Clutch Cheap clutch repair

[Bob K]

My clutch slipped a bit on full power uphill runs. New motor, properly adjusted clutch, properly adjusted cable.
I take the clutch apart and I see rough, nasty looking pink pads. Based upon other people's experience, I removed the pads and
I saw more cheap chinese manufacturinng. They just CRAMMED the pads into the clutch. The back pressure plate was not even engaging!
See the picture. I alternated the pads front and back so you can see where no contact was made on the back sides of the pads.
The other picture shows the ridge that held the pads away from the back pressure plate. I cut off the ridge, sanded the pads to be within + or - .oo5"
of each other. I then hand sanded each pad to smoothly fit into the clutch ring. The clutch now works PERFECTLY. Like I said , others have
said this is the fix and I am now a beliver. Look at how nasty those stock pads look! Just a razor blade and some 100 grit sandpaper ( and about 40 minutes!)

 

[Fabian]

A more simple fix is to turn the flower nut in by two index points then reinstall the locking screw with Loctite 222.
If you have non rubberised clutch pads, start the engine and engage the clutch whilst applying full throttle and 4,000 rpm for 10 seconds with the brakes held on hard so the clutch is forced to slip. This will seat all of the clutch pads and take off the high spots.
If the clutch still slips, repeat the above procedure a second time.

Your clutch will never slip again.

 

[wally]

Fabian, if the pads are too tight in the housing how is your suggestion going to remedy that? That is what Bob K is on about, not the un-even pads.

 

[Fabian]

because the clutch action is only transferred from a single friction face; from the clutch pads to the actuating disk. So long as you have all 15 clutch pads in contact with the clutch actuation disk, you will have the maximum friction area available to transfer torque.

If you really want to push the pads home (and have non rubberised pads) simply tap the pads with small bradding hammer. The excess pad material will break away and seat all the way home.

 

[Bob K]

The pink pad material is a bit "crumbly". Truly, you can snap and crumble them in your hands.
Tapping with a hammer would be a bit "ghetto". It would work until the pads wore down and then
you would be back to losing clutch contact on the back friction surface again.. Free floating is the way to go
in the long run. Your results may vary...

 

[Fabian]

Looking at your reply i can see that the clutch pads are not the "good material", which is the older asbestos and wire impregnated clutch pads.
These pads are very hard to get now, but it is worth going the extra mile to try and find the asbestos impregnated pads because they "just work", even though you do need to use precautions installing them, for obvious reasons.

I found one supplier with old stock and bought all 12 of his replacement asbestos and wire clutch pad sets, and i'm not parting with them for the love of money.

 

[wally]

asbestos ? I doubt it. It is supposed to be highly toxic (lung desease)

 

[Fabian]

That's exactly what asbestos is: highly toxic, but it works terrifically well and so do the clutch pads, if you can still get them. Obviously they were not advertised as containing asbestos and neither were the early motor bicycle engines with asbestos laced clutch pads, but then again neither are metal products from China melted down in a furnace with a little radioactive waste material mixed in at the plant; the very metal that then goes into making steel rebar or pots and pans, sold at bargain basement prices at bargain basement retail outlets.

 

[Bob K]

Radioactive pots and pans? Cool!
I now have a reason to break out the old Gieger counter!
$1 stores, here I come.
I'll survey my motor too!

 

[relaxxx]

I really really really hope my pads are not asbestos! When I first got my motor I has slippage issues and a took the front plate disk and scored the hell out of it with a box cutter blade. I've blasted the dust particles out with air a couple times when I take the cover off to adjust.