cat clutch works
When you have to take the clutch apart, the correct tools are good, they haven''t change in 30 years.
1. fixture tools to hold the clutch, and old 33mm crank end in a vise can work, the $35 one from HPE with the two studs sticking up into your clutch works great. 33mm for M8, most of the old comet stuff is 30MMt
2. you need the deep well socket to take off the spider locking nut
3. propane torch.
Need a spyder removal tool , you usually find someone with the old comet tool that work the best, I welded a 4' piece of 1" heavy wall square tubing on mine. If you have the newer style socket type, you'll need a stout 1/2" drive racthed or similar with 4' cheater pipe to put over the handle.
4. put the clutch in tool holder clamped in a pretty well anchored vise.drop in a clutch bolt and tighten it.
heat the locking nut with propane torch to 800 degress and take off the locking nut.
5. make sure the spyder tool is going to make good purchase on the spyder.
begin heating the spyder slowly, moving the torch evenly generally on the under side of the spyder, about 5 mintes of carefull heating give it a try, another minute or so........try again, keep it up, it will come off. "Spyders are ruined because mechanics just don' take the time and have the patience to evenly heat up the spyder to around 900 degrees. A quick heat job can change the aluminum in the spyder and it can fail. Use too much force with out loosening the loc tite you will pull the threads.
6 clean all the loc tite out of the threads on both spindle and spyder before reassembly, then wire brush it clean then use electrical cleaner or loc tite cleaner before reassembly.Toque to..............there's numbers somewhere and I put a torque wrench socket on my extension and figure it all out about 1988 ? Just put it on tight but don't get crazy or you will pull the threads.
7 to take the clutch off the clutch holder, loosen the clutch bolt about 4 turns, loosen the vise, let the back of the clutch sit on the vise with the tool holder hanging out the back of the clutch, take a big drift punch and whack the bolt head of the clutch bolt, it will drop free with a couple of taps.
8. Patience mostly on these things. I did an M5 an M8 and a Polaris Razor over christmas. All were on pretty tite. The razor clutch was rejected by dealership as no good and said no tools to take those apart any more ?
The M5 needed proper belt clearance which was a cat screw up on the m series that year. The m8 clutch had a bad roller, I havent heard how the guy is making out with it, maybe no news is good news. The razor had 14,000 miles on it, what more can I say.
Sometimes its just easier to pull out 300 for a new clurtch. But thats not always necessry. Check around, some old duffer will have the tools to do this job.
