Monday, May 17, 2010

Stripping the clutch

Ive got to go away on business soon, so based on the fact that I will miss 2 weekends AND i didnt want to have the scooter in bits for too long (I'm worried I might get distracted by something else and it will simply turn into a basket case of bits ive taken apart) I decided that I would spend an hour investigating that clutch assembly.
As an assembly (which is under its natural spring tension) on the bench, there was nothing to suggest that the clutch was at fault - everything looked and felt as it should - which was a little disconcerting. However on dissembling it, all became clear. The cork lined friction plates had all become 'rusted' (if thats the right word for cork) to the transmission plates - I had to use a screwdriver to prise them apart. No wonder we couldnt get the clutch to free my rocking the bike back and forth in gear - these were practically welded together.
Once apart, they didn't seem to be in too bad a condition, and so some wet and dry sandpaper on the metal and some courser stuff on the cork, I managed to bring everything back to a reasonable condition for reassembly.
From there on it was perhaps another half hour and everything was back in place on the bike. Job done....... Now would it run?

No comments: