Clutch Pack Weights

Hortons Norton · Dec 12, 2010

There once was a guy on another forum that could tell you the history of the Commando clutch, Some said he was just a bit too rash. BDM was his handle, I always used to get a chuckle out some of his responses but the guy knew his stuff. He used to call the Commando clutch assembly a flywheel, And when you look at modern clutches it does seem to be about 4 times the weight it should be. :roll:

marinatlas · Dec 12, 2010

yes , a great guy that BDM , and he knows the norton clutches , somewhere Ludwig is not far from him when he explained us his ultra light clutch with less plates..........

Hortons Norton · Dec 12, 2010

Very true, If anyone on this forum knows how to cut weight it would be Ludwig, His idea of cutiing down the basket and using 4 plates is great. I just wish RGM would do this for us, I purchased one of their belt drive kits and it seems to be well made and was easy to install. Next I think I will get the light weight center and the alloy pressure plate. :wink:

Hobot · Dec 12, 2010

i'll be following Ludwig's lead and take my plates to local wet jet cutter.
Lightness = rightness!

CanukNortonNut · Dec 12, 2010

My2Cntz
I have a Clubman Racing Belt Kit with Surflex friction plates and I also put in a aluminium Clutch pressure plate. I machined it down to fit into the clutch pack with a steel plate on the pressure plate side. I heard through the grapevine the aluminum racing pressure plates ware very quickly. I guess I could have made it even lighter if I would have a RGM Centre Hub but my hub was in great shape so I left it alone. I might do this to my 850 because it has the bronze friction plates when I change it out for a beltdrive.
CNN

rvich · Dec 12, 2010

I contacted RGM hoping they would supply me with weights of their components. I didn't have any luck other than they assure me they are much lighter than the stock. They did also offer the following:

" for maximum weight saving we
also do an alloy clutch center and alloy pressure plate, but only for
competition use as they will not last so long before replacements required"

Russ

swooshdave · Dec 12, 2010

hobot said:
i'll be following Ludwig's lead and take my plates to local wet jet cutter.
Lightness = rightness!

Can you cut holes in them like brake rotors? Seems like a similar concept.

Hobot · Dec 12, 2010

Can cut holes in about anything with a water jet. Don't know effect on clutch plates but Galfer Wave says its not so much the surface area that gives friction bite as the amount of edges encountered. Old style solid clutch plates are suggested to be modified by slicing radial grooves in them to channel oil off and spaces to push grime into, so maybe enough little holes may do similar, try it and get back to us.
You know holes appeal to me but other things to hole up first. How many holes to fill Wesminister Hall?

Hortons Norton · Dec 12, 2010

Why Hobot have you been drinking, With such talk of holes? LOL.

Hobot · Dec 12, 2010

Ugh, sometimes in the dark I have to put some hair around em to get a screw in : )

rvich · Dec 12, 2010

The discs are cheap enough really to do some experimentation. Drilling holes is an option I thought about also, particularly since Barnett friction plates are supposed to be so grabby, perhaps they just need less to grab on to. The other idea I thought about was rather than reducing the number of plates as per Ludwig's idea, would be to make the center hole oversized in the steel plate so that some of the friction plate was unused. I haven't done the math on the surface area of fewer plates vs. reduced plate size, but it seems feasible to me to take that approach. We are buried in snow here now so it will be a bit before I can test any of this in the real world.

Russ

Hobot · Dec 12, 2010

Flatten steel plates, they all come un flat, figure 8's on sanding plate reversing till flat. Barrnett says to soak their plates in ATF then wipe off and install moist to prevent chattering wear on initial break in. Adjust properly ~1/4 turn screw slack. Should give great smooth and sure clutch action a long time through thick and thin.
Make plate stack so spring just slips in nice and Robert is you dads brother.
I'm not too hot to trot on holes in clutch plates but sorely tempted to put some in back side of clutch basket. I've put some holes in my primary belt too if that counts. Lighten your wheels first then flywheel then the drive train. But its keeps on subtracting till its noticed nicely.

Clutch Pack Weights

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