Clutch alignment part 2

[RTX]

a week ago i posted a question about aligning my clutches. I was told to loosen the single bolt that mounts the rear of the motor and loosen the 2 bolts that mount the front of the motor and i should be able to move/align the motor from there. Thanks for the info guys.

I found that all i needed to do was loosen the bolt that mounts the rear of the motor and i was able to move the motor and get it to where it needed to be. I tightened up the rear bolt and re-checked the alignment and every thing was perfect. center to center and offset.
I checked both front mounts and the bolts were tight.

Question # 1. If it is so easy to move the motor by just loosening the rear mounting bolt do you guys see the need for a torque arm / engine stabilizer.
Personally i am kind of amazed at how easy this was to move the engine.

Question # 2. I am thinking that i might install the torque arm that is shown in the tech area. does anyone have any experience with this on an apex and if you do what do you think about it.

 

[grader]

we made engine stabilizers in 03 for our rx1s after finding the motor had moved. we used aluminum turnbuckles from the hardware store aprx. 10in. long.one end attached to the front of the motor on the clutch side in a large tab, or "boss", a large bolt was used. the other end was hooked to the bulkhead. after all clutch alignments were set, the turnbuckle was tightened, and the motor never moved again. i am not sure if the apex motor is exactly the same, but there has to be a way to lock the engine down.

 

[black john]

alinement

so much for that soild mounted therory eh. yes i have torqe strap as well.

 

[RTX]

Well it looks like us 3 are the only ones that have seen this as a problem / potential problem.
116 views and 2 responses.
maybe we are the only ones checking clutch alignment?

Grader
I plan to do the same / similar thing. I am pretty sure the torque arm mounting would be the same from an rx1 to an apex.

Did either of you notice any additional vibration after hooking up the torque arm?
Thanks guys!

 

[wolfie]

Are we talking about Apex clutch alignment? I thought they were solid mounted and that wasn't much potential for movement. How far were they out? If they move with only one bolt being loosened, it sounds like a no brainer about the need for a torque link, or more solid mounting. I find it hard to believe Yamaha would design somehting that could get out of alignment that easily. Something isn't adding up here.

 

[RTX]

wolfie. you took the words right out of my mouth.
Yes apex clutch alignment, that is why i posted here.
I am actually thinking about posting in the rx1 forum because the mount is the same and there are more of them so the probability of more problems exists in that forum.

it was out aprox .040-.050 center to center. that is not a huge amount but i would prefer that they were perfect.

yes mine moved with ease when i loosened the rear engine mount bolt.
I never said there was any kind of flaw or problem with the mounting system. my clutch could have been like this from day 1. this is the first time i ever checked it.
I am simply trying to find out if others have had clutch alignment problems/engine movement and if the people using torque arms have any problems with them like additional vibration.

 

[grader]

there was no vibration noticed from the tensioner, just perfect alignment all the time.

 

[87gtNOS]

I made my own torque arm with pieces from Home Depot...for $5.

 

[black john]

alinement

as did grader and my self.

 

[black john]

alinement

and with this movement the moter. it put,s into question the therory about locking diwn the secoundary as well. locking down like other manufacters do is kind of jumping off a cliff like the other lemings are doing. yamaha has fewer belt trouble that any of the other manufactures do. maybe thats why the spec for off set in the manual is 15mm + or - 1.5 mm. there resoon for this is that there is two sides to the clutching on a trail and ovel sleds up shift and back or down shift allso there is a nuteral witch is at 15mm up shift is at - 1.5 mm and on down shift + 1.5 mm. the belt will alllways try to stay in line as it wants to run straight. locking the scoundary down works if all you want from your clutching is to run in one of these three. like if tou were only drag raceing and had a soildly mounted moter with no slack in the mounting bolt holes and no rubber munted moters like a trail sled for vibation isolation. and yes i have read the doo and poo race manual many times over and in the manuel wrere it talks about this is all about drag raceing. i have raced with lots of differnt barnds of sled on the track and i have yet to see an oval track sled with a locked down secounday from any camp. one of my race competers could pull his alinement so far out by his hight and wight leaning in the turns that he could flex the chassie so much that his cat would toss the belt off. we had to add more side play in to his secoundary to off set this.