I've stripped the clutch side of my '65 a65 today, but for the life of me, cannot budge basket from the shaft. Got the proper tool and a breaker bar on the end, but no joy. afraid if I go to far, summat gonna strip/ break :o..Any suggestions, folks...?
Hi Taffyboy,
Get the extractor as tight as you can so that there is pressure on the taper. Apply gentle heat until any oil on it starts to bubble and then a sharp whack on the extractor should free it.
I have just done this in a one of my A65s.
Dave.
Only just realized that 4 spring and 3 spring clutches are different (apart from the obvious...). Does that mean they are disassembled differently? I say i'm using the correct puller but I have my doubts now. ( 3 spring tool...?)
Hi,
The early 4 spring clutch has an extra thrust washer and the centre is captive in the back of the chainwheel/basket. The process for removing the centre from the taper is the same. If the puller is correct it will screw fully in to the centre and once the puller bolt is fully tightened it should come off with a sharp tap with a hammer. No breaker bar needed. If it will not budge then as mentioned a bit of heat and then a sharp tap should free it off.
The drawing in the parts book will help to see how it all goes together.
Dave.
The clutch pullers are 26 tpi for up to 1965 4 spring and then 20 tpi for the 1966 on 3 spring so if it screws in you have the correct puller.
Well that didn't work >:(. Heated it up, whacked it a few times, hub still stuck fast. Only possess a cheapo Toolstation torch, but hotenough to to get grease/oil bubbling. Think basket is knackered anyway. Whatever, has to come off..!
.. Been attempting to attach a photo to make it a bit clearer, says it too large
I had a real stubborn one once. I assume you are using some kind of penetrant like PB Blaster or Kroil.
Let it soak for a while if you can be patient. Mine finally released with a whack on the clutch tool.
So I can assume the clutch basket is scrap...Is there any preference between a 3 and 4 spring clutch, is the conversion viable and do able?
Well that photo malarkey clearly didn't work. doh!
it needs a heavy duty puller with a bearing separator behind the collar as well as heat. i wouldnt hit it with a hammer myself, a blowtorch to release the taper under tension. maybe borrow a puller?
Hi Taffyboy,
Both the 3 and 4 spring clutch fit on the taper so either will do. They are both a bit fiddly getting set up properly but once done work well. If you are going to change the whole clutch why not consider a complete new one from SRM. They say that they assemble the clutches with matched parts to get the best clutch. At about £430 it looks expensive but by the time you either find second hand parts or assemble new parts it will not look that bad. The SRM clutch also comes with the SRM pressure plate. Worth a look.
Dave.
Ah, sorted finally. 8). Heated it up again,it came straight off with no grief. Must be a combination of plusgas ans neighbours torch. He's a gas plumber, got proper job to do it. Another thing i've noticed the primary chain has a split link in it. I assume that's a no-no..?
Well done. It looks like the early 4 spring which I think the best one as it has two thrust washers to hold the centre more securely and reduce the amount of wobble. Down side is it is hard to find new plain plates and it is a bit heavier. New thrust washers do not seem to be available but could be made. If all the parts are in good order stick with it but invest in an SRM pressure plate.
Definitely replace the primary chain with a continuous one. The triplex chain is very reliable but to put such a weakness in it seems a bit mad to me. Also, get a good branded one.
I see in the photo some wear ridges in the slots for the friction plates. This can be improved by carefully dressing with a fine file.
Dave.
The ridges seem quite deep. Would filing them create too much of a gap between it and the plates? There must be 1mm of movement before hand..
Hi,
Filing will increase the clearance but the movement of the plates will be smoother. File just enough to make the edge smooth. The same can be done to the hub for the plain plates. This is something that can only really be done once but it depends on how many miles you are intending to do. Any burrs on the tangs on the plates should also be lightly removed. If you can get it working smoothly it could last a long time especially if the clutch is not abused.
These early clutch baskets and hubs are not easy to find and the plain plates are different to the other clutches used. I would check all the plates for being completely flat as any distortion hampers getting the clutch working properly.
Dave.
The amount of wobble on my three spring clutch worries me. Any trick around to reduce it apart from new rollers?
Hi,
New rollers will only help a bit and a clutch that has done a lot of work will have wear on the bearing surface on the centre and the ring on the basket. If you replaced all of these you would see some improvement. I think the design lends itself to being wobbly as it depends on the clutch plates and springs to keep the wobble to a minimum.
If I had the technical ability I would, as a minimum, make a thrust washer to sit between the back of the cush drive and the basket. This should help to keep things a bit more snug.
I wonder if a modification to fit a Bantam type clutch radial roller thrust bearing would be possible?
Dave.
Hi,
If refit costs start to increase maybe worth consider replacing with a BNR belt drive/clutch?
Best wishes...
:) :) :)
Eventually after much etc. I couldn't get the wobble down to sensible so put BNR clutch in. Sounds quieter too.
Mike 8) 8) 8)
Hi,
I believe that the BNR primary set up does not have a cush drive so is it just the belt that softens the drive Does it work or is a slightly harsher transmission a trade off for a better clutch?
Dave.
Hi Dave,
The belt stretch is negligible so doesn't act like a cush drive (think of the belt as a timing belt which doesn't stretch). I find slipping the clutch a little more suffices not a lot to ask for a far superior clutch.
I am in the process of building a B31 plunger which came minus a clutch. It will have a BNR, as the cost is similar to the standard plus the sprocket, chain etc.
Best wishes...
Just before the pandemic kicked off I did a lot of work on a friends A10. This was fitted with a belt drive the ride was quite harsh as no cush drive. The clutch was prone to dragging, so much so that he asked me to change back to a cush drive. I fitted a Triumph style four spring clutch. He loves it, he said it has transformed the bike. On stripping the belt drive clutch I found that the reason for the drag was that the bearing in the back of the drum was seizing. A strip down and filling with grease got it spinning again. No oil in chaincase with belt drive.
Hi Bess,
The BNR clutch looks like a good option if renewing everything. Does it need the tensioner like the Hayward set up?
Dave.
Hi Dave,
On the A65, no the belt supplied is the correct length. The A10 and B31 the gearbox is adjusted in the normal way.
Best wishes...
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. Definitely worth considering.
Dave.