Author Topic: Powerblok Clutches  (Read 3509 times)

canpilot

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Powerblok Clutches
« on: April 25, 2005, 11:20:04 PM »
I was curious as to how many weights you guys with Powerblocs are running in them for sand riding and for dirt/ trail riding. I am going to a Powerbloc from a Comet. How hard is it to change weights with the clutch on the Pilot? Tricks?

PilotSniper

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Re: Powerblok Clutches
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2005, 06:43:29 PM »
Quote from: "canpilot"
I was curious as to how many weights you guys with Powerblocs are running in them for sand riding and for dirt/ trail riding. I am going to a Powerbloc from a Comet. How hard is it to change weights with the clutch on the Pilot? Tricks?


I believe I'm running 7 washers per puck on my PowerBloc clutch. From memory, I'm engaging at ~1,800rpm with this setup. Also, in order to change washers, you'll need to remove the clutch. This is my experience, so if anyone has something else to add or something different to add, please do so.

As for tricks, when you're done torquing down the clutch bolt (90lbs?), take a thick, black permanent marker and draw a line through the head of the bolt and onto the clutch cover. This way, if your clutch gets loose or slips in any way, you'll know it if the lines on the cover and bolt don't line up.

Best of luck!
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left!  :shock:

ludedude

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« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2005, 07:42:22 PM »
Sniper, if you only have 7 washers, you can't be engaging at 1800 rpm, if so somethings not right...maybe a wrong spring, or something else. I think 8 washers had me in around 4500 rpm...idle is around 1200 rpm...I think removing one washer for each puck translates to ~a 500 rpm rise in  engagement rpm.

As for changing weights. Once installed I leave the clutch on for changing weights. Cut a holder tool out of alumium (see Red's Clutch write up) or even just bend a piece of flat bar into a sqare "U" tight enough to hold the clutch halves together as it sits on the machine. Wedge the "U" or holder tool onto the clutch, then remove the crank/clutch bolt. remove the cover and be careful to watch which puck come from which slot, mark them so they go back in where they came from.

Hope that helps ;)

PilotSniper

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« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2005, 09:59:36 PM »
Yeah! What he said! :wink:


I know that my memory isn't what it used to be, so I'm sure (after you brought it up, of course) that my numbers are off. If I remember (hah!), I'll edit my post after the next run with the Digatron and see what my true numbers are. I know I wrote them down somewhere, but I can't find them now. Do you see a pattern developing here? :? As for changing the washers (adding or removing) you're still essentially removing the clutch, right? I wish the design had some way of changing washers without having to undo the main clutch bolt. That bugger is a #$%^&* to tighten!
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left!  :shock:

ludedude

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« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2005, 10:09:38 PM »
I put a pipe wrench on the clutch on one of the puck holders, and let it run up against the frame, then use my long torque wrench. Been meaning to make a  clutch tool to use instead of the pipe wrench..... :roll:

canpilot

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« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2005, 01:01:21 AM »
Quote
As for changing weights. Once installed I leave the clutch on for changing weights. Cut a holder tool out of alumium (see Red's Clutch write up) or even just bend a piece of flat bar into a sqare "U" tight enough to hold the clutch halves together as it sits on the machine. Wedge the "U" or holder tool onto the clutch, then remove the crank/clutch bolt. remove the cover and be careful to watch which puck come from which slot, mark them so they go back in where they came from.

Yeah, we did that when we put Dean's new clutch in, but put in 11 weights. ported 400. I'm not sure what my LT has until I get the machine, but Dean seemed to think it worked pretty good with 11. The more weights, the higher the engagement AND top end speed if you change nothing else and the rev limiter isn't affected right?

ludedude

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« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2005, 07:34:35 AM »
...hold on..

The more weights you put in, the lower the engagement RP becomes. Remember, it's a centrifugal clutch...as it spins round the pucks want to slide out and push the halves together because of the taper slide they are on. More weight means it doesn't have to spin as fast for the pucks to overcome the spring force and push the halves together....less weigths and you need more centrifugal force to overcome the spring force  =  higher rpm.

Top speed. If you put too few weights in you may, as Dean experienced, hit the rev-limiter before topping out on the clutch movement..hence clutch tuning, what are you aiming for. I don't think I would go below 7 or 8 weights myself....doesn't matter what's done to the engine, it's going to slam into motion and be very jerky on take-offs....the more weights you have in the smoother your take-off is, it's easier for trail riding this way, you're not breaking traction, with every blip of the throttle.

Best case is (IMO) to have as many weights in as allows you to take off with the amount of pull as desired, build torque into your engine to allow it to pull hard on bottom end.

PilotSniper

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« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2005, 08:50:56 AM »
Yeah! What he said!!! (again) :wink:

I'm ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, VERY EXTREMELY happy with the way my setup turned out. Did I mention that I was happy? :P Anyways, I think what Lude's alluding to <---(I kill myself!) is that it's your Pilot, so set it up the way YOU want it set up. He's also correct on the explanation of washers vs. rpm's. Play around with it (and the Pilot, too) until you get it set up how you like it.

Anyone looking to hire a sit-down comedian? :mrgreen:
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left!  :shock:

ludedude

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« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2005, 10:01:59 AM »
Quote from: "PilotSniper"
Yeah! What he said!!! (again) :wink:

I'm ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, VERY EXTREMELY happy with the way my setup turned out. Did I mention that I was happy? :P Anyways, I think what Lude's alluding to <---(I kill myself!) is that it's your Pilot, so set it up the way YOU want it set up. He's also correct on the explanation of washers vs. rpm's. Play around with it (and the Pilot, too) until you get it set up how you like it.

Anyone looking to hire a sit-down comedian? :mrgreen:


You kill me, you really do. Hey...can you save some of those videos you linked to in the humour section...Some of them you can do a save page when at the videp page....it'll save a broswer page and a file folder, in the folder will be the flash file *.swf or whatever video format it's in...upload that to the gallery in the humour section there...I can't view the video links at work...damn filters...and they're too big for me to d/l on dial-up  :p

Back to out regular disccusion on clutches ;)

Everyone's going to do it a little different and it really depends on your driving style and terrain. Remember, higher engagments, are harder on the gear.....I wonder what shock loads those clutch packs take before they slip?? Anyone ever think they felt it slip? Would they slip before enough torque is applied to harm a healthy CV joint? I assume that's how they're designed...for the over-revving in the air during jumps...to absorb the impact on touch-down..I'm wondering how they protect to shock loads on engagement if at all...like wheelies on pavement...hope to get some video this weekend...although the weahters supposed to suck :(

canpilot

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« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2005, 10:35:29 AM »
... thanx guys, I really meant harder, not higher - it was late. I guess the simple fact that this system is using a belt rather than a chain is taking up alot of the load. It would be wild if these had chain-drives, could you imagine the torque? Oh well, we'll just keep buying belts. Either way, I would really like to get a few of these clutches and do some testing- so let's get some on order all you Pilot riders, Brian is willing to put together another order on these if we have the interest!. I like the way they seem very simple to work on and in design.

ludedude

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« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2005, 10:46:37 AM »
If you visit the other boards, throw a post on there as well. I'm trying to stay away from posting anything that might be viewed as "commercial" on the other boards, I know that shoots me in the foot for when I try to get anything like another clutch deal going, but I don't want to get caught up in the "politics" of others views either.

canpilot

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« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2005, 10:53:33 AM »
... sure - I'll do that. And I understand fully what you mean.

ludedude

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« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2005, 11:02:53 AM »
Thanks Collin ;)

canpilot

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« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2005, 11:08:21 AM »
... no problemo.