4 stroker centrifugal clutch help!

[meatgrinder]

Just scored this centrifugal clutch very cheap for only like $10 on a local engine supply surplus. Its got 10t sprocket and currently has 5/8" shaft bore with keyway. The question is: is there a missing part here in the bell housing like a bearing or a bushing? it only came with 2 washers and have no idea where to place it. planning to get this thing rebored to 3/4" to fit on my honda clone 6.5hp. Any help? TIA

 

[Davezilla]

I see what you're talking about... that bronze bushing in there is toast. If you know the inside and outside diameter of the bushing you should be able to find a replacement. These are usually pressed in at the factory but if you heat up the housing in an oven and freeze the bushing it should slide right in.
Of course, if you're going to bore it out to fit the bigger output shaft, talk to the machinist, they should be able to put in the right bushing for you when they do the bore job. After that you should be good to go.

 

[meatgrinder]

Hey thanks a lot davezilla, I just removed the toasted bushing out of the bell housing (the bushing came out in pieces) and it fits the 3/4" honda clone shaft perfectly and still has room to spin. Is it safe if I run the clutch without a bushing? I think the only thing I need to bore out is the clutch drum.

 

[Davezilla]

Noooo... The reason for the bushing is because the metals have to be dissimilar. If you were to let steel rub against steel (or any similar metal to another similar metal) like that it would eventually heat up and weld it's self together, but even before that could happen it would gall up the crank snout or the clutch drum pretty badly and pretty quickly, especially on a non lubricated or poorly lubricated area like this. The machine shop will be able to bore this out and install a 3/4" bronze bushing for you and then it'll be just fine..
They usually keep different sizes of bar stock and tubing in these type metals just for these purposes. Now if you can find a 1" diameter bronze bushing that's 3/4" inside diameter and close to the same length (longer is better than shorter because they can always cut it to the right size, but they can't add to one that's too short, but if you find one that's like 1/8" too short it'll still work) on ebay or on the net somewhere, they can bore out the hole and install the bushing for you which would save you some money.

 

[meatgrinder]

thanks a lot. You saved me from what's going to be a huge headache if I go without using a bronze bushing. Btw, whats the gear ratio on these centri clutch? Does it really have to be 10:1? I'm planning on using a pillow block jackshaft. Used the agk gear ratio calculator earlier but is that accurate?

 

[maniac57]

Short answer is:
Unless you have some need for this particular clutch, it would probably be cheaper to just buy a new one made specifically to fit your application.
Even repaired, this clutch is nothing special and not worth repairing in my opinion, unless you can make the parts yourself or find them cheap.

 

[meatgrinder]

Short answer is:
Unless you have some need for this particular clutch, it would probably be cheaper to just buy a new one made specifically to fit your application.
Even repaired, this clutch is nothing special and not worth repairing in my opinion, unless you can make the parts yourself or find them cheap.

I seems that here in Manila, its really hard to find a centrifugal clutch that's why I'm counting on this one. There's a street in Manila where they sell a lot of gasoline engines honda or clones, briggs and stratton etc., and neither one of those shop carry a single centrifugal clutch. Crazy right?