Time for new clutches next year...

496 BB

New member
This is last year on these Stingers. Im not a fan at all so dont try to convince me otherwise...lol.

Heres what I want:

No greasing between hub and drum area or roller bearings
No drum period for that matter
Something that doesnt chatter
Not alot of upkeep
Easy rebuilds - Meaning you can do it in home shop
Not a ton of money - $100-$200 or maybe slightly more

Obviously Im leaning toward a disk style clutch. I just dont know anything about them. We are running around 15hp with up to 18hp. My biggest complaint is the greasing of the drum/hub area. It never stays for a whole race. Ive tried less grease. More grease. In between. You name it Ive done it. Grease always gets on drum surface too no matter how much or little you grease. I need to eliminate this. We are not at this HP level now but will be next year.

Is there anything out there that will fit this criteria without breaking my wallet?
 
Sounds like a vortex would be good for you, you can buy a rebuild kit and rebuild it yourself. Look them up.. SMC makes them. But your looking around $300

Holeshot Clutches
443-942-5543
 
I bought a used rebuilt vortex from Ryan. It works great every time. He has done several Bullys for us also. Very good service!
 
Horstman X5 is a great disc clutch and isnt hard to maintain at all. Instead of using grease to lube it, i use anti-seize on all my clutches and the roller bearings and it never wears off during a night of racing or gets flung into the clutch itself, as long as you dont overdo it and put too much. A little goes a long way. Before anti-seize, i just put a couple drops of 10w-30 oil on the bearing. If you want a good clutch that will work great for you with minimum maintance, get a hilliard flame, fury or blaze. the flame and blaze are completely tuneable and will keep up with any disc clutch on the market from what i have seen. I use the fury myself and have used it for both box stock and akra with good results. I wouldnt give up the fury for anything. I also have a skull and bones 2 disc clutch, which is incredibly easy to maintain and rebuild and is an outstanding clutch, but it comes with a hefty price tag also, but the quality is worth every penny, i love that clutch and have only had one issue with it all season, that was when i backed out the spring screws too much and they came out during a race and lost the springs, but was simple and easy to fix.
 
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Horstman X5 is a great disc clutch and isnt hard to maintain at all.

Unfortunately I don't believe horstman is making parts for this clutch any longer. I know I've not been able to get friction discs for awhile now.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but any clutch is going to need some for of maintenance. It shouldn't be every race though unless your using the smaller drivers with the bushing, and even now we carry roller bearing drivers down to 12 tooth. You will need to remove the clutch and basket every few races and clean the race and relube. We suggest regular store bought petroleum jelly. If it gets on the discs it will burn off. I highly do not suggest anti seize. I see plenty of clutches come through here that are destroyed by anti seize. It is not a lubricant. These roller bearings don't need much at all, they are roller bearings and are a consumable item that needs to be changed when they wear out.

I have two new Noram cheetahs with your choice of driver, $169 each shipped. I also have a fresh 2 disc bully, $175 shipped with your choice used driver, and several fresh SMC Vortex 2 disc clutches $150 shipped, choice of used driver.
If your interested or have any questions you can email me info@gofasthp.com

-Shannon
 
Thanks for the kind words....I'd go with Shannon(GoFastHP), he has good stuff and those are real good prices..that's what I sell mine for..can't beat them prices. I rarely sell used clutches anymore. I don't have the time to mess with any other clutches except customer clutches, but they sold like hot cakes when I did..I save them up now in a box and whenever I get a slow week I will rebuild them all I guess. Usually save them for kids I help or sponsor and rebuild one as needed. Get the bully or vortex..hardly any maintenance..just run that baby.

Holeshot Clutches
(443) 942-5543
 
Yea Im sorry guys I forgot to mention we run 10t drivers. I know that changes some things. Thats the part that irritates the crap out of me is the no roller bearings. I HATE lubing this thing after every single heat race and main. It pulls, jerks, and is overall not my thing. I take real good care of it but for some reason still hates me...lol.

So Vortex Red is roller 10t? Anything else? Im sure we wont be buying these right now but I need to add some input in the conversation we are having cause they are talking about another drum clutch and theres no way in h*ll Im going back to those.

How many disc would I need for a super super short track and 390lbs kart and guy?
 
This is last year on these Stingers. Im not a fan at all so dont try to convince me otherwise...lol.

Heres what I want:

No greasing between hub and drum area or roller bearings
No drum period for that matter
Something that doesnt chatter
Not alot of upkeep
Easy rebuilds - Meaning you can do it in home shop
Not a ton of money - $100-$200 or maybe slightly more

Obviously Im leaning toward a disk style clutch. I just dont know anything about them. We are running around 15hp with up to 18hp. My biggest complaint is the greasing of the drum/hub area. It never stays for a whole race. Ive tried less grease. More grease. In between. You name it Ive done it. Grease always gets on drum surface too no matter how much or little you grease. I need to eliminate this. We are not at this HP level now but will be next year.

Is there anything out there that will fit this criteria without breaking my wallet?

Just curious, why do you use grease? The reason I ask is that I've pushed 25+HP through a Max Torque Draggin'-Skin clutch and run 20-30 minute enduros an entire season using Tri-Flow as lube of choice be it bushing or needle bearing drum. Maybe grease is more of a problem than the Stinger. (??) Again, just askin' :)
 
496 BB wrote: “How many disc would I need for a super super short track and 390lbs kart and guy? "

High weight (390 pounds) means the clutch will generate a lot of heat. Short track (10T sprocket) means there are no long straights where the clutch can dissipate heat.

Although a two-disc clutch will get the job done, a three-disc clutch will operate at a much lower temperature. The wear rate of friction materials varies exponentially with temperature i.e. a three-disc clutch has about 50 percent more heat capacity than the two-disc clutch but possibly 100 percent more longevity. Consider too that the three-disc clutch costs only 8 percent more.

The added weight affects acceleration by less than .003 second.

P.S. Vortex (Red) clutches use ball bearings not roller bearings.
 
Just curious, why do you use grease? The reason I ask is that I've pushed 25+HP through a Max Torque Draggin'-Skin clutch and run 20-30 minute enduros an entire season using Tri-Flow as lube of choice be it bushing or needle bearing drum. Maybe grease is more of a problem than the Stinger. (??) Again, just askin' :)

Thats what the guy that told me to get this clutch told me. Im sure it was wrong as Ive found out. Ive used oil in the past with it and it does same thing. I think its just done. Im sure its worn at this point. Im hard on stuff and thats the reason I overkill everything because I dont want to worry about it later. Im real meticulous at fine details and maintenance but this just isnt cutting it for me. Maybe its my fault maybe not I dont know. What I do know is its not going back in for next season.
 
I gotta say it just don't get any easier on maintenance than a vortex red.
The sealed ball bearing driver means no lube.
The other great thing about a Vortex is you can leave the chain in-place on the driver if you desire to clean off the friction plates between races and heats. Rebuilding is very easy. This clutch is truly engineered.

No I don't work for SMC, just a very satisfied customer. I just got into racing a year ago. I wanted something with proven performance, easy to adjust, easy to maintain.

Yeah, its a little more cash, but you will be the most satisfied with this clutch - I know I am!!
 
Horstman 2 disk Greased Lightning. A great clutch for your purposes.
Can be set for very exact engagement rpm....and no slippage at speed.
 
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