Dragonfly clutch plates

[tonyh]

My VNH clutch has started slipping a little, especially when starting. It has newish cork friction plates. The plain plates are not bad but I plan to get some new ones. Would the new Drags friction stuck on fiction material be better than my cork one to handle the torque the V twin gives. It does have a 500 3 / 5 plate clutch.
Any experience or feedback appreciated.
Cheers Tony

[dave.owen]

Tony bonded plates 50% heavier in weight, so are noisier in operation , I have gone back to cork plates on the sq4 all my singles also run cork plates,
With the bonded plates you'll need heavier springs

Club gearbox spares have cork plates in stock .

Dave

[nevhunter]

Plates are far too heavy and affect wear of everything metal in the clutch area including the gearbox clutch end splines. A cork clutch is far better in use by a large margin. Heavy clutches are not desirable in motorbikes as the affect gearchanges as well.
Add two more plates Tony, by extending the required parts. Nev

[tonyh]

Thanks lads. All my other Ariels have cork clutches and are nice and light. The basket is not wide enough for anymore than 3 fiction and 4 plain plates. Its not a powerful motor and the past 400 miles I have had no problems. I thought it just needed the screws tightening, but its not much better when trying to start it with slipping. The plates were dry with no contamination but a couple of the plain plates are not 100% flat.
I will try the spares and have another go.
Cheers Tony

[Simon.Gardiner]

Take the tangs off the back of the centre and add in another plain and friction plate (which bears against the back of the basket), a bit like the very late Ariel adaptation (I think that's what Nev's suggesting - it's been mentioned in a few threads here over the years).

SG

[nevhunter]

I'd just weld slightly curved bits on the outer basket and nickel bronze on the centre bit and machine or file. Nev

[tonyh]

I will have to have a look when I take the clutch off Nev. I can't quite picture the curved bit you speak about. So you have to extend the centre a little bit too, or the plate will fall out of drive. I'm sure it will all reveal itself when I look at it. I have Nickel Bronze rods by the way.
I'm sur with a couple more plates it will be fine.

[nevhunter]

You might need to pack the cover out a bit or get a deeper one. They are available here. It might be better to make a new extended Centre and lighten it and harden it as well. The original is only cast iron. The "curved bit " is the basket. The lighter the mass of a clutch the nicer the gear changes are. Nev

[tonyh]

I have spoken with Geoff Brown our Gearbox and clutch man. He's been helpful and I have ordered some bits off him. Hopefully I can kick the bike over soon. Geoff said it may be the lever inside the outer cover just touching the inside of the case and lifting the clutch. He may well be correct. It started slipping straight after I found the cover screws a little loose which made it was leak oil. The slipping started straight after. I will back the nut of under the cover a turn in the morning to confirm this.
I will still go with an extra plate and friction material on the basket though. You never know, I may increase the comp to 7:1 in the future.
I have a lot at the moment Nev, (to many bikes) so don't want to start making clutch centres. I'm making my 4 valve ES2 Norton DOHC and a pair of chain cases for my Tiger 80, amongst other projects. Why can't I be normal and just screw something std together.

[nevhunter]

It's a bad disease, probably incurable but I've gotten over it (with the occasional(RARE) relapse) Generally I try to stick to pretty much as it was, because "where do you stop?". Your lazy twin is probably very nice as you can balance that type of motor quite well. Your Norton is going to be very TALL with overhead camshafts.. I've seen a 600 "Inter" which needed much alteration to an original frame. Nev