Watch out for clutch Det

[nddragon]

Took my 09 D8 Dragon out for first run and made it 300 yards from my garage when I noticed a vibration so I turned around and headed back when the clutch let loose and wrecked my covers, battery, and plastic belly but thankfully I was only going 15 miles per hour and not 90 on a trail or may have lost a leg.
Has anyone seen this before? looks like rust in some cracks of clutch, of course it's off warranty

 

[xc6rider]

In pic #2.....

what's inside you're crankshaft? something broke off in there? Or is that just the way the pic looks?

 

[rmkboxer]

Im thinking they have a bad batch of clutches I haven't seen one come off like that but I have seen pics of them braking on here when being pulled. that is the one thing I am nervous about on my 09, I don't even want to pull the clutch because of that but now I think I want to to make sure its ok

 

[rmkboxer]

In pic #2.....

what's inside you're crankshaft? something broke off in there? Or is that just the way the pic looks?

bolt

 

[xc6rider]

bolt

And of course that makes total sense. God is my brain not working tonight....


It does sound like a bad run of clutches are out there. I also wonder if engine alignment/along with engine mounting isn't causing extra stress on them. it seems alot of guys are finding those problems, it would cause some extra tugging on that clutch.

 

[raymonddean03]

the exact same thing happened to me. here's how it goes last year i had a broken clutch spring on my 08 700 Dragon 163 so i pulled the clutch and replaced it no biggy, had maybe another couple rides and put it away. this year get it out and not 40 miles on it and the primary clutch just falls off while i was doing about 30 down the trail. only 1400 miles on it. i thought the 700s were bullet proof but i guess not. my warranty is also up and I've about had it with these things. i think i'm selling it and buying a timberlsed mountain horse kit and never looking back.

 

[EricW]

Went to pull a buddies primary off an 09 a day ago and the spider retaining nut and spider were loose enough that the two halves of the clutch spun independent of each other. With the puller tool in and the SLP holding tool hooked over a tower, the fixed sheeve and engine turned over backward as I tried to tighten the tool down into the crank.

Had to hold the fixed sheeve by hand and give the puller tool 2 quick blasts from a high output 3/4 drive air gun. Not ideal, but few options at that point. Sending it to Indy Dan to see if it checks out. I don't know how that would have played out given the turbo that we had just installed. I think we actually caught a break. I'll be watching close from now on. Good post. EW

 

[milehighassassin]

Check out this thread:

http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=214103

I have heard this happening all too often. Of all the things happening on the Dragon/RMK, this is what makes me nervous.

I am convinced there is certainly a bad batch of clutches.

Is there anyway to find out the batch number on your clutch?