Author Topic: 94C Clutch for FL350  (Read 10029 times)

ed43082

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94C Clutch for FL350
« on: April 13, 2006, 11:14:19 PM »
I just replaced my FL350 clutch with a new 94C. I like the lower engagement it has over the 102C that was on it. When I first put it on I sprayed it with Comet Clutch Lube. It was quiet compared to my old clutch. I ran it around the yard a couple of times and it worked great. Then it developed this loud screeching/chirping noise at idle and a scraping noise when it disengages. Is this normal?

I took the face off and sprayed the bushings but it didn't help.

Is it defective or do all these 94C clutches make this type of irritating noise.

It came set up with orange spring and 9 pucks. That's how I installed it. Out of the box.

The belt looks to be within tolerance and good shape.

Any ideas on how to correct this?

nuke em

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« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2006, 10:09:30 AM »
I have never run a 94C but I have lots of 102Cs.  It should be fairly quiet though. I would disasssemble it and do an inspection, something is not right. Its not the driven clutch by chance is it? If you have a camera, take some pics of the clutch disassembled too. Maybe try one less puck on each too?

FL670R

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Re: 94C Clutch for FL350
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2006, 02:47:01 PM »
Quote from: "ed43082"
I just replaced my FL350 clutch with a new 94C. I like the lower engagement it has over the 102C that was on it. When I first put it on I sprayed it with Comet Clutch Lube. It was quiet compared to my old clutch. I ran it around the yard a couple of times and it worked great. Then it developed this loud screeching/chirping noise at idle and a scraping noise when it disengages. Is this normal?

I took the face off and sprayed the bushings but it didn't help.

Is it defective or do all these 94C clutches make this type of irritating noise.

It came set up with orange spring and 9 pucks. That's how I installed it. Out of the box.

The belt looks to be within tolerance and good shape.

Any ideas on how to correct this?


screeching/chirping sounds like the belt - you didn't get any clutch lube on it did you ??? - Try a new belt and see if it goes away

Scraping noise - That is not GOOD  - The 94c is almost bullet proof and will be very quiet - execpt at idle you may hear the pucks siding a little but it should not be sraping anything

Make sure the back side of your clutch is not hitting or rubbing on anything like maybe a motor case bolt or starter bolt that came loose...

In netural have someone rev the motor slightly while you listen to try and identify the source of the sounds....

Keep us posted

ed43082

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« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2006, 08:03:29 PM »
The clutch is not hitting anything. I ran it without the belt and the same metal to metal chirping noise. The driven spins freely. I don't think that is the problem. I removed 3 of the pucks and the chirping sound seemed to not happen as much. When I run the throttle up to engage the clutch the noise goes away. The clutch is engaging at about 3200 rpm so I think that is good too.

I put the old 102C back on and the noise doesn't exist. Although the 102C has rattling noises of it's own the squealing/chirping is not there.

I had been told where I bought it to spray the Comet lube everywhere inside the clutch. So I did. When I took it apart I sprayed the dome and the entire inside plus I sprayed the bushings. I papers that came with it says to only spray the inner and outer bushings. Nothing else. Maybe that is what is wrong. I am going to try to clean out all that lube and try it again to see what happens. If that doesn't fix it then I'm going to go back to the 102C. At least it works. Maybe see if Aftershock Motorsports will let me return it for a new 102C instead. Then I'll just play with the springs for a lower engagement.

Does anybody know if these clutches are balanced or should they be? My motor even seems to run rougher with the 94C on it.

nuke em

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94C Clutch for FL350
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2006, 11:06:03 AM »
Thanks for the update. All clutches are factory balanced that I know of. What are you using to remove the comet lube? I would lube only the parts that the paperwork says to and then retry the clutch. Keep us posted.

You can simply change the spring in the 102C to get the stall/inguagement that you like. They are pretty cheap. Odyssey Salvage in KC has a link to the Comet charts, or just do a search. I think I have several lower stall springs in the garage somewhere. Let me know what size/color you want, and you can have it if I own it. I like the high stalls(I ride it like I just stole it), LOL.

Gary

greasemnky

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« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2006, 11:44:21 AM »
Just an aside, I've used PB Blasters dry lube instead of the Comet lube for quite some time. Works just as well if not better, and is 1/3 the price.

When you install the Comet clutches, are you marking the bolt and clutch with a line so you can tell if the clutch is slipping on the shaft?

ed43082

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« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2006, 08:52:01 PM »
I'll try marking the line to see if it actually slipping on the shaft. Seems hard to believe it could do this with having to use a puller to get it off but it's worth the inspection to see.

