Sled: Polaris

Any one have any good tips on a few problems I'm having w/this clutch. First the spider jam nut is a real bugger, I'm not the first one into this clutch and others before me have left their mark so to speak my jam nut socket just grabs the nut because it's been chewed up by previous mechanics. A new nut will be replaced if I can get this one off. Second are the bushings in the weights any good tricks to getting those out. Thanks

As for the jam nut, maybe you could use a dremel to clean up the jam nut to get a better grip on it...? The weight bushings, I use to drill out the old bushings, and have a tool for reinstalling the new ones. I beileve you can get it from SLP and others.

Usually the jam nut gets loctited so your going to have to apply some heat to it first. As for the weight bushings they make a simple tool you can use with a vise to remove and press the new bushings back in place, its very easy and simple. HPE, Wahl brothers, and others sell them.

This is a perfect topic guys/gals. What do you do when the jamnut becomes "stripped" trying to get it off? I know I have came across with one time a while back and have no idea what step to do next. How would you take out the "stripped" jamnut out? Anyone?

 

WL

If its not a deal where the jam nut is cross threaded on, I haven't had too much of a problem with the clutches I've maintained not letting them get to that point to begin with as jam nuts are not that expensive to replace. Only remember one guy using a punch or something trying to hammer the nut loose , didn't realize these clutches are made to service with special tools. Once I applied enough heat I was able to get a modified pair of vice gripes in there to remove the nut. As far as cross threaded jam nuts go....could be looking at a new clutch.

I'm for sure it's not cross threaded, I think the last wrechead used the standby chisel or punch to remove it and banged the heck out of the nut. I thought about heat but always scared of it around aluminuim, propane would be better then acetlayne RIGHT? and heat the nut rather than the shaft.

mack687:

I'm for sure it's not cross threaded, I think the last wrechead used the standby chisel or punch to remove it and banged the heck out of the nut. I thought about heat but always scared of it around aluminuim, propane would be better then acetlayne RIGHT? and heat the nut rather than the shaft.

Yes, propane, I use a similar propane torch plumbers, and heating contractors use to sweat copper pipes with. Sounds to me your guy had the same high tech skills as the one I had run into. If its a cross threaded nut, it will likely ruin the spider threads also when removed.

Its pretty tough to cross-threaded the spider or jam nut (at least I would think so) because when you slide the spider down, it has to contacted with the thread on the base of the fix primary shaft. You have to use the hand to get it on and on correctly and then use the special tools to finishning it off. My question is, if the clutch needs to be rebuild, and you have to take the jamnut out in order to get to the spider. When you use the special tool to get the jamnut - look closely to the jamnut, it has this four "U"s on top (at 12 oclock position, 3 o clock position, 6 o clock position and 9 o clock position) and where the special tool mates on top of the jamnut. I have had an issue one time and trying to get it off, it stripped at the "U" and my question to you guys/gals, when that happens - what do you do? How would you get the jamnut out if the special tool cant not get a good grib in order to get it out? Anyone know? WL

Most of the time on stubborn jam nuts you need another person to hold the jam nut special tool down as the other guy applies the torque. With some heat even the most buggered up nuts come free without to much grief. The problem becomes worse if the treads above the spider are stripped or damaged. This is what can ruin the threads in the spider if you can't do a good job chasing the treads on the fixed sheave. As for the jam nut being unable to use the tool on...I'd probably get a small rotatory type tool or miniature die grinder and cut it off. Those little Black and Decker rotatory tools have saved my butt a few times.

That is exactly my problem stripped "U". To make matters worse the guys are leaving for a thanksgiving early ride. The snow came hard these past few days the Lake Effect Snow really kicked in. I'll most likley get some assistance and heat hopefully this will break it loose.  Oh yeah on more thing when the last goone asembled the clutch he mixd up the X markings the stationary sheeve and top cover are in line but spider is off one. What sort of damage sould this have done. The reason for the line up marks are for balance I assume could this have beaten up the crank bearings? I have no idea how long this was like this and how many miles it saw. This is the reason for the tear down of the clutch. I noticed the bushing seem a bit loose on the top cover and moveable sheeve I figured from beeing out of balance.

Go get those early rides in!!!

The distance between the towers and the buttons is within spec so I 'm not sure if the bushing is bad or not. Because the three of them all seem to be wearing the same. I thought if the bushing was bad it would cause the spider buttons to wear on one more than others.