Topic: Removing stuck outer clutch basket - HF FTW!

[CycleRanger]

Trying to pull the outer clutch basket from a 750K4 motor and it's stuck tight - real tight.
This thing should just slip off right??

This motor sat for who-knows-how-long and I'm replacing the clutch plates but I want to pull the cage so I can clean behind it.
So far it has resisted pulling, prying, pounding, the application of heat, and a great amount of harsh language...
It looks like I'm gonna need a two or three jaw gear puller to wrest it loose.
I see a trip to HF in my future.

Later:  Never mind, HF paid off.  Stay tuned for gory pix later.
 

[scottly]

Uh, you did remove the snap-ring, right? I pulled one today, and it moved easily for the first 1/16" or so, then got tight. There was evidently a bit of a burr on the snap-ring groove. I improvised a puller gripping through the holes near the hub, and it came right off, just turning the puller bolt by hand. These was on a low mileage motor, so on a higher mileage motor, the burr might be worse? 

[Stev-o]

Guessing you got it off...

[CycleRanger]

Snap ring?? OMG! 
 
 Heh, no snap ring on the K4 clutch, but thanks.  Yeah I got it off.  And I got the new clutch in no problem.
 
 As luck would have it HF had gear pullers on sale today but upon arriving I was confronted by an empty shelf space where the gear pullers would normally be!  I asked the nice sales lady to look in the back and shortly she emerged with what she was the very last one!  I told her she had just made my day!
 
 I used the special socket (provided with the Cycle X "Super Clutch Kit").
 I wouldn't recommend using anything else...
 
 The cage came right out with the puller but it really was in there tight!
 
 I cleaned a large amount gooey black crap out of the clutch cavity. That's why I wanted to pull the clutch basket.
 You can see the old clutch plates were rusted and the friction plates were shot.
 Also a couple of the inner clutch hub oil holes were clogged.
 While I had it out I drilled a few extra holes per HondaMan's instructions.
 I also found some interesting factory graffiti inside the clutch housing.
 
 I went for a quick run up and down the road and the new clutch appears to work great!    I'll do the final adjusting tomorrow.
 Oh, and I didn't drain all the oil beforehand, only about a pint out of the sump.

[CycleRanger]

Some more pix.

[CycleRanger]

Two more.
the last one is obviously the new clutch pack.

[scottly]

Snap ring?? OMG! 
 
 Heh, no snap ring on the K4 clutch, but thanks.  Yeah I got it off.  And I got the new clutch in no problem.
 

No snap ring? I thought I might be able to swap the whole K7 clutch onto my K1, but now I don't know if that's possible..

[CycleRanger]

Snap ring?? OMG! 
 
 Heh, no snap ring on the K4 clutch, but thanks.  Yeah I got it off.  And I got the new clutch in no problem.
 

No snap ring? I thought I might be able to swap the whole K7 clutch onto my K1, but now I don't know if that's possible..

Actually, in my forum searching today I ran across a couple of threads on that same subject.
I think the conclusion was it's doable but you have to use the K7 clutch cover or something.
(Or it might have been K1-to-K7 swap, I don't remember.)
Anyway, search away!

[scottly]

Now that you mention it, I do recall reading of an interference problem using an early clutch cover over a late clutch, but I don't recall anything about snap-rings, or lack thereof. Maybe the snap-rings were added to reduce the infamous clutch rattle?

[CycleRanger]

Now that you mention it, I do recall reading of an interference problem using an early clutch cover over a late clutch, but I don't recall anything about snap-rings, or lack thereof. Maybe the snap-rings were added to reduce the infamous clutch rattle?

From what I can tell the snap ring was added to the F's first then the K's from ~'76 on.

[scottly]

OK, that makes sense. From what I've read, the K7/K8 motors were the same as the early F motors, and incorporated the same upgrades to the clutch, alternator rotor, and shift drum.

[Stev-o]

Glad this went well for you. 

[madmtnmotors]

Snap ring?? OMG! 
 
 Heh, no snap ring on the K4 clutch, but thanks.  Yeah I got it off.  And I got the new clutch in no problem.
 

No snap ring? I thought I might be able to swap the whole K7 clutch onto my K1, but now I don't know if that's possible..

Actually, in my forum searching today I ran across a couple of threads on that same subject.
I think the conclusion was it's doable but you have to use the K7 clutch cover or something.

Yes. Either keep the K7 clutch cover with the K7 clutch, or... the earlier clutch cover can be modified to work. There are three bosses cast into the clutch cover where the three machine screws hold the outer tin linkage cover. On the earlier clutch covers one of the screw bosses is cast about 1/4" deeper (the one near the kickshaft I think). This can be cut/ground down by 1/4" and will work fine. I used an earlier clutch cover (because it was chromed) on my K8 and that little bit of extra material "pinned" the clutch in place and would not budge. The later model clutch has a little bit taller stack of plates (apparently almost 1/4" taller) and that little extra material at the one screw boss will interfere.

[ekpent]

 Blast from the past-- Thanks for the nice write- up and pics Ranger  -- Pulling the 'stuck' basket on my K6 project and needed advice and yes that year does have the snap ring which I already removed. Back to regular scheduled programming !!

[CycleRanger]

Blast from the past-- Thanks for the nice write- up and pics Ranger  -- Pulling the 'stuck' basket on my K6 project and needed advice and yes that year does have the snap ring which I already removed. Back to regular scheduled programming !!

Glad I could help! Re-reading my post I was remembering fondly back when the forum search worked...