Need a Skyhawk 111 Expert

[Irish John]

Is really good to hear you both have had good fortune. Gives me hope. Has any one successfully used a stronger spring yet? Or is drilling still the prefered Method for chatter silencing?

Danny, I reckon you need to ask Jeremy for an old stock bell housing to be certain not to get one from that batch that is obviously poorly cast. re the clanging of the clutches I use the drilled holes (which works well BTW) but I also think that the setting up of the idler screw has a big bearing on the clanging problem and so does the way the clutch is mounted on the shaft key. That's just my feeling but I can promise you that drilling holes won't harm the clutch if you do 9 holes like on attached picture. The recent clutches seem to have stronger springs than the earlier ones and that might be helping the problem. I've built about 8 Honda/Grubee Mark2 rigs without having the clanging the problem. Maybe the HS motor exaccurbated the clanging somehow. If you can get a stronger spring that fits I would try it and see what happens. I also turn my clutch around to even the wear on the pads. That helps it I find.

 

[Danny3xd]

Thanks for the pics John! Now that I have spare clutches, gonna try the drill method. The OP and I, although similar problem, are timed far apart. So I am thinking it might not be a bad batch.

This morning, went out wiggled the bell. lots of movement. Up, down with a lil wiggle. Well not sloppy but surprisingly a good deal. Seems to much but dunno.

Just measured, is only 1/16 of an inch.

 

[Irish John]

The bell can move a very small amount but if it has too much lateral play it will cause excessive wear on the gears & shafts I reckon. Also it wears the clutch pads very one-sidedly I've noticed. Mine had way too much play before I discovered it but it didn't disintegrate its teeth like yours did nor was it clanging - in fact it was the quietest GB I've ever known. To get the best fit when I install the clutch & bell I have to do considerable amount of filing to make a good fit between key & keyway on the clutch, The bushing is OK cos I'm nearly certain it's made in a private factory but the clutches are all made in a govt. factory and the quality control is non-existent. Despite the looseness my GB wasn't sounding odd even though I noticed the main shaft key had sheared and actually slightly damaged the shaft's keyway but it still all held together. It was a very quiet GB probably because it was always a bit loose. Now it whines really badly because of the new bell housing & bushing.

 

[Danny3xd]

Just this minute got off the phone with bicycle-engines.com . I had emailed them over the weekend with the pics I posted above. They could easily be viewed as I was slamming in the engager or, dunno. But the bird dawg got on the phone, asked one or 2 normal questions and said he would get a new one out to me tomorrow priority mail. No dance, fus or mus. ..and with the added cost of priority. Them there folks have my biz for life.

I really was expecting a much different and less pleasant conversation. Truly great service.

Post Script, WoHoo! gonna be ridding again soon! Wife says I get moody if the MBs are down.

 

[Danny3xd]

Just drilled the clutch. Can't wait to try it out. The new springs are tuff! After a half hearted try at getting it back in, I jumped online to see if there was a tool. Didn't find one. But on my way back down to the cellar/work shopII, found a spray paint can with a tapered cap. The open end fit in the valley of the clutch perfect! Spring popped in in like it missed it's home, snork.

Man, today just keeps on getting better and better. (long story but has been a great day for me and some folks close. Health and $ stuff)

"New from Dansco, "Cantop spring loaders" Order now and receive a free can of spray paint with every order. Operators are standing by! Call soon. They would like to sit"

 

[Irish John]

You've discovered a good tool there Danny. Don't forget to clean all the drillings off your clutch before you install it. Hope this bell housing is made of the right stuff. Had you had a serious incident of clunking the engager in when the revs were high? Had that happened the freewheel shaft key should have failed first. From the amount of gear teeth missing it has to be defective alloy mix.

 

[Danny3xd]

Dumb thing really worked great John. When I was taking out the spring, I thought I should ask you how you went about getting em back in. Then thought, "how tuff can it be?" lol

Still wondering, is there a proper tool or way?

The GB from min one seemed loud. Not really "clangy" nor grinding. Just off even when idling. I thought I was just being over sensitive. When I opened her up, looked fine. With so little experience with them, I am not real sure of the proper sounds to be expected. Just prior to the failure, vibration increased and thinking back, sound was getting progressively worse.

Never engaged at any thing but idle and usually was at least rolling forward if not peddling. Was trying to baby it a wee bit thinking it had to wear-in.

 

[fetor56]

Still wondering, is there a proper tool or way?

I'm not aware of any special tool & even if their was i doubt it would be better than that "Dansco,wonder spring loader"(patent pending)

 

[Danny3xd]

I'm not aware of any special tool & even if their was i doubt it would be better than that "Dansco,wonder spring loader"(patent pending)

LOL, thats catchy.

According to babblefish, in German that reads as

"Wunderfrühlingsladevorrichtung"

I am researching the international market

 

[Danny3xd]

Just in case any one ever needs to know, it was a Krylon sparypaint can.

http://www.krylon.com/

Really, look at the shape. Placed the cap in the valley on the work bench. Rolled the spring down then pried the cap out. Worked like a charm. Gotta love when dumb stuff works out.