smoking clutch

[trenton davis]

is it okay if after long rides when i stop and turn everything off the clutch smokes like crazy. should i just put a little water on it to cool it off or what should i do?

 

[thisismyusername]

is it okay if after long rides when i stop and turn everything off the clutch smokes like crazy. should i just put a little water on it to cool it off or what should i do?

Well for one don't ever put water on it. What is your gear ratio, and also how do you ride it? Do you ride mostly full throttle, or half throttle, or how do you ride it? Going slow (low rpms) will cause the clutch to heat up, the clutch locks up when you get to maximum rpm, this allows the clutch to cool down.

 

[landuse]

Well for one don't ever put water on it. What is your gear ratio, and also how do you ride it? Do you ride mostly full throttle, or half throttle, or how do you ride it? Going slow (low rpms) will cause the clutch to heat up, the clutch locks up when you get to maximum rpm, this allows the clutch to cool down.

This

Post the axle sprocket and clutch sprocket tooth count as well as the rear tyre diameter. How heavy are you and the kart together. Are you riding on hilly terrain.

My guess is that you are geared too high for what the kart can handle

 

[trenton davis]

i'm not sure the exact gear ratio but there is a 62 tooth sprocket on the axel and a ten tooth clutch. its a live axel. they are 12 inch tires and if i had to guess the kart with me on it probably weighs just over 250 lbs. but i mostly take it on the roads and just full throttle it.

 

[mckutzy]

How abouts some pics and description of the machine in question.

 

[trenton davis]

here are some pictures if theres anything els you need to see let me know

 

[mckutzy]

Your chain looks a little suspect. Alot of sticky links..
Is it lubricated properly, the clutch that is??

 

[trenton davis]

yeah the chain sticks and i've sprayed and soaked it in everything i could think of so I've just been using until i get around to buying a new one. i oiled everything up when i first put it on a few months ago. could it just need to be re oiled.

 

[mckutzy]

Are you oiling just the bushing in the clutch, just a few drops at the snap ring?

The clutch needs to be oiled every 2 hours of use. 10w30 or any machine oil will do.

 

[trenton davis]

i put a little afounf the snap ring so it soaks in. but i just had no idea it needed to be oiled that often ill oil it up before the next time i ride thanks for the help

 

[OzFab]

Although that's sound advice, lack of lube on the bush won't cause the clutch to smoke, it would only wear &/or bind the clutch but, there's no obvious reason for the clutch to be smoking, that usually happens when the clutch is working too hard...

While riding, you should hear exactly when the clutch "locks", the engine will sound different; have you paid attention to this & noticed the change?

 

[trenton davis]

no i haven't noticed anything but i mean i just put a new motor on it and its always done it and its always sounded and rode the same. but i noticed today just riding around playing with it i went on a hour ride with full throttle and it smoked then to test i did the same and restricted the throttle and no smoke so it must have been something where the motor was running too hard for the clutch to handle.

 

[OzFab]

Not likely...

Ok, next time you take it out, oil the bush before starting & report what happens...

 

[chancer]

Also on the chain: I have had the same problem (sticky links) tried all sorts of stuff. My best result was putting it in a small sauce pan, and melting an entire candle in there with it and letting it sit in the liquid wax. NOT boiling keep an eye on it, just enough heat to keep it liquid. Then I got some wax based bicycle chain lube and maintenanced it with that. But first you gotta free up the sticky links or replace the chain. My sticky chain destroyed the clutch bushing on one clutch and the clutch sprocket on another. I find "cheap" chain at the chainsaw and lawnmower shop. Not worth buying a $39 clutch over $3 in chain.

 

[trenton davis]

it would almost be easier to just buy a new chain theres a tractor shop by me and it sells the chain by the foot like 1-2 per foot and its designed for big farm equipment so putting it on my go karts I've never had problems with it. so ill probably be heading down there tomorrow because its easier to buy chain then clutches.

 

[landuse]

If your sprockets have the tooth count you say they have, then you have a 6.2:1 ratio, which should be fine for the size tyres and weight you have. The clutch shouldn't be getting fried from a bad ratio. This means that there is some other problem causing the clutch to smoke. The shoes in the clutch could also be glazed, and this might make them slip more and smoke (just guessing here). You could roughen them up with a bit of sandpaper.

 

[trenton davis]

well i mean its also an old clutch because i have a box full of extra parts and i just grabbed the one the one that looked the nicest. would it be easier to just buy a new one as apposed to using old ones all the time.

 

[Denny]

You could rebuild your old one.

Denny

 

[trenton davis]

rebuild it. I've never even thought about that. but i don't even know the first thing about it I've always just replaced the old ones

 

[landuse]

rebuild it. I've never even thought about that. but i don't even know the first thing about it I've always just replaced the old ones

They are cheap enough just to get a new one