Max Torque with LO206

[winjone]

Ok guys I am hearing that the max torque is a great clutch once you get in it and get it set up. My nephews are running in the Briggs class this year and I am wondering how to make this clutch work? I get the concept of changing the spring to get it to engage when power is at start of curve but what else do I want to do? or am I way off.

Thanks
Jon

[Jim Donovan]

Just some do's and don'ts. This info mainly applies to the "SS" style clutch which is what comes on the Arctic Cat, Polaris & Ski Doo, Stay away from holding the brake and revving the engine. Start the engine just when you are going up to the line, a cold clutch works best. Don't use any oil that contains Teflon or Silicone near the clutch, these are clutch killers and I mean on any clutch because they are anti-friction and for a clutch to work you need friction. If your races are back to back and you cannot hold your hand on the clutch drum because it is HOT then put some snow on the drum and cool it down. Rust in the drum is better than oil-- improves friction but it will not be there very long so don't worry about it but oil will be there until you wipe it out. DON"T use brake cleaner around the drum when the sprocket is present. It will contaminate the bushing.

Go to the Max-Torque sight and read under HINTS how to get lube to the bushing. Works the same on any clutch. Just wipe out the bushing with a clean rag. Stay away from solvent, gas, or brake cleaner when you are cleaning the bushing or a roller bearing. Great way to ruin them.

Higher engagement with lighter shoes and a black spring. I always recommend to bring several centers to swap them out quick with the various engagements written on the backing plate so you know what is in there and what is does under various snow and temperature conditions. YOU have to keep track of these just like a kart racer keeps a record on all the variables that effect engine , tires, clutch engagement. Leaving the snap ring off makes pulling the center out real easy. You don't have to mess with the chain.

There are several things you can do to the clutch to get more performance -- cut shoes so you have more pressure points to the drum (before you cut them mark them so you keep the two shoes together as a SET, groove the shoes on an angle so they clean the drum of glaze. You can only cut new shoes because once they are work harden forget it you will ruin the saw blade real fast. I normally will only cut three shoes so then it has nine pressure points to the drum instead of 6. You can also mix heavy shoes and light shoes in the clutch but make sure you place them every other shoe so the weight is evenly balanced.

Watch the video on YouTube - "Max Torque clutch assembly video" to see how to reassemble without swearing and saying you are going to kill the dumb guy at Max-Torque that designed this night mare. We can put three together a minute so you know it cannot be that difficult.

[babzog]

Hmmm... I was cleaning my replacement clutch drum last night in the parts washer... the inside was packed with grease. Sprocket was on - never occurred to me that this might be a bad thing. I blew everything dry with compressed air after. Will the bearing be okay if I just lube it and go?

[Jim Donovan]

I would replace the bushing. You didn't say if the parts washer was a hot water or solvent type but to play it safe put a new one in there. Go to your local bearing house and get one because the shipping is more than the bushing. You want an oilite bushing that is in a plastic bag. If they give you one that is loose you don't know if it was sitting in a cardboard box and the bushing would be BONE dry with no lube left in it. The OD is 1.001 and the ID is .875 and the over all length is 1". To get the old one out just take a hacksaw blade and cut it to you reach the sprocket. Once you cut though one side it will fall out. Don't worry about cutting the sprocket --you cannot it is heat treated. Take the sprocket out of the drum when you go to press in the new one so you don't collapse the drum with the pressure. If you don't have an arbor press then just put it in a vice and close the vise which will push the bushing in. The extra material is always on the inside of the sprocket next to the hub. Bushing is flush with the top of the sprocket when viewed from the outside by the snap ring. Any questions call. 630-369-9600

[babzog]

It was a solvent washer.

Why is it a bad thing for the bushing to have been exposed to solvent?

[Jim Donovan]

The bushings used in clutches are powder metal (bronze) oilite. They are very porous and they are impregnated with oil under a vacuum at the factory. The solvent will dissolve the oil and break down any oil that you try and put in they in the future because it is thinner than the oil and will stay in the bushing. Just one of those learning lesson in life you don't want to repeat again because it does ruin the bushing.

To clean the sprocket and bushing just spray it with WD-40 and use an air hose to it and then wipe it clean, place it is a small cup of 30 weight oil and let it sit a few days. For best results read about how to do it with a little heat on my website under HINTS.

[csaracing]

Jim- How does clutch sprocket size relate to clutch performance if any? For example with a snowmobile with 10 tooth sprocket with a 2.5 gear ratio perform the same as 18 tooth sprocket and a 2.5 gear ratio? I would imagine at some point you would start losing lowend torque?

[Jim Donovan]

The bigger gear on the clutch takes longer for engagement just because to complete a revolution it takes longer. You are giving up the hole shot with the bigger gear on the clutch but you certainly will have top end but is there enough time in the race to catch up to prove you have top end? Big gears are fine as long as you don't have to slow down and you got a LONG straight away. The stop watch tells you if you have made a gain or lost ground.