ATV Clutch repair! (Part 4) 

The previous parts of this saga, were;

1.

The clutch going out.

 A weight bushing and shaft worn, and a broken weight roller on the spider, jamming between weight and roller, late last fall. 

Parked it for the winter.

2.

Then this spring, I decided that if I took out the pivot shafycfir the weight, and that the weight couldn’t come out without disassembly of the clutch, it wouldn’t bind and jam,  and should work on 3 weights. 

Which it did, flawlessly.

For about 3 months. 

3.

Then it managed to get the magic amount of rpm, clearance,  and weight orientation to throw the weight. About 3.5 weeks ago. 

Turned out at that point, that when still “floating” in the clutch, even though the weight wasn’t helping engage the clutch, that it’s trapped weight/mass was balancing the clutch! 

Horrendous vibration ensued, causing engine over heating, a high pitched hum, and increasing belt slipage. And eventually would no doubt eat engine bearings… 

I rode it some for work around the homestead,  but I’m the clutch slippage was getting worse every time I ran it. 

So… part 4.

I decided to replace the weight shaft, and bushing, making both myself to save cost. 

To add back the weight, but held in this time as intended to be, and eliminate the play that allowed it to bind up. The broken roller on the spider could wait a little while. 

Being lazy won out over being broke. Twice. First time about 3 weeks ago, I was going to lathe turn a new pivot shaft. 
Was easier to buy a new one. 

This time I was going to make the bushing for the weight … Never had the time or drive to do it for over a week. 

Found a atv/cycle parts place with amazingly reasonable shipping rates to Alaska (bikebandit.com). 

Few days later I have shiny little parts! 

Got 4 since everything online says you’ll crush a couple learning to press them in.

 Uhuh. 

I used a new bushing over the old shaft, slid through the old bushing/weight, nut on top to act as a stop, and drove the old one out while seating the new one…  

Slight bur created on end of new one trimmed out with a drill bit by hand. Took 5 min total, if that. And I have 3 bushings left! 

If nothing else I have the bushings to later do the other 3 weights. 
Then came instalation in the clutch.

REALLY wanted to do this without pulling the clutch off the engine. I bought a puller last winter, but there are a lot of horror stories about broken clutch pullers, and having to then cut the clutch up to get it off. If you got a cheap puller.  I did get a cheap, but not the cheapest puller… 

Yeah. 

 Couldn’t compress the clutch into the belt loop (as it does when the clutch is working, to open the area around the weight) as I had hoped I could, with clamps.  

Suddenly realized I could enlarge that belt loop, and clearance in it, by letting the belt tighten on the secondary clutch!

 Pry open secondary clutch, pull belt foreward, press primary clutch half inward, hold in place with clamp, insert weight, drive in new shaft(light press fit in clutch), install nuts, tighten. 

Voila! That was amazingly easy. Not sure why, but God sure does like me!

 plugged in the belt safety switch in the cover, wired the cover to the rack as high as possible,  kept my leg out of the clutches for a short test ride in the yard (don’t try this at home kids).

 NO MORE VIBRATION! Works like a DREAM!!  Took less than an hour total! $50 max total spent, used a whopping $11 in parts! 

If I’d known that could go that easy, I’d have gotten the parts and done it months ago!  

Bolted cover on and rode it 10 miles; perfect! No vibration, no high pitch buzz, no belt slip, no motor over heating, good clutch engagement!! 

Back to the way it was last year(yikes, hard to believe its been 10 months it first messed up!) before any of the clutch issues!!  
Now, technically I still need to replace the clutch center spider, that houses the (broken)roller that the weight runs on. 

But given how little wear there is on the weight compared to the rest of the worn parts, I think it is causing very little damage, very slowly.   

I’m pretty sure it can wait a month or two of reasonable riding, for me to save the funds to get the spider,  and build the tools needed to disassemble the clutch to change it. 

I will also be periodically checking on the play in that weight on the shaft–

(and, as a side point it’s now the tightest of all four… the other 4 bushings could use done within a couple years m, I’m sure.)

–because,  there is a section where the wear had eaten into the weight, that the new bushing is unsupported. 

Probably be fine for a long time, but I’ll check it from time to time just to be sure.  

Might just weld up that spot when I have it apart to do the spider. Or spring for a new weight.   But unless it starts to bind again,  I can’t see this causing any wear being a problem, for a while anyway. 

I’ve also decided that even though it still looks great, this couldn’t have been good for the belt, and I gave no idea how old it is anyway. I’ll put a new belt on it as soon as I can afford it. Hopefully when I replace the clutch spider; Since the clutch has to come off to change the belt (what idiot thought that up??!?), and I’d like to minimize times I have to do that…