƒ Calipers
ƒ Calibrated Torque Wrench 2. Lovejoy supplies ‘metric’ dimensioned ‘F’ hub straight bores with
ƒ Sockets and appropriate open end wrenches bore and keyway tolerances conforming to the ISO 286-2 standards
ƒ Alignment Equipment for a P7 interference fit unless otherwise specified.
ƒ Oven or heating device for interference fit hubs
3. Straight Bore (Clearance Fit): Install the keys in the shaft. The
key(s) should have a snug side-to-side fit with a small clearance over
COUPLING AND COMPONENT PREPARATION: the top of the key. To maintain dynamic balance, the key(s) should fit
exactly lengthwise and should never be shorter than the length thru
It is necessary to clean the exposed surfaces of all the coupling bore, or LTB dimension of the hub (see Table-2). Align the key(s) in
components including the hubs, sleeves, spacers, and any the shaft, and then slide the hub onto the shaft. The key(s) should be
subassemblies. This is required to remove any protective coatings flush with the end of the shaft and face of the hub. The long end of
applied at the factory. All coupling parts and equipment components the hub should face the end of the shaft.

Lovejoy, Inc. [Link]

World Headquarters
2655 Wisconsin Avenue ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Downers Grove, IL 60515
630-852-0500 Revision Date: 26-May-2011
630-852-2120 Fax
info@[Link] Page 2 of 5
HUB INSTALLATION (continued): 6. Mount the hubs on the proper shafts and ensure the face of the
hub is even with the end of the shaft. The hub should be oriented
4. Straight Bore (Interference Fit): This is the default bore with the long end of the hub facing the end of the shaft unless this is
supplied by Lovejoy for gear coupling hubs. The installation is similar a “Slide – FSL” style coupling (Contact Lovejoy Technical Support
to Clearance Fit hubs except that these hubs need to be heated prior with questions). The key should be lined up with the end of the shaft
to installing the hub onto the shaft. It is important when installing a and face of the hub. Once mounted on the shaft, allow the hubs to
hub with an interference fit that some clearance exists over the top of cool completely before continuing.
the key. Otherwise, when the hub cools, the top of the hub keyway
will rest on the key and produce high stresses in the keyway that F GEAR COUPLING ALIGNMENT:
could cause the coupling to fail. Orient the hub with the long end of
the hub facing the end of the shaft. Align the keyway(s) and key in 1. Although the shafts may be accurately aligned at installation, they
the shaft, then slide the hub onto the shaft. The key(s) should be will need to be realigned after the coupling hubs have been mounted.
flush with the end of the shaft and face of the hub. Position the equipment in approximate alignment with the appropriate
and specified hub separation (BSE) dimension per Table-2 at the end
5. Heating Recommendations for Interference Fit Hubs: Expand of this document. Allowable angular and parallel misalignment
the hub using a uniform heat source described in the following steps. values are shown in Table-4. Methods for performing an industry
accepted coupling alignment will be covered in the next two steps.
Oil Bath Heating is usually limited to 350º F. (177º C), or less than
the flash point of the oil used. Special handling devices are required 2. Angular Alignment – Attach a dial indicator base to one of the
to support the hub in the oil bath such as tongs, threaded rods or hubs and position the indicator needle against the face of the other
eye-bolts placed in puller holes, etc. The hubs should not rest on the hub. Ensure the needle is placed on a clean smooth surface as close
bottom of the oil bath container at any time. to the outside diameter of the hub face as possible. Rotate the hub
360º and record indicator readings at four points, 90º apart. Adjust
Oven Heating offers some advantages over oil bath heating. Parts the equipment until all four readings are identical. The difference
can be heated to higher temperatures, usually not to exceed 600º F between the maximum and minimum measurements must not
(315º C). This is roughly the maximum temperature where the metal exceed the Installation Limits for “Angular Max” as found in
does not go though an annealing process and yet can still be handled Table-4. Relocate the indicator to the opposite hub and repeat this
with heat resistant gloves. When heating the hubs in an oven, place procedure.
them on a rack and do not rest the hubs on the oven surface.
3. Parallel Offset Alignment – Although laser alignment equipment
is available in the market today, it is not always readily available. For
that reason, the dial indicator method can be used for measuring and
Warning! If an oil bath is used, the couplings will need to be correcting parallel misalignment. Attach the dial indicator base to one
heated to approximately 350º F (177º C) or more, so of the hubs and set the dial indicator needle in contact with the
the oil must have a flash point above 350º F(177º C). outside diameter of the opposite hub. Rotate the hub that the
indicator needle is resting against 360º and record indicator readings
Induction Heating can be used as long as the temperature rise in at four points, 90º apart. Adjust the equipment until all four readings
the hub is uniform and controlled. are identical. The difference between the maximum and minimum
measurements must not exceed the Installation Limits for “Offset
Open Flame Heating is typically not recommended. When heating Max” as found in Table-4. Relocate the indicator to the opposite hub
the hub with an oxyacetylene torch, or blow torch, use an excess and repeat this procedure.
acetylene mixture. Mark the hub body at the top, center, and bottom
along the length of the hub with heat resistant crayons, one with a 4. Tighten all equipment mounting and foundation bolts; then repeat
350º F (177º C) melt temperature and another with a 450º F (232º C) steps 2 and 3 to ensure the coupling hubs are still in proper
melt temperature. The hub should be sitting elevated on refractory alignment. The BSE should not have changed and should match the
bricks oriented to allow the flame to flow through the hub. With a specified value for the coupling as purchased (see Table-2).
“Blue Flame” or “Rosebud” torch, direct the flame towards the hub
bore using constant motion to avoid overheating any single area. COUPLING ASSEMBLY:
Once the heat sensitive crayon marks melt, the hub should be ready
for mounting. 1. Per instructions earlier in this document, the sleeves should
already be mounted on the shafts with the O-rings in place prior to
mounting the hubs.
Warning! Do not use an open flame in a combustible
atmosphere or near combustible materials. 2. Hand apply an ample amount of coupling grease around the gear
teeth on one hub and the gear teeth inside the mating sleeve. Then
carefully slide the sleeve over the hub. Maintain careful support for
the sleeve to protect the O-Ring seal and ensure the sleeve does not
Warning! Use extreme care when handling heated hubs to impact against the hub causing damage. The gear teeth in the
avoid injury to personnel. sleeve should mesh with the gear teeth on the hub. Slide the sleeve
over the hub until the hub protrudes through the O-Ring seal. The
When installing coupling hubs, always consult with all teeth and seal should support the weight of the sleeve at this time.
applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations Repeat this process for the opposite hub and sleeve.
covering the safe operation and maintenance of
equipment. This includes, without limitation, the 3. Prior to sliding the sleeves together, remove the flange gasket
from the accessory kit and position the gasket between the two
USDOL-OSHA “Lockout/Tag-out” procedure set forth
flanges then slide two or more of the bolts from the accessory kit
in 29 CFR 1910.147. through the top bolt holes to hold the gasket in place.

