Here is what I did recently. I replaced the bushing on mine, and I also installed a large fiber washer between the bushing and the shaft. I don't know if there is such a wide space between on all of them or what, but there was a lot of play in mine. I went to home depot and got a fiber washer the same inner diameter as the outer diameter of the shaft, slid it over the shaft, the placed the drum and bushing over and re-installed the snap ring. Also, I do not oil the bushing like everyone recommends. I used 3-in-1 a few times, but it works for maybe a day or two and then the clutch goes right back to slipping. I take mine apart and grease it. I use a q-tip to spread the grease inside the bushing, then I smear grease on the shaft as well. No more chatter since I started doing this. I take it apart and re-grease it every couple of weeks.
Hi Tom, the link above to OldMiniBikes Warehouse has all sorts of parts, including bushings. "Some" Max Torque clutches use fiber washers, and they're not anything I've seen in a big box hardware store. The Max Torque clutch I had to get special made for a two stroke used two fiber washers.
The bushings are supposed to be lubed often. This is the advice from Max Torque. 30wt oil, not sewing machine oil, as it's too light.
Here is a link to the bushing. $3.50. For that kind of money, I can't drive to Home Depot. lol.
Bronze Bushing for 3/4" Clutch
The bushings are supposed to be lubed often. This is the advice from Max Torque. 30wt oil, not sewing machine oil, as it's too light.
Here is a link to the bushing. $3.50. For that kind of money, I can't drive to Home Depot. lol.
Bronze Bushing for 3/4" Clutch
It's true, the fiber washer that comes with the maxtorque clutch (keep in mind, mine is not an oem doodlebug clutch, it's a genuine maxtorque ss clutch bored out from 5/8 to 16mm), is very thin. When I took my clutch apart, I noticed that there was quite a bit of space between the bushing and the shaft. My thinking was this. On ktm mini engines, they use a spring washer stack to pre-load the clutch for better balance and smoother engagement. So I thought the same principle might apply to our clutches with a thick enough fiber washer to occupy that space between the bushing and the shaft. I don't know if it really helped all that much, but it's not hurting anything and the fiber washer isn't disintegrating, so.... As far as lube goes, I don't know how hot motor oil can get before it evaporates, but the grease I use has a dropping point of over 500 fahrenheit, and I've had much better results with it. I know taking the clutch apart to grease it every couple weeks seems like a hassle to some, but to me it's worth it for the smooth operation of my clutch. It's pretty easy to remove the snap ring on the end of the shaft, pull the drum off, put the grease where I want it and put it back together. Easy-peasy. I will probably pick up some brake cleaner next week and spray it inside the drum before I re-grease again. Just to make sure grease isn't getting inside the drum or on the shoes.
Oh, and Home Depot has the fiber washers with the rest of the hardware. I found them where they have the drawers with all the nuts and bolts and all that. I just took the old thin fiber washer with me to match the diameter. I was looking for a metal washer, but they had none that diameter, then I saw the fiber washers and they had one that matched and was the perfect thickness for what I wanted. $0.60 was all it cost.
Thanks for the info for such a small piece of the total package!!