Blue clutch discs on Vortex 2 Disc

calispec

Member
The disc's on my clutch are blue on the inside and outer edge. Do they need replaced?
20210805_190732.jpg
 
Calispec,

At approximately...

475 degrees F, steel turns brown
525 degrees, steel turns purple
575 degrees, steel turns blue
800 degrees, steel turns grey

PM
 
Not being flat . As well as the pressure plate and drive hub plate
Lubricants .
Uneven spring pressure .
 
Sorry for not understanding. New to this stuff. How many races are the plates good for. We run two classes a night and those plates are only 7 nights old.
 
Without any kind of surface finish and the harder smc linings every vortex clutch I've seen ends up like this at some point in it's life span. Customers that use them have the best luck lightly sanding the plates and linings each week. Just enough to make sure the linings aren't sealed over and slipping more than those clutches already do when they begin to engage. Seems to be part of the nature of the beast with them unless they're set and maintained properly. When you start seeing the scalloping on the plates you know its slipping. If the plates have the same "texture" as new but turn purple to blue and performance doesn't drop off run until it does.
 
Your clutch is getting too hot. Heat damages clutches in pretty short order.
It is likely that the clutch is set up at the incorrect engagement rpm.
You can also see a clutch get hot if you have multiple restarts. Standing starts are obviously harder yet on a clutch.
Driver riding the brake with the clutch engaged under power hurts clutches as well.
As Cole pointed out, SMC clutches do slip more than some other brands, so they will produce some heat and discoloration of the steel, BUT this needs to be kept under control. If it is allowed to continue, the plates warp, causing yet more heat, and the problem escalates to the point where you will have to replace plates and have the clutch machined. 7 race days is much too soon to be needing this work done.
Sand the discs on a piece of glass or solid completely flat surface.
Clean, and re-assemble.
Make sure your engagement is set at (or very near) peak torque for your engine.



-----
🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
32 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Jmo , i do not believe if yourcleaning and sanding theclutch .
A change in procedure will help .
If you have a different clutch run that and send it off for regrind and blueprint .
 
Also knowing your engine specs could help you to. If it’s setup with black springs to engage at 4300 and this clutch is on a stock predator or something similar that’s not helping your case. That’s a lot of excess heat and slip the clutch don’t need to endure. What engine package you using?
 
These steel plates can be reground/refinished too.
Because they are made flat, they can be ground on a surface grinder with a magnetic chuck.
This will change your air gap slightly, but that does not hurt with the SMC.
It's costly to have the discs reground, so a kit is sold which includes the floater disc.
They really are simple to rebuild (once you get those torx screws out.) :)


-----
🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
32 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Also knowing your engine specs could help you to. If it’s setup with black springs to engage at 4300 and this clutch is on a stock predator or something similar that’s not helping your case. That’s a lot of excess heat and slip the clutch don’t need to endure. What engine package you using?
Stock animal.
 
Was it new to you or previously used ?
It looks like it was beyond hot .
A whole new clutch (bully) might be best .
 
Back
Top