I used gas and brake cleaner to cut the lube out of the clutch. Even with that it was near impossible to remove. Once I got it somewhat clean I put it back on and it had no noise. After a few minutes it was back but not as loud. I through the RMP gage on and my idle was only running at 900 - 950. It also seemed to be running a little rich at idle. The throttle seemed a little sluggish in the first 1/4. I want to make sure the clip on my needle didn't slip. If not, then I will drop the pilot jet down a size and raise the idle back up to 1250 and see what that does to make the noise go away. I'll play with it a little more and see if I can't get the noise to stop completely.

I might just go back to the 102C if I can't get the noise to go away. I want a spring that is close to stock. I just trail ride around here and the yellow spring seems to be a bit much for that purpose. I'm not sure what spring I'll need to accomplish what I'm looking for.

I saw a cheap 94C on ebay. Might bid on it just to see if it creates the same noise I'm experiencing.

Moskito

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94C Clutch for FL350
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2006, 11:03:33 PM »
First off, WELCOME to the POPS site!
It's always good to see new people join!

Quote from: "ed43082"
I used gas and brake cleaner to cut the lube out of the clutch. Even with that it was near impossible to remove.
Oohhh.... Bad...

Gasoline's a bad cleaner - there are lots better things out there.

Next time, try, believe it or not, Simple Green.   Acetone's also another good grease remover.

Simple green everything, then use hot (as you can stand), soapy water and a brush.  Give it a couple baths and see how it works.

Acetone is great for final surface cleaning.  Use it on the faces of the clutch.

Check your clutch and make sure that the marks line up for the balance.  They will usually have some sort of marking - maybe ink, paint, a cast nub - something.  There should be one on each clutch half.  If you got it put back together w/o them being lined up, well, there could be the vibration issue.

Is your belt new?  Old?  Do the sides of it have a shine or are they dull?

How about the clutch faces?  Shiny???   Take a scotchbrite pad to them and lightly rub any shine off the faces. - then acetone them.

With a new belt, you need to break it in.  (Yes, I was surprised to hear this too).

Run it fairly hard for about 10 minutes and then let it sit for a while.  The idea is to heat up the sides so that the rubber sort of seals itself and then it, for lack of a better word, tempers.

Do this on all new belts and they'll actually last a bit longer than normal.  Weird, but it works.

Quote from: "ed43082"
It also seemed to be running a little rich at idle. The throttle seemed a little sluggish in the first 1/4. I want to make sure the clip on my needle didn't slip.
The clip can't slip - it's stuck in a groove...  :?
Well, it's SUPPOSED to be stuck in a groove...   8)

The needle doesn't really do much until you get closer to the 1/4 throttle setting anyhow, so it sounds like you're working with the air screw.

Here's a little info on jetting.  <---- clicky on the linky!  :D
Moskito - Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming \'WOW-What a Ride!\'

greasemnky

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« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2006, 11:37:44 PM »
Simple green is the greatest product this side of PB Blaster! I keep it in a 2 gallon sprayer, and use it for everything from degreasing, to cleaning the bathroom! Seriously, if you have a fiberglass bathtub, general cleaners destroy the finish, simple green works great.

For everything else, theres carb cleaner ;) LOL

ed43082

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« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2006, 11:40:19 PM »
Thanks. I usually posted on Pilot Mike's page. Looks like most the same people over here. That's good.

Needle slip. Yeah, well I'm a quadreplegic and my son does all my wrenching for me. I'm not sure if it was from my hand control mod not having a throttle stop or when my son first set the needle clip after the rebuild and was putting it back together, the clip got bent and pushed the needle up past the grooves. Needless to say I was using a quart of gas in about 5 minutes and running like crap. Changed the jets a hundred times before I figured it out. Hoping when I was riding it the other day to try out the new clutch my modified throttle didn't cause it again. Will check first this time. If it did I will rig a throttle stop on the hand control.

I will try the simple green cleaner to see if that does the trick.

I am working on getting a web site up on my journey to modify this bike so I can ride it. Once I get it up I will drop the link so you can see what I've done. Been a 2 year process and hoping this is the year I'll get to ride it every weekend.  I know I had lots of people interested in what I was doing on Pilot Mike's page but my post got blocked because of some arguments between members that had nothing to do about my post but that's another story for another time.

Anyhow, thanks. I enjoy the site and all the advise. Happy to become a member of your community.

ludedude

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« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2006, 11:54:43 PM »
Cool....if you need help or space on documenting what you;ve done (are doing) I be happy to help...set up another blog or something like that...

Moskito

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« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2006, 12:11:17 AM »
Quote from: "ed43082"
Thanks. I usually posted on Pilot Mike's page. Looks like most the same people over here. That's good.
Yes, many people off of Mike's board and off of KiowA's too. (POOA).  It's a great group of people, in general.

