Primary Clutch Removal

[J-Train]

I cannot get this sucker off, tried cranking on it about 10 times now, poured hot water over it while I was doing it, gave it a couple of light smacks, wont budge!!

anything else I can do?

 

[Ron]

Teflon tape to the puller threads and try a heat gun instead of the water. Some try the hydrolic method but the last resort is an impact wrench with heat. Just make sure you hold the clutch with one hand so that the pistons don't slap while using it. If the impact doesn't get it the Polaris Service Manual says to try the tap on the end of the puller. All else fails-all that's left now is a Plasma to cut off the clutch.

 

[Rob1334]

If you use a plasma to cut it off, be sure to take lots of pics for us!!!

 

[skibreeze]

Crank the puller TIGHT, and smack the end of the puller. Others swear by pumping in grease then putting the puller in. I've never had to resort to that though.

 

[turbodiesel5.9]

I have found over the years that if you ride the sled and get it warmed up before you remove the bolt and use the puller it comes off better. I had one that was sitting in the shop overnight and I could not get the clutch off, put the bolt back in and went for a quick ride, came back and the clutch came off no problem, maybe I got lucky but its worth a try. Unless the sled is dead then follow skibreeze directions.

 

[towny]

1, Put the sled up on its side.
2, Fill the bolt hole with water.
3, Wrap the threads of your clutch puller heavily with Teflon tape.
4, Get the puller started into the clutch threads while the sled is still on its side.
5, Put sled back on the level and “Quickly” proceed to remove clutch as normal.
6, Wipe or blow off the water on the clutch & engine tapers, don’t forget the internal thread on the crank taper!!
7, Spray on some WD-40 and wipe dry. (To prevent rust)

Have had to use this method quite a few times. It does work!

 

[High Velocity]

towny, speaking of filling it with water, my dealer told me a trick a couple years ago regarding water. Put sled outside in the cold. With sled on its side, fill bolt hole with water and install puller . Tighten puller up and leave sled outside overnight for water to freeze. It will expand and pop clutch off.

 

[Gettin2old]

towny, speaking of filling it with water, my dealer told me a trick a couple years ago regarding water. Put sled outside in the cold. With sled on its side, fill bolt hole with water and install puller . Tighten puller up and leave sled outside overnight for water to freeze. It will expand and pop clutch off.

As a last chance method I would consider that option, But there have been reports of the clutch breaking becuase of this method.

If all else fails, and the only other option is cutting it off, I would do it.

 

[sdsmith]

clutch removal

What does filling the hole with water do??
just curious??

 

[Gettin2old]

What does filling the hole with water do??
just curious??

There are 2 different techniques that use water, One is to use it as a "hydraulic helper" Water does not compress, So when you seal it in between the clutch and a puller the force will usually seperate the clutch bore from the crankshaft. This can aslo be done with grease.

The other way is to use the expansion of frozen water to do the work for you, By filling the bolt hole with water, sealing it with a puller wrapped in teflon tape and letting it freeze, the expansion of the freezing water creates enough force to seperate the 2 peices.

In rare caes is has broken the steel on the clutch, use it as a last ditch effort before garbbing a cutting torch or a saw.

 

[dbenetti]

I have had to use a 2 foot cheater bar on a 1/2 inch ratchet, it will come off. Good luck.

 

[krat]

I have had to use a 2 foot cheater bar on a 1/2 inch ratchet, it will come off. I suggest Anti-Sieze when you put it back on. Good luck.

don't use anti-seize, the clutch will spin on the taper. if you don't torque it like crazy it will come off easier next time. see Ron's thread for torque specs
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87640

 

[TREE_MAGNET_777]

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER USE ANTISEIZE and then NEVER use antiseize YOU WILL F U YOUR CRANK

 

[yardsale_oem]

don't use anti-seize, the clutch will spin on the taper. if you don't torque it like crazy it will come off easier next time.
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87640

what he said!!

 

[ElectroTech]

If you use the water to freeze, or oil to hydraulic it off its bet to use a bolt instead of the puller, this way you can try to compress over a longer distance. oh and if trying to freeze it off make sure you put a towl inside the belly pan or it might crack if the clutch breaks free violently.

 

[Gen2]

I used the hydraulic method a few times. The last time i did it, it swelled the center hub of the clutch up so much , the moveable sheave bushing would wedge tight on it. I'd also recommend the towel or a peice of rope through the clutch.
Also the last hydraulic one i did with the motor on the bench. It popped off so hard it punched me in the stomach, and then landed at my feet on the cement floor, busting a BIG chunk out of the fixed sheave. 500 mile primary clutch converted to junk in a blink of an eye.

 

[dbenetti]

I had the pri. and sec. mixed up. Good call! Have used cheater bar though. But used a little A-S on the secondary. On the pri. would be a recipe for disaster!

 

[vwsprite]

this thread helped tremendously with my clutch issue,
i had a broken bolt and was still able to remove the primary, and just unscrew the rest of the bolt, i used the grease method, tapered electrical tape on a 3/4 fine thread bolt, with a little teflon tape, and pow off it came.
thanks sw

 

[stumpy2000]

in extreme cases i've warmed the clutch hub slightly with a soldering torch while tensioning the puller (with and w/out grease...messy!) and/or lightly tapping the puller bolthead with a hammer.IMPORTANT:you have to be aware of any bushings,seals or fuel leaks etc.-they could really ruin your day(and shop-lol)OH YEAH!use a good quality puller so you don't f-up the threads too!

 

[Jkinzer]

sounds like a familiar experience... had a clutch spin the crank end last year on my 900... the clutch actually broke in half and the rear sheave spun in the crank and welded itself to the crank end... ended up using the plsma cutter to get down close the crank but then didnt want to take any crank material off. once we were down to the collar we then used a 1500 ton puller and it still took an arm and a leg to get it off.... good luck.. hopeuflly yours isnt as bad as mine was