entropy
Moderator
Posts: 8671
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posted August 26, 2002 07:09 AM
preloading the clutch...
Well, I was making progress in my slow ascent on an 8.99999 pass by getting my 60's down to 1.499 to 1.51-30's. BUT, I was not having any luck at consistency and couldn't figure out why one pass would be 1.52, and the next 1.61 or the like.
Last week, a local Busa drag magician, Kerry, closely observed my launch and noted that I was getting a couple revolutions of wheel slip when I fired out the clutch. On another couple passes he also saw me completely blow the tire away. This happened even after heating up the MCR2 WELL, and with HRP's famous good traction.
His conclusion was that I was not preloading the clutch, rather I had the lever all the way into the bar and when the light went on, I just slammed it out.
His advice was to stage with the revs up (5500-6000) and have the clutch let out just to the point where it is about to catch. Then when the light changes, slam the clutch the rest of the way out, rolling into higher throttle position, but keeping the front wheel somewhere near the track by clutch. Seems like I have 430 passes doing it the wrong way. I have never "preloaded" the clutch.
Well, its back to school again, trying to add a new trick to my staging/launching "routine". Last night was in the 90's and I only got 9.20's and I didn't have 100% consistency. However, I did NOT blow away the tire once, so progress, i guess, is being made...
any thoughts from the pro's??
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ZRXDean
Needs a job
Posts: 2225
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posted August 26, 2002 07:51 AM
I'm no pro, but I preload the clutch. I roll into prestage, and use the motor to pull me into full stage, then ease it in a bit to hold the bike steady. It takes the slack out of the driveline & chain, and is the only way I can cut a light now.
Dean
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ZHooligan
Moderator
Post Whore Extraordinaire!
Posts: 3829
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posted August 26, 2002 08:09 AM
I get a kick out of these posts. A few of my road race buddies make fun of drag racers. Talk about how hard can it be to go in a straight line etc. I find Road Racing a challenge, but the truth is when I blow a corner I can usually make it back up some where. Unless of course it is the last corner before the finish line!
I have found drag racing to be something of a whole different nature. Make a mistake and it is over. Every run is essentially the last corner of the race and any mistake made you lose. Even worse most racers are won or lost before the light turns green!
Both sports are fun. I like the road racing more because of the actual seat time you get. But that said, with each pass (my personal best is a 9.93) I make I gain more respect for good drag racers and become even more amazed at the consistancy of the good riders.
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To those who do not count their life in years, but in how life
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madmike
Moderator
FEAR THE BLACK FLAG!!!!!!!!
Posts: 6579
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posted August 26, 2002 09:10 AM
I always pre-load my clutch, I usually go full throttle and slip it out.
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krexken
Zone Head
Posts: 732
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posted August 26, 2002 09:18 AM
I can't really say it'll help or hurt to have it preloaded, especially since your slamming it all the way out anyway. If you're trying to feather it out the same way every time I could see where it would help. That's what I do on my ZRX. On the 12, I have to pull it all the way in to keep it from pushing through anyways. If nothing else, maybe taking the slack out of the driveline is letting you hook more consistantly. I can see that happening.
On another topic, I helped a zx12 riding friend with his clutch the other nite. He's got the Muzzy hub and basket. Both the basket and hub are getting pretty beat up from the tabs on the clutches. Big time smear spots where they make contact. Anybody else noticed this on theirs? Since they are indentions, I'm not sure if there's a simple fix for this or not.
On the the Muzzy hub, don't they supply a modified bushing(for lack of better word) that goes with it to help it oil? My friend is using the stocker. I think his clutch is getting little to no oil. He only had two blued steels and they weren't that bad and all the fibers looked brand new(on a few passes on any of it) but claims the clutch was slipping. Says he never runs out of freeplay. Anyways, I drilled a few more holes in the hub to distribute the oil a little more evenly and flatspotted the puller shaft to get it some oil. We'll see if that'll help. I'm still not sure why it would be slipping.
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hotrodninja
Expert Class
Posts: 121
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posted August 26, 2002 09:39 AM
You'll have a hard time cutting consistent lights and winning without pre-loading the clutch. Need to hold a finger on the front brake until the launch of course. I noticed a difference between the 2000 and 2002 clutch that I've never noticed before. The 2002 fibers are quite different. The raised pads on the fiber plates are narrower, and the space in between each is wider. Seems it would make for a little less surface area, causing higher pressure with the same springs, but more area for cooling. 160+ full slipping passes on my 2002 fibers, and they still look great!
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ninjamissile
Expert Class
Posts: 222
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posted August 27, 2002 03:05 AM
Krexken,
I enlarged the holes in my Muzzy hub and found quite a big difference. Also I am really interested in the other mod you talk about " FLAT SPOT ON THE PULLER SHAFT". Any chance of you or anyone else posting pics of this because I am a little unsure of where to flat spot and how much to take off.
Ninja Missile
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entropy
Moderator
Posts: 8671
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posted August 27, 2002 03:22 AM
quote:
... Both the basket and hub are getting pretty beat up from the tabs on the clutches. Big time smear spots where they make contact. Anybody else noticed this on theirs? ...
Ken,
I replaced my Muzzy drilled hub about a 100 passes ago because it was getting indentations. The Falicon basket is OK.
BTW i had .025 milled off the outer face of the "new" hub to give the Muzzy clutch pak the same stack height/basket-hub-hat config as stock.
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krexken
Zone Head
Posts: 732
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posted August 27, 2002 02:15 PM
I can't post a pic or really tell you how big of a flat spot to put on the shaft since I'm just taking a guess on how big to make it. The flat spot is put on the part of the puller shaft that fits into the trans shaft which is pressurized by engine oil. A file would probably be best to flat spot the shaft with but it's too hard and just about has to be ground. I use a 4" grinder with a thin cutoff wheel for good control. I make the flat spot about 1/8-3/16 wide. Who really knows how much oil this adds but I think it'll help. My engine uses a stock, drilled hub with two flatspots ground on it. I've easily got over 100 passes on it without any problems but I don't abuse it too bad either. I added the second flatspot later on in the clutches life. It makes the bike tend to creep unless the lever is all the way in. I'm assuming the extra oil on the clutches tend to make it drag somewhat. Freeplay has always been the same.
Thanks, Karl. This guys basket is looking pretty bad too. This could easily be part of his problem.
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RAC4IT
Needs a job
Bergie
Posts: 3009
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posted August 27, 2002 02:53 PM
man I sure would like to see a pic of this flatspot mod; as for too much oil being on the clutch hell I've never seen that ever! last couple times I pulled mine everything was bone dry and thats with the modified hub :/
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ninjafreek
Novice Class
Posts: 98
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posted August 27, 2002 06:29 PM
It's the only way I can leave.
But it does heat up the clutch,which I'm sure everyone here knows about.
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