High altitude guys...Clutch engagement

[Chazmanian]

I have Rooster builts clutching in my 09' 154. 20/45 gearing. 15.4 Pin wieght.

Spoke with Winter Brew and he was thinking that my clutch should be engaging at 4000-4100. Mine engages at 4500-4600. I adjusted the belt deflection until it creeped very slightly on my trackstand. I then doubled checked the engement RPM's on the stand and it was 4100-4200.

I then took it to the snow and it dosent actually grab and go til about 4500-4600...It was 4800-4900 until I adjusted the belt to ride a bit higher in the pulley. That line on the belt is about deadnuts even with the top of the pulley itself.

Spoke with Paul and he is thinking that us uber high altitude guys 8000-11000 with the light pin wieghts may be seeing later clutch engagement....I'm running Roosters recommended 15.4 gram pin wieght based on my size, mods and altitude.

I'm a first year Rook' and the clutching feels really good. My experienced buddies have ridden my sled and are pissed that Rooster dosent have clutch kits for their "Other Brands" claiming that mine works better than anything they have ever ridden.....That being said we all agreed that maybe it engages a bit late.

When I bought the sled and the dealer set it up with stock stuff it also engaged high at 4800.

Is this an issue with my high elevation and light pin weight or???

I cant adjust the deflection any higher or the sled will run away from me if I leave it idling. We took our time during the install and a Bddy with lots of experience helped on the clutch install....Everything seemed to go in only one way and short of that high RPM engagement the thing flat out rips.....

Is this something i should be addressing closer? Do you other light pin high elevation have this high RPM engagemnt thing going on as well?

Thanks!

.

 

[birdie]

Your clutch engagement is more of a primary spring issue
there are different springs you can use to have an early engagement

Not sure which ones comes with the kit you have but maybe ask them if there is a softer engagement spring and yet the same finishing at Top end shift out

Nice to hear it is working good otherwise

birdie

 

[klubbo]

my first couple of rides with the roostre built kit found the engagement a little high,(4600), but after a couple rides, and adjusting belt deflection, i'm now getting engagement at 4000 dead on, with no creep at idle....pulling 81-8200 rpm up steep hills in over 2' of fresh...riding between 6500-9000'....if yours was engaging higher than 3700-3900 stock, then something might be up???

 

[Chazmanian]

my first couple of rides with the roostre built kit found the engagement a little high,(4600), but after a couple rides, and adjusting belt deflection, i'm now getting engagement at 4000 dead on, with no creep at idle....pulling 81-8200 rpm up steep hills in over 2' of fresh...riding between 6500-9000'....if yours was engaging higher than 3700-3900 stock, then something might be up???

4800 stock. I'm pulling 8100 at clicker setting #4 on steep hills with fresh snow as well.

Its cool when you guys from BC can use words like "Litre" and "Roostre" LOL!!

 

[klubbo]

hey man...it's early, and my fingers aren't warmed up yet!!

 

[klubbo]

chaz, are you staying on clicker#4, or do you ever change it?

 

[Insaneboltrounder/sjohns]

Sounds like you just need a softer start on the spring. Ask paul what his is and order the next one lower , start number only. Dont run your belt so tight that the sled moves at idle. I set mine so the track barely moves when the track is off the ground.

 

[Chazmanian]

chaz, are you staying on clicker#4, or do you ever change it?

We were at 11K yesterday and thats clicker 4 territory....8000-9000ish is clicker 3 land.

So yeah I have the quick clickers and I change accirdongly to hit that magic 8100 hill conquering RPM!!

 

[Chazmanian]

Sounds like you just need a softer start on the spring. Ask paul what his is and order the next one lower , start number only. Dont run your belt so tight that the sled moves at idle. I set mine so the track barely moves when the track is off the ground.

I set mine where the thing barely moved on the trackstand but it was almost like my derned settings changed when I went from 6000 feet at my house to 11,000 feet on the Mountain?

Suddenly I had a case of creepy sled!!

I'm gonna readjust the belt height to eliminate the creepage and probably get with Paul on a softer spring.....That secondary spring part of the job sucks though as we hafta pull the jackshaft.

 

[Chazmanian]

hey man...it's early, and my fingers aren't warmed up yet!!

Just Joshin' ya!!

 

[winter brew]

The issue with dropping the spring # at engagement is it effects alot more than just engagement RPM....it will be a lower # all the way to full shift as well.....so you will lose RPM everywhere, lose throttle response in the mid, slower backshift too.
I would check for tight primary bushings, I have seen a couple....they should slide freely. The fact that it was that high with the stock clutching leads me to believe there is "something" tight in the primary.
If you want to experiment give me a call, but I think dropping that spring down will be a compromise you won't like. Easy enough to change it back though

 

[Chazmanian]

The issue with dropping the spring # at engagement is it effects alot more than just engagement RPM....it will be a lower # all the way to full shift as well.....so you will lose RPM everywhere, lose throttle response in the mid, slower backshift too.
I would check for tight primary bushings, I have seen a couple....they should slide freely. The fact that it was that high with the stock clutching leads me to believe there is "something" tight in the primary.
If you want to experiment give me a call, but I think dropping that spring down will be a compromise you won't like. Easy enough to change it back though

That makes good sense Paul. Is it this bushing #19 with an arrow that they say to oil that we forgot to oil? Is that the one you are reffering to?

 

[Insaneboltrounder/sjohns]

The belt gets hotter and stickier once it run , thats why the change once you are on the hill. s

 

[Chazmanian]

The belt gets hotter and stickier once it run , thats why the change once you are on the hill. s

See that diagram above? Ya' think those bushings should be oiled as the diagram shows an oil drop by the #5 and #19 bushings. If so what should I oil em or grease them with?

 

[Insaneboltrounder/sjohns]

Hmmm this is my 1st year with doo. I have been a cat guy for 10 years and never put oil on a clutch part. I guess it wouldnt be a prob as long as you took things apart to get rid of any buildup that oil will hold belt dust. sj

 

[sledsrock]

DO NOT oil those bushings.........that is loctite for installing them.

 

[sledsrock]

Scroll down further in the parts call-out and you will see it is loctite.

 

[winter brew]

#19 and #4 should both slide freely on the main shaft. I have seen a couple that were TIGHT.
Also, if you take the clutch apart make sure the cotter pins on the pin weights are cut short and folded over tight.....they can get hung up if they are left long or not tight against the arm.
And yes, that is for loctite bushing retainer for the bushing install but nothing you need to worry about. no oil anywhere near the clutch

 

[Chazmanian]

#19 and #4 should both slide freely on the main shaft. I have seen a couple that were TIGHT.
Also, if you take the clutch apart make sure the cotter pins on the pin weights are cut short and folded over tight.....they can get hung up if they are left long or not tight against the arm.
And yes, that is for loctite bushing retainer for the bushing install but nothing you need to worry about. no oil anywhere near the clutch

Gotcha....I didnt think we should be oiling anything after I spent all those hours cleaning the guts of the deal....

Clipped the cotters and folded them tight as well.

Gonna yank it apart tonight.

Thanks Gents!