Quote from: "ed43082"
Needle slip. Yeah, well I'm a quadreplegic and my son does all my wrenching for me. I'm not sure if it was from my hand control mod not having a throttle stop or when my son first set the needle clip after the rebuild and was putting it back together, the clip got bent and pushed the needle up past the grooves. Needless to say I was using a quart of gas in about 5 minutes and running like crap. Changed the jets a hundred times before I figured it out. Hoping when I was riding it the other day to try out the new clutch my modified throttle didn't cause it again. Will check first this time. If it did I will rig a throttle stop on the hand control.
Interesting - the needle shouldn't ever touch anything on either end.  It slides down into the emulsion tube that the main jet's attached to at the bottom, and well, if there's something above the needle in the slide area, it's not correct.  

Quote from: "ed43082"
I am working on getting a web site up on my journey to modify this bike so I can ride it. Once I get it up I will drop the link so you can see what I've done. Been a 2 year process and hoping this is the year I'll get to ride it every weekend.
Get it up on the web!!!    Just do a realtime updating of you site as you move along - makes it more fun, keeps your tale of the build more current and accurate too.  I've been doing it for 8 years now.

Quote from: "ed43082"
I know I had lots of people interested in what I was doing on Pilot Mike's page but my post got blocked because of some arguments between members that had nothing to do about my post but that's another story for another time.
Oh yes, I know of these issues very, very well.  Bummer you got hit by them too.  Oh well.   Get your web pages up and running!

Quote from: "ed43082"
Anyhow, thanks. I enjoy the site and all the advise. Happy to become a member of your community.

Nah, not my community - OUR community!  :D   This place is for all!
Moskito - Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming \'WOW-What a Ride!\'

ludedude

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« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2006, 12:42:57 AM »
Quote from: "Moskito"
Quote from: "ed43082"
Thanks. I usually posted on Pilot Mike's page. Looks like most the same people over here. That's good.
Yes, many people off of Mike's board and off of KiowA's too. (POOA).  It's a great group of people, in general.

Quote from: "ed43082"
Needle slip. Yeah, well I'm a quadreplegic and my son does all my wrenching for me. I'm not sure if it was from my hand control mod not having a throttle stop or when my son first set the needle clip after the rebuild and was putting it back together, the clip got bent and pushed the needle up past the grooves. Needless to say I was using a quart of gas in about 5 minutes and running like crap. Changed the jets a hundred times before I figured it out. Hoping when I was riding it the other day to try out the new clutch my modified throttle didn't cause it again. Will check first this time. If it did I will rig a throttle stop on the hand control.
Interesting - the needle shouldn't ever touch anything on either end.  It slides down into the emulsion tube that the main jet's attached to at the bottom, and well, if there's something above the needle in the slide area, it's not correct.  

Quote from: "ed43082"
I am working on getting a web site up on my journey to modify this bike so I can ride it. Once I get it up I will drop the link so you can see what I've done. Been a 2 year process and hoping this is the year I'll get to ride it every weekend.
Get it up on the web!!!    Just do a realtime updating of you site as you move along - makes it more fun, keeps your tale of the build more current and accurate too.  I've been doing it for 8 years now.

Quote from: "ed43082"
I know I had lots of people interested in what I was doing on Pilot Mike's page but my post got blocked because of some arguments between members that had nothing to do about my post but that's another story for another time.
Oh yes, I know of these issues very, very well.  Bummer you got hit by them too.  Oh well.   Get your web pages up and running!

Quote from: "ed43082"
Anyhow, thanks. I enjoy the site and all the advise. Happy to become a member of your community.

Nah, not my community - OUR community!  :D   This place is for all!


Yeah...what he said :bigthumbup:

ed43082

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« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2006, 01:50:08 PM »
Thanks everyone. I just subscribed to a new web hosting place. I use to have a free place to play when I had Road Runner service but when we moved to DSL that went away. I do large legacy mainframe applications for a living so web development is kind of greek to me. But I am learning the raw html to make it happen. Slowly...lol.  I should have confirmation on the setup at the host tonight so I may be able to start ftping some pages. It will be a work in progress for a long time.

The needle's not touching anything. The clip I believed got bent when my kido probably pushed on it with his hand while putting the spring and connecting the cable back to the slide before installing it back on the carb. That's my best guess. Not a problem. He's 14 and he's learning. I think my current issue is just slow jet and air screw adjustment now that it's getting warmer. Thinking about it more the cable connects to the slide so whether or not I have a throttle stop makes no difference.

I'm going to try to get back on that clutch issue tonight. As I said earlier my 14 yr old does my wrenching so it will depend on his homework load as to when I can get some of his time again. Might not be until this weekend. I'll keep you informed on my progress. Guess I have to. You guys have all the answers to my questions... :D

ludedude

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« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2006, 02:25:09 PM »
keep us updated ;)