Clutch tuning questions?

[oldyeller]

I'm putting a clutch kit in the viper..What is the easiest way to remove the big nut on the clutch?..Should I just try to find the big 1 1/2 inch socket or whatever it is or stick the nut in the vise and make a tool to turn the clutch??I realize either way will work but looking for the easiest and fastest..Any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated..Also I have the red torsion spring and the yellow,blue and red smaller springs..I'm assuming that is the order from lightest to strongest springs?...Any guesses to which ones would work best with a Uni air filter,rejetted STOCK carb, and boyesen reeds...I also have some 5 gram rollers in the variator....My yard is too small for speed runs but with the 5 gram rollers it will wheelie when you nail it..Quite a change from stock.

[bigdaddy]

We use a impact gun it makes it alot easier. Yellow spring 1000rpm, blue 1500rpm and red 2000rpm.

[oldyeller]

Thanks for the info on the springs...So you would leave the clutch on the atv and use an impact gun with the big socket?..Do you know for sure what size the socket is that fits the big nut?

[BradLoomis]

I would be careful using an impact wrench on the clutch... I know people do it, but the nut is only on about 6 revolutions. By the time the impact loosens the nut it will probably be to late and the whole clutch assembly will come flying apart at you.

I use a tool called a "strap wrench", very inexpensive and can be bought at most hardware stores. Place the clutch nut down in the vise and tighten vise jaws onto the nut. Place strap wrench around the clutch and drive pulley and turn in a counterclockwise direction. Once the nut loosens... remove the strap wrench and the clutch assembly from the vise and then place the assembly in the vise like it would go on the bike. Close the jaws onto the bottom of the assembly (not tight) and hold the top of the cluth assembly with one hand. Now when you squezze the cluth assembly together the nut will be loose enough to un thread by your free hand. Place the nut on the bench and now grab the clutch assembly with both hands and slide it up and out of the vise. Carefully open your hands up to one side to release the spring tension. If you reverse this it will reassemble just as easily and tighten with the strap wrench.

[markvette]

i do exactly as brad said but i use a large set of channel locks instead of the strap wrench. also when you put the nut back on be careful as they cross thread real easy. another little tid bit. the clutch springs can be a pain getting on and off. i use a scratch awl. pop one side of spring off with it. when installing new springs put one end of spring in hole. take point of scratch awl and put other end of spring through it, now put point of scratch awl in hole, push scratch awl forward to stretch spring and it will slide down scratch awl and pop in hole.

Mark

[LT80]

The impact is fine as long as you understand that when the nut comes off it will spring up. The stock spring don't have much oomph anyways.
I question what is needed. If it's wheelieing now, the rear clutch may be fine. I don't see enough mods listed to need anything but a roller weight change (that you did).
Wheelieing tells me your torque spring is not pancaking.
Is it bogging off the line? If so, I agree the lil springs will help.
If no bog and you change springs you may find yourself going slower.

[oldyeller]

Jack you may be absolutely right about the clutch springs...I originally was just going to get some lighter rollers to try and improve the acceleration over the stock setup..I talked to someone at Hetrick's and I ended up getting what I think is basically the clutch kit that goes with a pipe...I can't really tell you what the quad is doing right now since I don't have enough room to test it....I was thinking of just leaving the springs for now but would kind of like to see what they will do....I really don't want to get into it if its not going to help though?

[ATKnewbie]

I too just bought and installed a clutch kit, but the torsion spring I received was yellow?
Are these color coded as well?
If yes, what do the different colors mean?

I installed this along with the new rollers and the small red springs and the quad is quick off the line and to top speed, but top speed appears lower than stock and it by no means pulls the front tires off the ground.

I have left the carb alone at this point, is there that much to gain by re jetting the stock carb and replacing the reeds?

[Arctic Cat Dad]

We have the Hetrick pipe and clutch kit with an airsel 70cc kit on our cat. It has the 5 gram rollers ,red clutch spring, and the red torsion spring and a different clutch. It would pull the wheels off the ground with the stock carb and 35t rear sprocket. But then I put a 20mm carb, Koso intake and boysen twin petel reds and it really pulled the wheels off the ground. You couldn't handle it in the woods. I went to a 30t rear sprocket and it will still wheelie if he's halfway back on the seat.

[ATKnewbie]

What is the difference between the red and yellow torsion spring?

[camsdad]

red vs yellow = about 15pounds..the red being stiffer.this is per an intercomp digital spring tester at installed height..the yellow was 65# the red was 80#..go with the spring closer to rider weight.....my guess is 5gram rollers are too light for the stock pipe...it will reach max rpm too quick(no over rev with stock pipe)

[oldyeller]

I think you may be right about the 5 gram rollers being too light.I haven't had a chance to really wind the bike out yet but my initial feeling making a pass across the back yard is that the bike seems to pull really hard for a second and then kind of falls flat...Stock rollers were a little over 8 grams..I haven't tried the springs on the clutch yet until I can get the rest of it sorted out...It might also upshift a little quicker with my son on it since he only wieghs about 60 lbs..We'll see!

[ATKnewbie]

The person I spoke with at Hetrick when ordering the clutch kit never asked how much my sons weighs, but I did tell them the quad was stock.
My son is 100lbs and they sent me the yellow torsion spring and 5 gram rollers for a stock quad/pipe.

[camsdad]

the yellow spring will work fine...ideally you want just enough spring to maintain belt control...to little the belt gets pulled in the pully too fast,too much it robs power and you never see full speed..a stock motor doesnt require as much spring tension as a fully modified race motor..

[ATKnewbie]

OK, just off the phone with Hetrick.
They are stating that all of their torsion springs are the same regardless of color.
Color represents nothing more than which vendor they received it from.
This sounds like a story to me but...
I do know that our 90 does not have the top end it had before the clutch kit.
Hetrick recommended putting the stock rollers back in to resolve this.

[camsdad]

ok..my comparison was red vs yellow same manufacturer(malossi)motorio makes a yellow that is comparable to malossi's red..never seen a red other than malossi (just because i havent seen doesnt mean it's not out there)thats why the comparison with the malossi springs...i know malossi rates their shoe and torsion springs according to color...if unsure on the shoe springs just measure with calipers..larger diameter means more tension...