whizzer clutch

Hi Egor, you moved the ignition timing, not the cam timing? I am out of the mzushrooms, but am about to make an order, as I'm overhauling a wc-1 tomorrow, and I'm using a bunch of parts I'll need to restock/replace.

Brake improvements with manual clutch, I guess not unless you have 3 hands?

Mike

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The history of the Whizzer clutch

I will start this article by quoting the original description of part number 2086 as printed in the 1952 Dealer’s Catalog.


“Purpose
The use of the trunnion bushing will provide easier operation of the entire clutch system. It will also serve as a replacement for all model “H” and “J” motors now in use. Those units, which show considerable wear in the trunnion hole, can readily be overhauled by the installation of this bushing. The use of this bushing in units of this type will prevent mis-alignment of the clutch pulley, reduce service complaints on the rear wheel belts, and provide better service for the customer.”
I guess as early as 1952 someone realized it was important for the pulleys to be in alignment to make the clutch work correctly. It only takes a brief look at the clutch setup on the new edition Whizzers to discover something was lost in the translation. Instead of a nice fitting trunnion pin [#2405] inserted into a special “oilite” bushing [#2086] and pressed into the clutch arm [#2406], we have an off the shelf 12 MM [actually 11.8 MM shank] bolt loosely inserted into two 12 MM I.D. bushings then into a hole in the clutch arm and then held together with a nut. The end result is a loose fitting clutch arm that moves from side to side, and makes it impossible to work as well as possible.
All my new edition Whizzers have modified clutch arms, and I will gladly share with everyone how easy it is to make the changes. On my manual clutch Whizzers the modification has stopped the screeching noises, completely releases at the stop sign, takes off smoothly, and doesn’t slip under stress. On my automatic clutch Whizzers the clutch engages smoothly, bearings last forever, and grip completely [I can pull wheelies on a couple of my Whizzers].
And the fix is……… remove the excessive play where the arm bolts to the motor. The final objective is to remove all side play, so that the pulleys are in alignment. We are dealing with several problems at this junction; first the bolt shank is only 11.8 MM and is too small for the hole in the arm and the bushings at the rear of the motor. Replace the bolt with a piece of ½” drill rod machined to fit the arm and the bushings in the motor, but of course they are also different sizes. The drill rod should be cut down to .475” where it would fit the arm, and .471” to fit the bushings in the rear of the motor. I always drill and tap both ends of the drill rod, one to hold the pin in the motor and the other to make sure the pin and arm never separate.

If anyone wants pictures email me at quincy163@yahoo.com

Have fun,
Quenton

Mike - the cam timing was ahead when I got the cover off, so I just left it there. I moved the ignition timing last. I moved it so that the old hole is just visible it seems this is a good place. I would like to put a timing light on and see what it is. If you install the lifters, Does it lengthen the duration of the valves?

Quinton - the lever that the pulleys are hung on, at the point it conects to the engine is slotted. I was trying to leave the bolt just loose enough to allow the lever to move like the hand clutch. Today I put pressure on the assembly and snugged the bolt so that it will not move, it seems so far that this is the best method for this bike.

PS: I moved the needle to the slide down all the way, there was only one notch left. Pulled the baffle out of the muffler and went for a ride. That was all it needed no more fat. I went blazing out in the street and some guy shook his fist at me, I'm loving life. I have the baffle with the gold cover so I just made the holes in the ends larger, put the air filter back on and it still runs like it should. You just barley give it gas and it just purrrrr's and pulls you along. Got a new problem, oil leaking from the lifter box. Looks like the compression rod.

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Chuck - The monkey has the spark plug again!

Hi Egor,
Mushroom lifters are a must if you have a high lift camshaft [lift above .150"]. I have test camshafts with lift above .212" but must be ground a special way to clear the flywheel throws. If the base of the lifter is wider [mushroom lifters]the lifter stays on top of the lobe longer and simply means the valve is held at maximum lift for a longer period of time. And I am sure there is some difference in duration, however it must be small, because I haven't been able to detect much difference with my equipment. However the motor will run much better with the wider lifters. I have tested 4 different types of mushroom lifters, one set special made for me by a friend using a stock WC-1 set, and machining part of a B & S lifter, then pressing them together, but it takes a world class machinist to pull that off. The second version was a stock set of vintage 1/2" lifters that I cut down to fit into the lifter bores [.393"] on the new edition motors. Third set was from Woodstock Whizzer Works, and the last was Whizzer's edition. Some of Ralph's were slightly oversized, but a little time with some #220 & #600 sandpaper easily corrected that issue. Whizzer's version can be modified to make a good set, so I suggest you purchase them through you Whizzer dealer, and I will gladly share the information needed.
The slotted arm presents a problem when trying to correct the loose connection at the motor. If at all possible I would suggest you obtain the arm with the single hole if you want to improve your clutch system. I conducted several tests today concerning the excess side play in the clutch arm & pulley. If you want a "cheap" test fix to see how much improvement is possible, simply remove the bolt, knurl the bolt to .471" on the part that passes through the motor and .475" on the part that passes through the hole in the arm. However the follwing must be true, first the bolt must pass through the arm, then through the motor, and the nut must be on the dip stick side of the motor. Secondly the arm must not have the slotted hole. Locking the clutch in place can cause 3 problems, first it is hard on the clutch bearings as the belt tightens and loosens, and secondly in my tests it caused rear spokes to break [only spokes attached to the sheeve broke]. The third problem is not common, but I have seen it happen twice, the corner of the motor snapped off where the arm was attached. In both cases the automatic clutch bearing ramp locked on the bearing, froze the clutch onto the mounting bolt, and locked the rear wheel.
An easy fix for leaks at the cover compression cam is to install an "O" ring. I usually grind a small area around the cam where it contacts the cover on the inside, then install the "O" ring in the groove.

