Dr Pulley's HiT Clutch Installed

Paul Wu, from Dr Pulley's parent company, Union Material, (www.unionmaterial.com) sent along the new High Thrust Clutch Kit along with a few Sliding and Roller Weights to try out.

Having been sent via DHL, the package arrived in only three business days. So I had the opportunity to get into the Variator and Clutch and install some of the new goodies over this past holiday weekend.

Replacing the new Clutch Kit is actually easier than changing a drive belt. While the Honda Serv Manual indicated that you need 'special tools' to get the clutch and rear pulley assy off, in fact, all you need to do is to set the parking brake on and zip tie the rear brake lever tight. That'll lock up the rear wheel, Clutch & Driven Pulley assy. At that point all you need do is to remove the center 22 mm (IIRC) nut (40 ft lbs torque) and the whole assy slides off the shaft leaving the clutch-outer (clutch bell) on the shaft.

Then you flip the whole bit over, and remove the six 15 mm (IIRC) bolts holding the clutch assy to the Driven Face of the Driven Pulley. Installing the new HiT Clutch is a simple matter of reversing the above steps.

One curious note is that while the OEM Clutch has 5 Clutch Shoes, the HiT Clutch has only three shoes with the shoe lining size the same as the OEM shoes. However there are also large counter weights as part of the shoes that take up the difference in the (missing) 4th & 5th clutch shoes.

The HiT kit also comes with a whole range of extra shoe springs and two large Torque Spring Washers so that you'll be able to tweak the clutch performance as your riding habit calls for.

That Dr Pulley see fit to enclose the Torque Spring Washers (2mm & 4mm thick) so that the hefty torque spring tension can be increased, suggests to me that an 'inspired' DIYer could come up with similar washers as an alternative to going to a Malossi torque spring.

However, to install the Washers or a new Malossi Spring, you're still going to need a 'special tool' Torque Spring Compressor to get the old spring and snap ring off.

I took the scoot out for a 100 mile test ride, and am extremely impressed with the acceleration. While the operating RPM's seems to have dropped from my previous report (elsewhere of this forum), I really didn't take any notes on this ride as it was the first out with the new goody. Dr Pulley's tag line sez "Explosive Acceleration". I think that's an apt metaphor. Not 4th of July fireworks explosive, mind you, but pretty damn quick. Whiz Bang Fun

On a downside note; about 75 miles into the ride I got a rear tire puncture. I took me about an hour and half of dick-fingered fooling around to find the puncture, buy a gummy worm patch kit from the mini mart and get back on the road. Well, despite that my luck has probably changed, as it wasn't raining while I was laying along side the scoot getting things sorted out --now that's a good thing.

However, now I'll be going to the Dark Side and changing to a Sumitomo tire. That will change my speedo & odo readings, so mpg or road speed/rpm notes I post won't have the same common basis as most of you other riders.

On another note, toward the end of the day I noticed quite a bit of clutch chatter on initial clutch engagement. Reading the material and instruction sheets that came with the clutch, as well as email discussions with Dr Pulley's, very helpful Paul Wu, I'll be needing to get back into the clutch to change the springs --6 extra sets came with the kit-- to sort out the initial clutch-in performance.

More about all that later, and thank again to Paul Wu for his excellent service.

Tim
'03 Silver Wing, Cosmic Jumper
Philadelphia

Never Just a Ride, Always an Adventure

Thanks for the report Tim. Looking forward to more reports as you collect additional data.