do you have a centrifugal clutch?

B

blckwlfny1

New Member
Ive been reading the posts andi need to ask some questions out to anyone who has and uses a centrifugal clutch kits

1)how much extra width do they need on the clutch side to clear the cranks?

2) I have 7/8" extra clearance to work with. The cover that comes with the kit seems to be deeper than it needs to be to cover the cetrifugal clutch. if the system exceeds 7/8", does it look like i could make a shallower centrifugal clutch cover to fit it in??

3) the pull start doesnt really go with the look im going for,

my triumph1.jpg

how tough is it to start the motor by pedaling? Because i have a SBP shift kit, and the rear wheel "freewheels" will i still be able to start the motor with just the momentum of the pedals?
thanks
 
I haven't used one of these clutches in a year, so memory already grows dim, but it seems to me that the starting by pedaling was about the same as with a manual clutch. I liked the pull start since I'm partly crippled and pedaling is sometimes difficult. Clearance was an issue for me both for the automatic clutch and the pull start. I switched the pedal crank arm with one from a kid's bike so that it was under the housings, but hat makes pedaling more difficult. Mine were vintage one piece cranks. A one piece wide crank is available and I think would be a better solution, especially since you are considering doing away with the pull start. If you have a newer three piece crank extra wide ones are common place. Cancle that thought maybe... you said you have a shift kit. I don't know about the crank assembly for that. Someone else will need to advise you regarding how wide the cover needs to be on the clutch since I no longer have one. I wish I could be more helpful, but someone will step in with more information. Corgi has an automatic and so does rockenstein.
SB
 
I use the centrifugal clutch along with the wide 1-piece crank, and the motor will be able to be started by pedaling, just as before.

I live in an area where there are stop signs on every other block, and clutching all of the time was getting to be a PIA with the China Girl, so I started using my friction drive bikes with centrifugal clutch more and more.

I did not want to neglect the China Girl, so I finally picked up a centrifugal clutch for her, and could not be happier with its performance and ease of use.
 
Rohmel, Silverbear thanks for the help. I've been dealing with a gasket leak so the clutch had to wait. It finally arrived tho. And before I commit, I would appreciate a little more info from anyone who has experience with these things.
If I file down the clutch pins as directed, and I change my mind about the centrifugal clutch am I stuck? Or can I simply remove it?
How well balanced are the centrifugal clutches. I mean will its balance and the addition of extra gear friction to the system sap noticeable power simply for the sake of convenience?
...Anyone? :)
 
Filing down the three clutch pins is so that they do not hit the cover when it is installed. The manual clutch will still work, and it does, because you still start the bike as before by pedaling and dropping the clutch.

If you change your mind, yes, you can go back.

My clutch was/is well balanced and I do not notice any loss in power.
 
I bolted 2 pedals together, one on the outside of the other. they mesh perfectly. and are as wide as ths special cranks, but still not wide enough to clear the gearbox for peddaling. my knee hits the box. what we need is a method to reduce the width of these huasheng 4 strokes. Its crazy the width of these boxes.
 
ok. there is no way to use a centi clutch if you have stock cranks def need wide cranks unless u have a bike where the crank arms dont come close. I was actually able to istall the crank arms off a 24 inch bike they were shorter and just cleared. so let me thake that back you will have to modify cranks or get wider ones. I never had to grind the pins i lost no power actually can still wheelie it down the street. def seems to not vibe badly as vibes will never go away anyways. I do offer some good advice on removing it tho Do not just use the puller they supply with kit it will damage the threads in the crankshaft becuase when you tighten it its suposed to push off the crank but what happens is the puller ends up threading its way into the crank thus damaging the threads . I use a 6mm hardened bolt with no head that i put inside the hole in the crank and it gives the puller something to push against instead of your nice need to have threads lol
 
If your cranks do hit, and they are made from steel, you could hit them with a torch and bend them out so that they clear.

On my centrifugal clutch, It stuck out too much and hit the cover, so I machined away most of the taper in the clutch and machined in a keyway so that I could use the Woodruff key that is used with the small gear.

Since the taper was mostly machined away, the clutch can be installed and removed easily with the included clutch pulling tool, with no damage to any threads.
 
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flybytaco said:
Do not just use the puller they supply with kit it will damage the threads in the crankshaft becuase when you tighten it its suposed to push off the crank but what happens is the puller ends up threading its way into the crank thus damaging the threads . I use a 6mm hardened bolt with no head that i put inside the hole in the crank and it gives the puller something to push against instead of your nice need to have threads lol
Click to expand...

I guess my crankshaft is not drilled as deep as yours, because I am able to pop off the CF long before the tool's threads come anywhere near the crankshaft.
 
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