Clutch primer

[95 shaw]

A lot of clutch questions could be answered by simply pointing to a single thread with only useful information.

 

[95 shaw]

I'll start with disc clutch information.

Most disc clutches use similar diameter discs. These discs are generally .125 thick new. The differences are number of drive tabs, and disc diameter.

Horstman mdc.
The original 4 cycle disc clutch. 3.5 inch discs. 8 rounded tabs.
Horstman greased lightning, Noram cheetah, Tomar stellar, are 3.5 inch, 3 tab.
Vortec black are 3.5 inch, 4 tab
Bully, vortex red are 3.5 inch, 8 tab.

Horstman reaper 3 1/4 diameter, 3 tab.
Revolution 3 inch diameter, 8 tab
Tomar TD43-2 2 3/4 diameter, 3 tabs on floater plate. Outer disc, single side friction material.

That's a a start.

 

[flattop1]

Drivers.
Large pattern - Horstman
Small pattern - Bully , and the majority of all others.
Smc now has the screw on type as well as the standard bully style.
Ocassionaly you may have to play with bearing/ shim thickness when switching drivers .

 

[95 shaw]

Baskets.

Most 3.5 diameter clutch baskets can be interchanged with the appropriate discs.

The vortex black uses a separate bearing hub from the drive hub, however, bearing diameters remain the same.

Floater plates.
Horstman mdc, greased lightning, Noram Cheetah, use same floater plates. Drive hubs have some similarities.
Tomar stellar is its own animal.

 

[flattop1]

Hubs and keys.
Horstman and bully use a thin key .
Hortsman is thinner then a bully . Horstman hubs tend to crack more .
The newer style hubs with the bigger bolt circle use a 3/16 square key.
Smc , n-gauge . Goldie Locks
.