Etching your clutch sheaves?
- Thread starter Pro-8250
- Start date
H
Hrt Offroad
Active member
Same here...I pull the belt, fire up the sled and give the primary a light scuff from top to bottom (watch your fingers) with a scotch-brite pad or fine emery cloth and then do the secondary manually
Acetone?
I read an article in Snowest a few years ago on clutch maintenance. I believe it said to never use anything other than hot soapy water on your clutch for cleaning. Does anyone else remember that article?
H
Hrt Offroad
Active member
I read an article in Snowest a few years ago on clutch maintenance. I believe it said to never use anything other than hot soapy water on your clutch for cleaning. Does anyone else remember that article?
Cleaning your clutches and scuffing your sheaves are 2 very different things. I believe that this article would refer to not using cleaning materials that may have corrosive ingredients in them that may be harmful to aluminum. In time...your clutches will become glazed which will promote slippage - increasing heat and possibly take away from belt life...therefore the need to scuff them up IMO
Couple times per season I pull clutches apart, clean them off best I can with brake clean then scrub them in the hottest water I can stand and use automatic dishwasher detergent (cut oil real well). Use a stainless brush followed by scotchbrite pad, rinse and blow dry with compressed air. Do the same to belts. Care and feeding, works good-last long time.
A nice lavender smelling soap is what the P85 seems to prefer.
Used to run the motor with scotchbrite pad, worked good on primary, but don't recommend that procedure on the secondary. Please don't ask why, I don't like to talk about that.
A nice lavender smelling soap is what the P85 seems to prefer.
Used to run the motor with scotchbrite pad, worked good on primary, but don't recommend that procedure on the secondary. Please don't ask why, I don't like to talk about that.
Couple times per season I pull clutches apart, clean them off best I can with brake clean then scrub them in the hottest water I can stand and use automatic dishwasher detergent (cut oil real well). Use a stainless brush followed by scotchbrite pad, rinse and blow dry with compressed air. Do the same to belts. Care and feeding, works good-last long time.
A nice lavender smelling soap is what the P85 seems to prefer.
Used to run the motor with scotchbrite pad, worked good on primary, but don't recommend that procedure on the secondary. Please don't ask why, I don't like to talk about that.
OUCH
H
Hrt Offroad
Active member
Couple times per season I pull clutches apart, clean them off best I can with brake clean then scrub them in the hottest water I can stand and use automatic dishwasher detergent (cut oil real well). Use a stainless brush followed by scotchbrite pad, rinse and blow dry with compressed air. Do the same to belts. Care and feeding, works good-last long time.
A nice lavender smelling soap is what the P85 seems to prefer.
Used to run the motor with scotchbrite pad, worked good on primary, but don't recommend that procedure on the secondary. Please don't ask why, I don't like to talk about that.
Ooooops
You want them clean and without "glaze"
BUT...
The same "etch" that may grab the belt better, may also resist more the upshift of the clutch.
I prefer to go no more than the finer GRAY scotchbrite followed by an acetone wipe on a clean cloth, changing until I get no more residue. This will cut any glaze but not rough up the faces too much.
Also... The belt is just as important as the clutch faces... you need to scrub those suckkas often.. those get glazed and if you look a one with a couple of hundred miles on it... you will see a bit of aluminum film on them too... Scrub your belts as outlined in lots of posts before... you will be glad you did.
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BUT...
The same "etch" that may grab the belt better, may also resist more the upshift of the clutch.
I prefer to go no more than the finer GRAY scotchbrite followed by an acetone wipe on a clean cloth, changing until I get no more residue. This will cut any glaze but not rough up the faces too much.
Also... The belt is just as important as the clutch faces... you need to scrub those suckkas often.. those get glazed and if you look a one with a couple of hundred miles on it... you will see a bit of aluminum film on them too... Scrub your belts as outlined in lots of posts before... you will be glad you did.
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I remember reading a post on here some where that this person would scuff up his clutches and then PUT them in the dishwasher and let it run through a cycle or two. I don't recall if he dried them in it as well. Guess it wouldn't hurt anything and they do quite well getting nasty baked on food off of pans and such.
Aluminum is very pores and any chemical you put on it may soak into it and can resurface when it gets warm. Soap and hot water is the best in my opinion.
hey 4z and mountainhorse
when you guys talk about cleaning belts i've tried and i start getting nervous when the cord starts to frey a bit thinking it will pull out sooner
should i not worry about that?
thanks
when you guys talk about cleaning belts i've tried and i start getting nervous when the cord starts to frey a bit thinking it will pull out sooner
should i not worry about that?
thanks
That was my point outside of the etching question. Thanks.
This is why I use acetone.. does not leave a residue.
Some alcohols will do this as well as some soaps.
My big point is do not "etch" the clutch....sure some fine scotchbrite to clean them... but don't go overboard.
As far as washing belts... I don't have problems pulling cords If one is already hanging... I use a small propane torch to remove the "hanging cord" before scrubbing the belt... I use a stiff small brush and Purple-Power grease cleaner. And a scalding hot water rinse.
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Some alcohols will do this as well as some soaps.
My big point is do not "etch" the clutch....sure some fine scotchbrite to clean them... but don't go overboard.
As far as washing belts... I don't have problems pulling cords If one is already hanging... I use a small propane torch to remove the "hanging cord" before scrubbing the belt... I use a stiff small brush and Purple-Power grease cleaner. And a scalding hot water rinse.
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X2^^ except one point, acetone and some alcohols can was crud into the pores even though there is not a residue left behind. Don't know this for sure as I can't see into those pores.... just a hunch and proly splitting hairs at this point.
For 20yrs I have been scoring my clutches with 180 grit emery cloth. Always scuffed them so the lines were almost square to the belt in a way that if it was to effect the belt it pulled it into the clutches. Never polish or score in line with the direction of travel, across to let air escape and better bite. Always did them the same way so if it does pull the belt a bit I wouldn't know because when I clutched my machines the way I wanted them nothing changed once set up.
I will run over them with a fine emery cloth...mine do go in the dishwasher...along with the belts...on heavy duty pot and pan cycle...with heated dry..for detergent..best results I have gotten have been with cascade crystals.....my dragon I changed the belt at 1500 miles(it still looked perfect, was down almost .05" on the width from new..), its still hanging at the cabin as a backup.....still had the second belt on it when I sold it last winter with 3600 miles on it....
Thats amazing! How often do you clean them this way? By the way, I am the lone polaris, ride with about 9 cat guys. just on our trip to west yellowstone for 5 days of riding, i watched all but 2 change belts. an m1000 went through 3 belts in 400 miles. I can't wait to tell them your story!
