Clutch dome

pictures (or stories) of hideous injuries sustained by your ariel
ralfpenkert
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Clutch dome

Post by ralfpenkert »

Some weeks ago heard an unknown sound of my my VH500, 1956.
Stopped the engine and the clutch dome looked a bit deformed.
Opened it, realized a lost adjusting screw and a broken spring.
Could find screw and rest of spring inside the primary chain case, reassembled it with the broken spring (torch between teeth, it was already dark outside), and arrived at my garage some 10 km later.
Meanwhile i could replace all studs, adjusting screws, springs, cups (Thanks again to Geoff).
Ralf
clutch dome.jpg
clutch.jpg
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Steven.Carter
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by Steven.Carter »

ralfpenkert wrote:Some weeks ago heard an unknown sound of my my VH500, 1956.
Stopped the engine and the clutch dome looked a bit deformed.
Opened it, realized a lost adjusting screw and a broken spring.
Could find screw and rest of spring inside the primary chain case, reassembled it with the broken spring (torch between teeth, it was already dark outside), and arrived at my garage some 10 km later.
Meanwhile i could replace all studs, adjusting screws, springs, cups (Thanks again to Geoff).
Ralf
clutch dome.jpg
clutch.jpg
Welcome to the forum Ralf. That looks a little painfull but you got home. That's the important bit. Whereabouts do you live?

Steve
ralfpenkert
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by ralfpenkert »

Hello Steve,
i'm living in Colone, Germany.
Almost a year ago i bought this beautiful bike. Reason was the gear lever at the right hand side.
So does my other bike, a german Horex Regina.
However i'm not quiet sure if loctite will avoid loosing these screws.
Geoff advised to dent the studs thread ends a bit.

Ralf
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by Simon.Gardiner »

Hi Ralf - welcome to the forum.
Those nuts don't usually come undone, if they do start to loosen you might notice the clutch dragging before they come off completely.
There are supposed to be notches on the underside that catch in the wire tang of the spring (and similarly there's a notch in the bottom of the spring carrier to stop the spring rotating). I don't know it this arrangement ever worked very well but with age things get worn and 'sloppy'. Might be worth seeing if you can make it work though if you're a bit nervous about it happening again.

SG
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by nevhunter »

Maybe I'm lucky but that's one thing I haven't ever had happen. on any of my Ariels since 1956. As said, they do engage a notch each 1/2 turn. with the original set up. Perhaps non original parts were in there? Nev
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simon.holyfield
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by simon.holyfield »

I've never had that happen in 5 years of riding Ariels and several more of riding AMC bikes with similar clutch springs.

Something must be wrong.
cheers

Simes

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Re: Clutch dome

Post by Mick D »

Hi
From your photo with the dome removed it looks like the lower stud is bent, the bend is not in the direction of rotation of the clutch and therefore the stud seems to have been loosened either before or by the incident. I wonder if the stud becoming loose was the cause of the detents in the cup and adjusting screw not stopping the assembly unscrewing.
At a bare minimum I'd be replacing that stud, and of course the dome.
Regards Mick
ralfpenkert
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by ralfpenkert »

Thanks a lot for your replies.
To explain the lower photo with the dome removed.
This Photo was done the morning after i got home.
The lower stud is the one the nut became loose. (It shows my rough repair i did the evening before)
As i said i found the adjusting nut and the broken spring inside.
Don't know if the broken spring was the reason the nut became loose or it broke afterwards.
Also didn't notice any dragging clutch before.
After disassembling i realized all 5 studs where crooked.
So i got a bit nervous and replaced everything (studs, cups, nuts, springs).
Kept the old stuff and will take a closer look today.
I guess Geoff's spare parts are right.
To be safe i will check that "notch and spring" point.
Ralf
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by ralfpenkert »

I checked the old nuts, cups and springs. Nuts and cups have notches, spring ends are flattened. These things look original. They couldn't get loose.
One explanation might be the broken spring so the nut became loose. The clutch basket rotates, the nut touches the dome's inside, got an additional momentum became loose and mixed up everything.

Ralf
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Re: Clutch dome

Post by nevhunter »

A broken spring could do it.. You wouldn't notice much change to the clutch action, necessarily. Nev
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