OK, So What's The Problem?

[Quenton Guenther]

Hi Hal, Are we riding yet? Was the bolt reverse threads? Be sure to apply a fair amount of good wheel bearing grease on the inner needle bearings.

Have fun,
Quenton

 

[Mountainman]

these guys have been a lot of help for Hal

Sometimes I get frustrated when I'm all set to tackle a project and the door slams in front of me, so then I seek help. This is where Quenton, Mike, and Chris come in!
HAL

that's cool Hal

I see where these guys have been a lot of help for you

that's a neat THING appreciated by all on site

ride that MB thing

 

[Hal the Elder]

Hey Quentin:

YO QUENTIN:

I won't be riding Oscar until possibly tomorrow or Friday...I've got to determine what method to use for "de-glazing" the clutch shoe surfaces.

What do you recommend? (I've got a Dremel tool with some sanding drums, and also an assortment of sandpaper)

As for my getting excited about getting something fixed and trying it out, here's my philosophy:

"Ahhh...I'll eventually get around to it!" (Just like Jeeter Lester in "Tobacco Road")

Ol' HAL

 

[Mountainman]

de-glazing or glazing

when my grandfather would rebuild VW engines
he would pull up to a wall so the car couldn't go anywhere
then let out the clutch so as to make it slip for a short while
I thought that he called that -- putting a glaze on it ?
supposed to make the clutch last longer ?

if this truly was glazing -- what is de-glazing ?

I think I see -- you need to take the smooth off a little
my grandfather wanted some glaze
I would use very rough sandpaper (light touch)
just wishing to brake the glaze a little

ride that thing

 

[Hal the Elder]

Hey Summit Fellow:

It's the glaze that is the problem!

This has caused a hard surface to form on the clutch pads, which slips against the inner steel "brake drum" surface of the auto clutch, causing the engine to race without driving the bike.

When I "break" the hard glaze and restore a frictional surface , then everything should be Jake!

Do you live in Arizona or New Mexico? What's your first name?

HAL

 

[Quenton Guenther]

Hi Hal, Not only will the removal of the glaze restore some grip, but if it is glazed it means it hit the drum and the rest of the material did not. Each time you remove the glaze it will lower that area and allow more of the shoe to contact the hub [drum]. When a large amout of each shoe glazes it means more of the material is contacting. When more of the material contacts the hub it is less likely to slip [or glaze]. My personal clutches are almost impossible to glaze, because so much of the material is against the drum it is hard to slip [glaze].

Be sure to ONLY use the Dremel with the sanding drum [#220 grit is my choice], because if you use sandpaper it will be very difficult to only sand the glazed area. If you sand the entire surface of the shoe, and not just the glazed sections, you are wasting your time and energy.

Have fun,
Quenton

 

[KilroyCD]

Hal, I'm glad you have decided to stay with Oscar and do the auto clutch mods to keep him going. I'd hate to see you have problems with the coaster brake-equipped slip clutch model. As I said on another thread, the rear hub on mine decided to shed it's left side spoke flange, and I suddenly had a major case of the back-end wobblies (not to mention a flat tire). It was a good thing that I was at walking speed in a turn when that happened, or I might have developed a taste for tarmac. The design of the hub is what is suspect, with the spoke flanges being seperate pieces that are pressed on as opposed to milled, cast or forged (depending on the make of hub). Over the winter, I might end up swapping mine out for a Bendix, or I might go for an old air-cooled ex-Elgin hub (made by Musselman) that I have lying around. The cooling fins on the hub would be good to try to keep the hub temps lower while riding. Coaster brakes can frequently heat up to the point of causing the grease to melt and run out.

 

[Hal the Elder]

Let's Just See What Happens Next!

HEY EVERYBODY:

Once I was told the right method to remove the belts, removing the Auto Clutch was a piece of pie! (not cake)

I'll use my 30,000 RPM ball-bearing Dremel Tool for the clutch shoe treatment!

I really don't want to trade Oscar in, so I'll just do my best with the great advice from the MotoredBike Experts on this Forum!

HAL

 

[Quenton Guenther]

Hi Hal, I agree with your choice to keep Oscar. Do not worry, as we can help you really enjoy your Whizzer. It is a much better problem trying to make it go, compaired to have problems making it stop. A good friend of mine, Gordon Lee [you knew him as "Porky" in our gang movies] once told me "make sure you can stop, before you start" [Sadly he left us a couple of years ago].

Have fun,
Quenton

 

[Hal the Elder]

Back To The Dremel...

HEY QUENTON:

I put the clutch back in after taking a little "shine" off the shoes with my Dremel drum sander.

Same disappointing performance!

There is no "hook-up" after getting up a little speed. No linear increase in speed with engine RPM, just a high RPM WAAAAHHHH whether I'm standing still or going 5, 10, 15, or 20 MPH (which is about the maximum!) It reminds me of a 1950 Buick Dynaflow!

It's just one continuous WAAAAHHHH that waits for the bike to catch up to the engine, and it's really slow doing it!

This is far from the snappy "wheely-making" clutch grab you described!

Shall I take off more of the shoe surfaces, or just order a set of new shoes from you? (This is supposed to be a NEW bike, too!) What if I chucked the drum in my lathe and roughed up the drum's shoe-contacting surface with emery cloth?

HAL