Hep me!
Starting my second season in the old and fat class. I run belt drive and really like it. My question is, why do I have a brass bushing instead of bearings and what, if anything do I need to do differently when I assemble the clutch? One of the drums/sprocket that I have, the bushing falls out. Another one, I can’t figure out how to remove the bushing. Any ideas? Thanks
Is this a bushing on your clutch?
I’m not familiar with belt driven 206 clutches for racing. Some pics may help. Its not uncommon for clutches to use bushings but would agree a bearing would be preferable. It is possible a smaller driver gear may only have space for a bushing. Every clutch I have seen with a bushing the busing is usually pressed into the drum so you only have 1 friction surface (crank and bearing) If the bearing were loose then you may have 2 friction surfaces and more wear. If the bearing is pressed in you can possibly remove it by pressing it out. A bench vice could be used to do this. Finding something that is slightly larger than the bearing but not to large so that it hits the housing.
I can’t figure out how to add a picture on here. Here is a link to show the actual bushing.
Like the bearings on chain drive, it just goes on the crank and the clutch rides on the bushing.
The only place i’ve seen a hilliard with a belt conversion is here:
Looks like they make an option for a drum to use a needle bearing as well instead.
Yep, that’s what I have. I guess I could try the bearings and see what happens. I am still curious why one of my drums the bushing comes right out and the other I can’t figure out how to get it out.
Yes it is. I put some photos on one of the other responses.
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Are you the original owner of the clutch that the bushing won’t come out of? I have seen loc-tite or similar used on clutch parts that are not often removed to service. For example, on older Leopards and the newer X30’s the clutch shoe bolts to the flywheel/starter gear and is held in place with a nut, but the mating surface is conical so they put loc-tite on the mating surfaces. There is no keyway on the crank, so the the loc-tite helps ensure a strong grip.
Assuming this is on the clutch bell side, you can try soaking the bushing in Acetone and see if that softens any bonding agents. Otherwise maybe contact the manufacturer. Its possible they changed the design so that the two are now or were before, joined from the factory.
No I am not the original owner. It is really interesting to me that a brass bushing or bearings can be used.
Going from a Leopard to a Rok GP, I was a little concerned about this as well. On the Leopard I was running a 10 tooth driver on a roller bearing. Rok’s smallest driver iis an 11 tooth, but because of the larger crank diameter you have to use a brass bushing with it. Thinking about it more, the motor is not usually running at idle for very long and when it is there is no load on it. A little axle grease or similar should suffice for that brief time. Once the clutch locks up the bushing and crank are not moving relative to each other, so they will not wear on each other.
Connected with the original owner. He told me he would put a light coat of assembly lube on it and that over time they can develop a lip that locks it to the assembly. Drift it out and replace frequently.