Hope this information helps,
Quenton

Quenton - That is the answer for everything I needed, Thank You. The most alarming portion is the bearing in the clutch not being able to take the pressure of the locked down position of the arm. I added some grease while apart, and I moved the nut to the filler side. If I have to keep the bolt slack to accommodate the belts I have large thin ss steel washers to aid in keeping the outfit straight with slack. I am considering telling the friend of mine that I will help him sell the bike, I like it but am not impressed with the design in the end. The brakes are very poor at best, I hate the belts. I love the look and the sound but am not ready to throw that much money at something I think is going to be problematic. Ill keep you posted it will be hard to send it back. Have fun, Dave

PS: Thanks for the tip on the O ring.

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Chuck - The monkey has the spark plug again!

I rode the bike around today with the arm still locked down, the belts still slip but if I am conservative I can keep it from squealing and wearing the thing out. I am at a loss for a good fix. Cog belts with small auxiliary rollers with springs to keep them snug! With a auto clutch you don't need a belt that slips that is for the hand clutch. I think that Whizzer could have fixed this by now, and with a remake of the two speed clutch it would make the bike a first rate ride. I am surprised to see the new Ambassador with no gears not even the old two speed remake, the bike looks nothing like the original so what would be the problem, it looks like a Occ Chopper with a Whizzer engine in it, and good brakes. Have fun, Dave

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Chuck - The monkey has the spark plug again!

I'm having difficulty with all the variables on the clutch adjustment. I have a WC-1 but just did a conversion to the NE-5. It's not quite up and running yet. Before I did this, the bike had little ability to move me except on flat ground with serious pedaling at the start. I suspect that the belts were slipping even then, though I never seriously investigated them.
Now, here are the issues I'm trying to balance.
1. Keeping the large belt tight when the clutch is out (not pulled).
2. Getting the engine oriented so the big plastic belt shield clears the back pulley.
3. Keeping the belt shield from being ribbed by the pedal cranks.
4. Although i don't have a spark plug to install yet (elusive little guys!), I am concerned that the plug its cable/connector will clear the arched lower crossbar. The plug angle looks like a problem. I guess I'll have to see when I have a plug to install.
So far, I've loosened the motor mounts and leveraged the engine to different positions, adjusted the position of the clutch cable bracket, and gotten as much as I can out of the rear wheel position. I keep ending up with a loose back belt or a severe rub on the belt shield...or some of both.
I can relieve the belt shield problem by dropping the clutch cable bracket to put some tension on the back pulley, thereby dropping it 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Essentially keeping the clutch partially pulled. This doesn't seem the ideal solution though. I suspect I'll lose some necessary clutch release potential.
I don't want to go shieldless since I value my inner thigh. I've read Motormike's instructions...but still stimied.


Ideas?

Guys, I don't adjust my belts like everyone else does, but I will gladly cover my method. To me the most important issue is to get the front belt tight first. I loosen the bottom nut, the rear top nut, and loosen the screws in the mounting bar bracket. I remove the rear belt from the sheeve. I move motor around until the front belt is the tightest, tighten the bottom nut, the front bar mount bracket, and snug the top rear nut. I install the rear belt, and move the rear wheel to make the rear belt as tight as possible without causing the pulley to move enought to loosen the front belt. If the rear wheel doesn't move to the rear far enought because of the chain being to short, add a half link kit to the chain. It is possible to loosen the top rear nut and wedge a piece of wood between the frame and the motor to push the top of the motor forward to help tighten the rear belt without effecting the front belt much. If the rear wheel hits the inside of the fender, then use a shorter rear belt. If the front belt is too long or stretched use a an AX27 belt on the front. The belt guard should fit OK. If you need more help you can call me on my cell phone [252-475-0406].

Have fun,
Quenton

Thanks Quinton. I have adjusted in the method you have described plus I have found that the arm on the auto clutch with the slot is finely helping. I have seen that some say that the arm needs to move, that it will ruin the bearing if left tight, I have mine snugged up and now the belts are behaving. My bike has no provision to be left loose to accommodate a hand clutch, there is no sleeve in the arm to take up the ware against the holding bolt. The slot allows you to loosen the bolt and the spring is supposed to pull the mess up and forward or to the rear or both. I help the movement by hand and then snug the bolt. I have added grease to the inner bearing and will keep an eye on the workings. I am not a fan of the auto clutch but it allows the engine to run up to the best HP and then pull the bike. If I were doing that with the hand clutch the belts would not last long. On the original Whizzer's I have ridden you just lug the engine to keep away from the belt slipping. Thanks for the help. Have fun, Dave

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Chuck - The monkey has the spark plug again!