Clutch won't engage - flywheel turns but motor doesnt

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Q

quaternium

New Member
Mar 9, 2015
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0
0
southern Illinois
I'm trying to figure out why my clutch won't engage on two-stroke. With handle out, it *tries* to on occasional rotations to turn the two gears (big and small bevelled gear), but most of the time, the flywheel just revolves and does NOT engage the motor.
I've cleaned the clutch pads and tried tightening (and loosening) the flower wheel on clutch cover and inspected ball bearing and bar on other side.
Not sure what to look for!
Please help.
 
crassius

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
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not sure what you're calling a flywheel, but assume you mean the clutch hub & pressure plate - reading about clutch & cable adjustment here should fix it

just to check if motor is locked up, try reaching thru to pull clutch arm toward you & tighten flower nut by hand till it won't easily turn any more, release clutch arm and see what you get when yo roll the bike
 
C

Compulsive Tinkerer

New Member
Aug 25, 2015
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Morehead City, North Carolina
For me it's basically as if the clutch just isn't tight enough to fully/securely engage when the lever is released. It acts kinda like if the pads were worn down but the pads are about a day old and I just put em in. Cable is adjusted correctly and tried turning flower nut in multiple positions to try to tighten it. Was about 6 miles deep into the woods with some really basic tools in my pocket fiddling with it untiI I finally gave up and tightened the flower nut all the way down so the clutch is just always engaged and rode home haha.
 
Last edited:
crassius

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
4,032
158
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USA
working tension on clutch is dependent on the distance between lever lock position and lever unlock position - just had one with weak clutch, so filed down the frame of clutch lever mount to allow lever to go farther forward when unlocked
 
Q

quaternium

New Member
Mar 9, 2015
8
0
0
southern Illinois
SOLVED. I got some new clutch pads from bikeberrry on Amazon. These were a LOT thicker than my old, greasy ones. Also, I had to thin down the dimensions with some little wire snips.
I installed just four pads spaced out, and the clutch gripped again, so I replaced every other pad with the new ones, tightened the butterfly nut hand tight, backed off to have about 1/8 inch play on the clutch plate pushing in and letting back out. Tried rolling bike, proper grip when released (clutch engages), clutch disengages when handle is pulled in.
Took bike for a spin: PERFECT.
 
Q

quaternium

New Member
Mar 9, 2015
8
0
0
southern Illinois
I was calling the flywheel the wheel that turns and holds the clutch pads.
REPLACE CLUTCH PADS - Original problem was "flywheel" not turning when clutch plate tried to grip on old pads, so small beveled wheel didn't turn, so magneto didn't turn, no motor engagement...
NOTE: These new pads are very thick and stick out much further towards clutch plate than the last. The old ones were almost flush with the "flywheel." The new ones are raised off flywheel towards clutch plate at least 1/8 inch. I don't remember the old ones being so thick ever, but whatever... the new ones work.
 
C

Compulsive Tinkerer

New Member
Aug 25, 2015
59
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Morehead City, North Carolina
Congrats man! Glad to hear you got it back in action! Also, Hmm. Maybe I did something wrong. Aren't you supposed to push the clutch pads into those squareish shaped holes shaped like the clutch pads that are all around the edge when you swap em out?or do you just set them over them? I did also notice that when I completely unscrewed the flower nut and removed the clutch pressure plate thing that clamps down on the pads, the nut that holds the clutch hub plate which holds the pads was loose so I cranked it down with an adjustable wrench. Maybe that had something to do with my issue. It still didn't solve the issue but a protruding nut due to being loose would prevent the plate from ever reaching the pads. Kinda just thinking out loud at this point.
 
Q

quaternium

New Member
Mar 9, 2015
8
0
0
southern Illinois
Yes. The pads definitely go in the pad-shaped holes. The pads should be "thicker" than the metal wheel with the holes in order to get correct friction on plate.

What you'd like to do Compulsive, is go to the side with the cable and wire nut. Make sure that arm is all the way extended - towards you - so the arm is almost parallel with the sprocket cover there. There's a sweet spot right where any tension on the clutch lever will properly start to disengage the clutch.

Now go to the clutch side. Tighten the flower nut almost hand tight, then back off two full revolutions. The clutch handle should be pulled/locked when you do this!

Now roll the bike. Should freewheel when clutch handle pulled, should be hard as **** when handle is left alone (clutch engaged).

Let me know what happens.
 
crassius

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
4,032
158
63
USA
whenever that center nut is found loose, one should check that the woodruff key is still in place
 
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