Any Tricks To Installing Barnett Clutch Springs ?

[IanDMacDonald]

Springs are too stiff to depress the star plate. Only bolt I can get started was the top. I don't want to crack the plate. Going for a haircut and Harbor Freight for deep clamps to clamp down the star plate.

[BA80]

If you got one started your good to go. You really don't need to worry about cracking the plate until the center starts going into the basket. That round center piece fits in there tight and needs to go in straight or it will bind.

You can draw that one down enough to get another started and it's easy from there.

[GLoweVA]

I think I remember someone here using 3 longer bolts to 'squeeze' the plates down enough then intall 3 of the stock bolts then swap out the other 3 longer ones for the stock ones.

[IanDMacDonald]

GLowe- That sounds like a smart idea. I'll tackle that in the morning. Thanks.

[TopCatGr58]

I didn't know the Barnett springs were that much longer than OEM??

I don't recall having to compress the star plate/springs to be able to get the star plate bolts started, but I'm getting older so my memory isn't as good as it used to be, and I do a lot of things almost automatically without thinking about them when I've done them several times.

I like George's technique better, I've BROKEN the tip off of a star plate before, it's not so much the throwout bearing center section as the threaded shafts that come up under the plate, there's a little lip on the end of each star point, there's a FLAT edge cut on the outer edge of the threaded shafts that fit INSIDE the small lip on the underside of the star plate points....and it's when they are not positioned to fit together that cause the shaft to BIND against that lip, and then the increasing pressure/torque of the bolt cause that POINT to then fracture. Getting EVEN pressure on the star plate as it's being tightened into position is what's helpful/critical in getting those threaded shafts to align properly so that they don't catch/bind on the end of the plate points.

T.C.

[IanDMacDonald]

Hey TC- I just ran downstairs to measure it (the springs, lol). The longest old spring was just over 42mm. The Barnett's are 43.6mm, give or take.

[BA80]

I have installed quite a few sets of Barnetts and NEVER broken a plate. If you get one bolt started and draw it down a bit, not much just a little, then you can use it as a fulcrum and push the plate in opposite of it and get the bolts on either side started and then draw it in.

The Barnetts are a little longer and a little stronger and it takes a while for your clutch hand to get used to but it's not a big deal installing them as long as your careful and don't tighten the bolts too unevenly.

It ain't rocket science and there's no special tools or anything else necessary.

Check the bolts carefully though. People have a tendency to over tighten them and stretch them out. I've had to replace quite a few. It's easy to see if the threads are stretched.

[IanDMacDonald]

I was surprised at how lightly torqued those bolts were. Hardly had to use any force to loosen them.

[BA80]

All they do is hold those springs under tension. They don't do anything else.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Ian,

Yes, they are very lightly torqued, either 7 or 10 ft lbs, don't have the manual right at the moment, but you'll want to use an INCH/pounds type torque wrench to tighten them.....standard ones are not sensitive enough to get it right without the chance of overtorqueing and even stripping the threads, or as has been mentioned, stretching the bolts!

Greg, I can see and understand your technique, and for many of us seasoned wrenches, we can probably do it that way easily without little worry of breakage, but for the general newbie that may only wrench on his own bike, and not very often, the 3 slgihtly longer bolts technique just seems a little "SAFER" in keeping the star plate relatively even/flat to reduce the chance of catching a star plate point lip. Yep, slow and steady and even is the key, I use a socket wrench extension and hold it like a screwdriver while I'm tightening the bolts a turn at a time around the plate until I get it seated, and then I know I've safely merged the pressure plate and mounting shafts with the star plate, so I can then safely apply the required torque in INCH/POUNDS!

T.C.

[motoman]

I was surprised at how lightly torqued those bolts were. Hardly had to use any force to loosen them.

Then they were likely torqued correctly. An overtightened bolt will come loose same as not tight enough. IIRC, 7ft.lbs. Unless using an inch-pound torque wrench or have a good 'feel' for the tightness, easy to snap off a basket ear. A dob of blue loctite on each bolt going back in doesn't hurt either.

[BA80]

That's exactly right TC. Those bolts can be screwed in by hand quite easily by just tightening them in sequence. That is when the torque wrench is used, when they have been bottomed out.

I just use a 1/4" driver handle with a 10mm socket to snug them.

[BA80]

There is really no need for Loctite on those bolts Brant. It probably wouldn't hurt but it's unnecessary.

As I said before, they do nothing except hold tension on the springs. I've taken clutches apart with broken bolts before but I have yet to run across one the bolts had backed out of. Just my personal experience though.

[IanDMacDonald]

I used Greg's technique and they went in. Just walked the wrench around each one maybe eight different times. Final tightening was a smidge over hand tight. Thanks guys. One more project done, many more to go.