Caution! The coupling sleeves must be slid onto the equipment Caution! Use care not to crimp or damage the gasket.
shaft prior to mounting the hubs.

Lovejoy, Inc. [Link]

World Headquarters
2655 Wisconsin Avenue ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Downers Grove, IL 60515
630-852-0500 Revision Date: 26-May-2011
630-852-2120 Fax
info@[Link] Page 3 of 5
COUPLING ASSEMBLY (continued): MAINTANENCE:

4. Slide the two flanges together with the gasket between them. Be 1. It is typical to inspect the coupling after running a few hours or
careful not to crimp or damage the gasket. Then insert the remainder less to ensure there are no issues with alignment, heat, or other
of the bolts from the accessory kit. The grease fitting holes should be concerns that could be detrimental to the operation of the coupling.
located 180º apart. Insert the remainder of the bolts and hand tighten
the nuts on each bolt. 2. After roughly one month of operation, the coupling should be
disassembled and inspected for abnormal wear, problems with
5. Partially tighten each of the nuts in a star, or criss-cross, pattern, grease, and possible issues with equipment alignment.
again using care to ensure the gasket is not being crimped or
damaged. 3. Periodic inspections should take place at least on an annual basis
to ensure the coupling is performing as designed and the grease is
6. Use a calibrated torque wrench to tighten the bolts and nuts not breaking down. Specifications for coupling grease can be found
following a star, or criss-cross, pattern until each bolt has been at [Link] under Technical Resources.
tightened to the specified torque value as defined in Table-3.
Note: During maintenance, when the coupling is not being
7. Insert a grease fitting in one of the grease fitting ports and leave disassembled or the bolts are not removed, insert a grease fitting in
the second hole unplugged. Rotate the coupling until the grease one of the grease fitting ports and leave the second hole unplugged.
fittings are horizontal. Use only coupling grease and inject the Rotate the coupling until the grease fittings are horizontal. Inject
grease through the fitting until the recommended amount specified in grease through the fitting until clean grease oozes out of the other
Table-4 has been loaded into the coupling. Place the grease plugs in port. Again, Place the grease plugs in both fitting holes prior to
both fitting holes prior to placing the coupling in service. placing the coupling back in service.

Figure 3
F Flex-Flex Coupling FFR Flex-Rigid Coupling

Table 2 - Dimensional Data 1

OAL OAL 1 FD D HD BSE BSE 1 LTB LTB 1
F Size in in in in in in in in in
1 3.5 3.41 4.56 3.06 2.31 0.13 0.16 1.69 1.56
1.5 4.00 3.94 6.00 3.97 3.00 0.13 0.16 1.94 1.84
2 5.00 4.88 7.00 4.86 4.00 0.13 0.16 2.44 2.28
2.5 6.25 6.13 8.38 5.84 4.63 0.19 0.19 3.03 2.91
3 7.38 7.19 9.44 6.84 5.63 0.19 0.19 3.59 3.41
3.5 8.63 8.38 11.00 7.91 6.50 0.25 0.22 4.19 3.97
4 9.75 9.50 12.50 9.25 7.50 0.25 0.31 4.75 4.44
4.5 10.94 10.69 13.63 10.38 8.50 0.31 0.34 5.31 5.03
5 12.38 12.06 15.31 11.56 9.50 0.31 0.34 6.03 5.69
5.5 14.13 13.41 16.75 12.72 10.50 0.31 0.34 6.91 6.16
6 15.13 15.22 18.00 14.00 11.50 0.31 0.41 7.41 7.41
7 17.75 17.88 20.75 15.75 13.00 0.38 0.50 8.69 8.69
8 22.38 22.50 23.25 18.34 15.50 0.38 0.50 11.00 11.00
9 23.50 23.56 26.00 20.38 17.00 0.50 0.56 11.50 11.50
Notes: 1. For OAL, BSE and LTB, standard options are for flex-flex.
OAL 1, BSE 1, and LTB 1 options are for flex-rigid

Lovejoy, Inc. [Link]

World Headquarters
2655 Wisconsin Avenue ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Downers Grove, IL 60515
630-852-0500 Revision Date: 26-May-2011
630-852-2120 Fax
info@[Link] Page 4 of 5
Table 3 - Performance Data
Torque Maximum Bore Size Approx Weight WR^2 Flange Bolts 1
(based on
Nominal Flex-Hubs Rigid Hubs RSB) Tightening
Qty
in 2 mm 3 in 2 mm 3 x 10-6 1
F Size in-lbs Nm lbs kg Size Torque
1 7,600 850 1.625 42 2.125 56 9 4 19 6 1/4-28 130 in-lbs
1.5 18,900 2 140 2.125 56 2.813 76 19 9 65 8 3/8-24 425 in-lbs
2 31,500 3 560 2.750 73 3.500 95 34 15 150 6 1/2-20 940 in-lbs
2.5 56,700 6 410 3.250 85 4.250 114 54 25 340 6 5/8-18 1750 in-lbs
3 94,500 10 700 4.000 107 4.875 134 80 36 655 8 5/8-18 1750 in-lbs
3.5 151,200 17 100 4.625 125 5.625 150 130 59 1,485 8 3/4-16 2650 in-lbs
4 220,500 24 900 5.375 145 6.500 176 190 86 2,725 8 3/4-16 2650 in-lbs
4.5 302,400 34 200 6.000 165 7.625 202 250 114 4,280 10 3/4-16 2650 in-lbs
5 434,700 49 100 6.500 180 8.750 230 380 173 8,280 8 7/8-14 3650 in-lbs
5.5 573,300 64 800 7.500 200 9.500 260 520 236 12,795 14 7/8-14 3650 in-lbs
6 749,700 84 700 8.250 225 10.500 285 650 295 17,290 14 7/8-14 3650 in-lbs
7 1,008,000 113 900 9.500 255 12.000 320 950 431 32,180 16 1-14 4850 in-lbs
8 1,323,000 149 500 11.500 310 14.000 375 1,560 708 64,610 16 1-1/8 - 12 6300 in-lbs
9 1,827,000 206 400 12.500 340 15.500 415 2,015 915 110,940 18 1-1/4 - 12 8300 in-lbs
Notes: 1. Bolt Sizes for Exposed bolts only (Lovejoy standardized on exposed bolts, shrouded bolts are available)
2. Bore and keyway tolerances for inch dimensions based on the ANSI/AGMA 9002-B04 Standard
3. Bore and keyway tolerances for metric dimensions based on the ISO 286-2 Standard

