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clutching

T

thunderbolt

Expert
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Messages
309
Location
ontario, canada
Ok we've had a season of the sidewinder , and from what I am reading in stock forum there seems to be some clutching issues , from my own experience I have had flat spots on the rollers on the secondary , and coil binding on the primary and secondary springs , no blown belts .
So here's my question what have we learned this season , 1) has yamaha addressed any of these issues ? and 2) what have we found for fixes , and is there any recalls going to be coming ?
I myself find the sidewinder spot on , with the exception of these teething problems , I've caught these issues before they became a failure but clearly there is clutching issues and from what I'm told by my dealer clutching issues are only warranty for 3 months .
also any suggestions for a clutch kit for a bone stock ltx se with out studs , that not only will work well but get rid of the factory issues
 

Ditch the stock primary spring. replace with Yamaha > yellow/green/yellow primary spring WITH glide washers.. Get secondary pocket machined. Put a set of adjustable primary clutch weights in(must for any Winder). And possibly ditch the stock helix( not a must for stock sled IMO).. BUT slightly steeper helix angle is better. Do some reading on here .. ALOT of info about the things you mention in your post.. Just remember to sift through and realize some guys are running boosted sleds VS Stockers.. Some differences in clutching with stock VS flashed(boosted)..
 
glide washers come with a thunder products clutch kit .they also have a 33/35 helix that works well .
 
Was wondering if anyone has checked the belt to sheave clearance of the primary? I checked mine for the first time yesterday. I had .060. Last I had the belt off and measured it was almost exactly the width of a new one and I did not have time for a new break in. Did not try to gauge clearance with a new one installed as I will be pulling it apart to check the bushings soon. I am going to get the 911 cover which is adjustable? and should solve this right? .010 to .020 the target? thanks.
 
Been running 911 covers on last 3 sleds. Very good for adjusting the clearance your speaking of. I usually just grab the belt and work it back and forth in the primary(side to side). I go by feel. Should just be able to move the belt just slightly. OR I leave it loose / with a lot of clearance. I do my secondary belt adjustment first. Start sled and see if track moves. I like the track to just barely turn. Then I tighten the nut on the 911 until the track maybe turns just a smidge more then what it was turning Not sure about measurement it self as I always went by feel. The easiest is just by feel IMO.
 
Last edited:
done dooin'_winder up said:
Was wondering if anyone has checked the belt to sheave clearance of the primary? I checked mine for the first time yesterday. I had .060. Last I had the belt off and measured it was almost exactly the width of a new one and I did not have time for a new break in. Did not try to gauge clearance with a new one installed as I will be pulling it apart to check the bushings soon. I am going to get the 911 cover which is adjustable? and should solve this right? .010 to .020 the target? thanks.
Click to expand...
So with .060 thou,you could run a wider belt,that is same length,and you would be able to get a little more O.D. with just a wider belt,that is cheap top speed,if it works out.
 
Ok I've read and read , and there is so many options for clutching , whats the feeling for a stock sled . something that cleans things up , get rid of belt issues, rollers and spring binding in the primary and secondary and just overall make it fast and reliable
 
^^^^^Cut secondary pocket .060"($20) and put good rollers in.... Mine are Thunder Products($45).
My primary spring bind does not seem to be as bad as others have seen so that's case to case.
Make sure your offset and belt deflection are set to specs and you should be good to go. An aftermarket exhaust goes a long way to mask the clutch rattle and I'm not talking an obnoxious loud pipe, I think it just changes the harmonics.
 
I'm curious about the same. is yamaha actually doing anything as for the coil bind and spring issues on these sleds or just pushing it to the side like the rest of the stuff and relying on aftermarket to fix their issues?
 
Thunderbolt - to answer some of your questions, here are some facts.

Yamaha has addressed the worn rollers on the secondary and replacements are available at no cost at your local Dealer.

Yamaha does not think there is a problem with the coil binding, but all of us here know there is.

Just a reminder that Yamaha will not warranty any clutch that is machined or abused.

As for clutching being spot on...I would have to disagree with you. The clutching on the Sidewinder is acceptable, but once you run a good clutch kit, you will see improved performance, better belt life, more fuel economy and adrenaline rush when you want it.

The stock secondary spring is too large wire diameter and coil binds when secondary is at full shift. Many have tried different things (different springs, shimming the helix, machining the secondary, changing gearing and even different belts or helix angles to get more top speed). There is a new secondary spring available now from Thunder Products where you can use it on stock sleds, all the way up to modded and flashed sleds. The 1st batch of 50 are on their way to Thunder products now. This spring will eliminate machining of the secondary and shimming of the helix.

Also believe that Lonn has put this article of the new spring in the Snotech magazine.
 
Last edited:
saskattakman said:
I'm curious about the same. is yamaha actually doing anything as for the coil bind and spring issues on these sleds or just pushing it to the side like the rest of the stuff and relying on aftermarket to fix their issues?
Click to expand...

Don't hold your breath bud....Yamaha will not do anything for the coil bind.

But read the post just above, you will be happy to know Shagman and I worked with Lonn to develop a new spring that eliminates coil bind and gives better performance that the stock spring. These springs are shot-peened gauge wire that should last the life of the sled.
 
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