This primary clutch noise is insane

[Metallicat]

i circled the wrong part on the picture. and what kind of washers did you use? i saw posts guys were using plastic washers, rubber washers, and eventually they will come off, look how many g's that clutch is subject to, i just wanted to do this once and not every few thousand miles, and while that keeps the bolt head from slapping im not sure its doing the same for the collar, did your sound go away completely? im not saying what you did was wrong in any way just curious

Ok, thanks for the clarification and the updated pics. The rubber washers I purchased were something I found at a hardware store I believe. I installed mine about 5-6 years ago so I don't remember exactly where I found them or what they were labeled as. Something I found on a whim after reading about shims for the clutch rollers online. They are thick enough to cushion the pin and keep everything tight. The clutch noise is much better now as you have experienced with your mod.

Someone on with an RS Nytro I believe posted on this site years ago that they filled the splined halves with some type of RTV adhesive and it eliminated all rattle. But for now my clutch is probably as quiet as it is going to get. I'd like the weights to have less side play but I have new weight bushings installed last year, and the nylon spacers are in good shape with no wear so there isn't a lot to be done here.

 

[NaughtyPines]

At 17 mph on my Venture, the clutch sounds like a dump truck loaded with steel shrapnel having a seizure. I just live with it. Passed a guy stopped doing exactly 17 mph on the trail and he caught up later at a road crossing. He said "was that the clutch making that noise?" and I said "Nope, it's the new Yamaha diesel - I get 40 miles per gallon on this thing." 5 second uncomfortable pause followed by laughter and "no, it just has a noisy clutch at low speeds".

I look at it this way: It's only been in the past decade or so that snowmobiles have become more recreation than work. My old Polaris spends most of its time hauling wood, pulling a drag to groom local plus private trails and some ice fishing while pulling a dogsled. Doing all the things the old Poo does, it doesn't matter if it's noisy, rides like a 19th century buggy and leaves me smelling like a weedwacker. (I know this is a Yamaha site but the old Poo 340 is truly amazing in that it still hasn't died with everything I've put it through - seems almost impossible to kill). Things like "quiet", "smooth" and "comfortable" in modern sleds need some more time to evolve since these weren't really considerations in the first 50 years of snowmobiling.

Considering all this, it's amazing how refined all our 4-stroke sleds are.

 

[4strokeluvr111]

At 17 mph on my Venture, the clutch sounds like a dump truck loaded with steel shrapnel having a seizure.
..........no, it just has a noisy clutch at low speeds".......

Can't say that I've heard anybody complain about the clutch noise at most any RPM above idle. If your's does in fact do it as bad as you state, you may very well have other issues going on somewhere. Just my .02.

 

[NaughtyPines]

Can't say that I've heard anybody complain about the clutch noise at most any RPM above idle. If your's does in fact do it as bad as you state, you may very well have other issues going on somewhere. Just my .02.

I'm exaggerating a wee bit since it was fun to write. The clutch sounds about like the one on the Poolaris but without the buzzing bee sound and smoke of the two stroke. The engine on the Yam is a lot quieter (as is everything else), so exhaust, track and the clutch action are what you hear. Everyone I've talked to locally with a Yam, including a club member in town tends to agree that "Yams have noisy clutches and that's just the way it is". Mine sounds much like his Vector. Somehow they keep on running despite the cacophony.

 

[ridesrx]

I called Schmidt Bros today and had a nice conversation with a fella there. They really seem like they understand these clutches. I ordered the quiet kit which includes spacers for the roller pins among other things. We got into a discussion about clutch engagement and I decided to order a spring and new rollers that they have in a kit to smooth out the engagement and smoothness at low speeds. Since this is primarily my Wife's sled that seemrf to fit the bill. This weekend I am going up north riding, and the next six weeks are booked with kid stuff so I doubt I will get a chance to install this kit, much less test it. Around here in Iowa March usually doesn't provide much riding. But hopefully I will be able to give some feedback on how much it helped with the clutch rattle when I get it installed.

 

[4strokeluvr111]

I called Schmidt Bros today and had a nice conversation with a fella there. They really seem like they understand these clutches. I ordered the quiet kit which includes spacers for the roller pins among other things. We got into a discussion about clutch engagement and I decided to order a spring and new rollers that they have in a kit to smooth out the engagement and smoothness at low speeds. Since this is primarily my Wife's sled that seemrf to fit the bill. This weekend I am going up north riding, and the next six weeks are booked with kid stuff so I doubt I will get a chance to install this kit, much less test it. Around here in Iowa March usually doesn't provide much riding. But hopefully I will be able to give some feedback on how much it helped with the clutch rattle when I get it installed.

I installed the quiet kis on my 05 and it worked well to quiet things down. My 14 LTX is another story.....some improvement, but not very much.

I'd trade clutch noise for elimination or significant reduction in the track/tunnel howl.

 

[ridesrx]

I installed the quiet kit from Schmit Bros and I can't believe how much noise it took out of my clutch. It isn't perfect, but I can live with the little noise it makes now. Unbelievable. Best $10 you can spend on these sleds. I also put in the comfort kit with the softer spring and new rollers but the ride off the trailer and around the yard didn't tell me much.