Table 4 - Alignment and Lubrication

Size: >>> F1 F 1.5 F2 F 2.5 F3 F 3.5 F4 F 4.5 F5 F 5.5 F6 F7 F8 F9
Hub Separation Flex-Flex 0.1250 0.1250 0.1250 0.1875 0.1875 0.2500 0.2500 0.3125 0.3125 0.3125 0.3125 0.3750 0.3750 0.5000
Hub Separation Flex-Rigid 0.1563 0.1563 0.1563 0.1875 0.1875 0.2188 0.3125 0.3438 0.3438 0.3438 0.4063 0.5000 0.5000 0.5600
Installation Offset Max 0.0111 0.0121 0.0170 0.0209 0.0233 0.0262 0.0298 0.0350 0.0403 0.0442 0.0239 0.0272 0.0317 0.0334
Limits Angular Max 0.0070 0.0090 0.0116 0.0135 0.0164 0.0186 0.0215 0.0248 0.0272 0.0304 0.0165 0.0186 0.0223 0.0242
Operating Offset Max 0.0556 0.0603 0.0850 0.1047 0.1164 0.1312 0.1490 0.1749 0.2014 0.2210 0.1195 0.1358 0.1587 0.1669
Limits Angular Max 0.0348 0.0449 0.0578 0.0676 0.0818 0.0928 0.1074 0.1240 0.1360 0.1519 0.0823 0.0928 0.1114 0.1212
Tooth Center to Tooth Center 2.125 2.305 3.245 3.998 4.448 5.010 5.690 6.683 7.693 8.443 9.133 10.375 12.125 12.750
Max Speed (RPM) Unbalanced 6,000 5,500 5,000 4,400 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,700 2,500 2,200 2,100 2,000 1,900 1,800
Flex-Flex Weight 2 oz 4 oz 6 oz 11 oz 1.0 lbs 1.3 lbs 2.0 lbs 3.5 lbs 4.5 lbs 6.5 lbs 7.3 lbs 9.3 lbs 18 lbs 20 lbs
Lube Capacity Volume 2 oz 4 oz 6 oz 12 oz 18 oz 24 oz 1.1 qt 2.0 qt 2.5 qt 3.5 qt 1.0 gal 1.3 gal 2.3 gal 2.8 gal
Flex-Rigid Weight 1 oz 2 oz 3 oz 5 oz 8 oz 10 oz 1.0 lbs 1.8 lbs 2.3 lbs 3.3 lbs 3.6 lbs 4.6 lbs 8.8 lbs 10 lbs
Lube Capacity Volume 1 oz 2 oz 3 oz 6 oz 9 oz 12 oz 18 oz 1.0 qt 1.3 qt 1.8 qt 2.0 qt 2.4 qt 1.1 gal 1.4 gal

Lovejoy, Inc. [Link]

World Headquarters
2655 Wisconsin Avenue ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Downers Grove, IL 60515
630-852-0500 Revision Date: 26-May-2011
630-852-2120 Fax
info@[Link] Page 5 of 5