Snowmobile Forum banner

Clutch engagement

6K views 33 replies 5 participants last post by  kccats 
#1 ·
Lately, the Puma needs some time to warm up before the clutch engages. I'm not sure if it's time for the engine to warm up to get to the correct RPM or if the clutch is sticking. I had an issue last year where the primary was stuck open and I had to use a few light taps with a mallet to get it going again. This was after it was warmed up and I got it stuck off the trail.

Once warmed up, the sled will move, but you can really feel it engage; it's a pretty good "thunk".

Any thoughts? I cleaned the primary last season with compressed air and brake cleaner.
 
#3 ·
Did you remove the clutch to clean it?

I would take the clutch off and remove the cover and spring. That will allow you to check the motion of the weights. You can check to see if the movable sheave is binding as well. Check the rollers for flat spots, and the back of the weights for wear spots. The 9 post clutch is worth working on to get it right. If the clutch doesn't have a ton of miles on it, cleaning should help a bunch.
 
#4 ·
Thanks guys. I cleaned it right on the sled. I thought I read somewhere on here about the brake cleaner. In hindsight, maybe that was just for the faces of the primary?

What's the easiest way to take the clutch apart....on the sled or off the sled? Is there a rebuild kit available for the primary?

Sled has under 4K for miles. So this is most likely the OEM clutch. Thinking is probably hasn't been rebuilt or overhauled.
 
#7 ·
What year is sled? If cover bushing is bad, you have to buy a new cover if it has the fiber bushing. I made my own from my old comet 108c. I drove it out and used one of those sandpaper flap deals you put in a diegrinder to get inner diameter right. Drove it into newer cover and good as new. I bet a anchor pin bushing for air brakes would work. Looks to be the same diameters. If you have a truck shop nearby, they might give you one. I might have one in my toolbox come to think of it.
 
#13 ·
The clutch seemed to be working much better today. I took the sled over to a friend/neighbors yard and was able to open it up a bit and do a few laps. After that, the sled seemed to start from a stop much smoother.

I'm going to keep an eye on things going forward. I have had a few instances where the primary has been stuck open, so something may be amiss.
 
#19 ·
I'm not getting a clunking, but it's engaging at a higher RPM than the Jag. It's also not as smooth as the Jag. Last season, I pulled the cover plate from the primary and cleaned everything really good with compressed air. It was dusty. Maybe the bushing the face plate needs to be replaced?
 
#20 ·
Remove the clutch face and spring, and then move the movable sheave back and forth by hand. There should be no binding. If so, the main bushings are shot and need to be replaced. While the cover is off, take a look at the rollers and the back of the flyweights for wear or deformation. If the weights are bad, replace them. If the rollers are bad, you will need to have the clutch rebuilt (or get the tools to do it yourself.) If it's the only clutch you will rebuild I would opt to send it off and have it done by a good shop.

To get the clutch apart, you will need a clutch holding fixture, a spider nut tool, a spider tool, and a big breaker bar. The spider nut and spider may be secured with red loctite, which will require heat to soften and remove. When it's time to put things back together, you will need a good torque wrench, depending on the clutch, you may have to torque to over 250 ft. lbs.

I have the tools and still send mine off for rebuilding and balancing. After I got the tools, I broke a couple clutches in the disassembly portion, even though I was doing things right. They were Comet 6 post clutches used on the mid-90's cats. The 9 post AC clutches are stronger.

For a full rebuild of a clutch, the parts needed will be over $100 bucks, but that's still cheaper than buying a new one..
 
#22 ·
I have 3 longer 1/4" bolts to put into the cover and then remove all the rest, then remove the longer ones. It will release the spring tension that way!
This will allow you to buff the shaft with a scotch bright and blow it out real good, as well as check the rollers and weights!
 
#23 ·
KC,
That's exactly what I did last season. Everything seemed to be in good shape. Could the secondary cause the issue? I'm also thinking of checking my brake (see if it's dragging) and the track tension. I'm wondering if something in the drivetrain is slowing things down.
 
#25 ·
I'm getting a little rumbling when driving, so I need to check the track.

How do you guys measure the alignment? Last time, I used the bogie to the inner drive lug. That took a lot of twisting and turning to get the tape in there. Can you use the rails to the lugs? Outter bogies to the edge of the track?
 
#26 ·
Easy way to align track.
Put it on stand.
Run it a bit to see where it is using tue slides viewed through the track windows at rear end.
Then with it just idling, turn the adjuster bolt in or out to make the track move left right.
Adjust so that slides are even in the middle of the windows.
Lock the bols and you are done.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top