Fix for the Primary Cover

[dflack001]

DrogenOmen: Right now the kit goes for $60.00 shipped anywhere in the US, though I'm looking at ways to improve the kit which may slightly increase the price. If you decide its something you don't want to tackle or don't have the tools ,you can send it to me and I will fix it for $150.00 shipped back to you with a day or two turn around.

Thank you for your input 50...how do you feel about aluminum plate verse cast aluminum?

[50dro]

Thank you for your input 50...how do you feel about aluminum plate verse cast aluminum?

You're welcome. I don't want to knock the wind out of your sails here. I do applaud your efforts to make a fix for this as it's a real issue that's happened to too many Buellers (including myself), but IMHO, since you asked, I don't think the aluminum plate will do the trick in the long haul. Yes it's a "stronger" material than cast but it's supported further out and ultimately is secured through threads in the aluminum casting. This gives it an opportunity to bend (probably not break as the cast lip does) over time and/or possibly pull the bolts through the weak threads in the casting. As you know, there's not a lot of space in there so any movement could be bad. I'd be glad to discuss this further with you as I had done with Robert a while back (not sure if he forwarded my emails to you?). Please email me (info@5-0dro.com) if you would like to talk further.

Thanks for being open to my opinion...After all, it IS just my opinion based on my engineering experience and materials knowledge. I haven't done any calculations or real analysis of the setup. Feel free to poke holes through it as you wish.

[DrogeN Omen]

$60 is pretty decent. what about shipping to New Zealand?

so after installing this how do you screw in the clutch cover?

is there any chance the screws on the inside will shake loos like all the other nuts and bolts on our rattly Buell's?

have you got a put of its on your bike with the clutch cover off then on?

[dflack001]

50: Thanks again...I suppose only time will tell.

Drogenomen:
-Shipping to New Zealand is $23.50 and will take 6-10 days
-The screws for the aluminum plate share the same threads as the screws for the inspection cover. Worst case scenario will be that you have to grind down the screws for the inspection cover...I didn't need to and the instructions follow the same process that I did with the same measurements.
-As long as you use the recommended Red Threadlocker the screws shouldn't fall out. I had to heat my screws up pretty good to get them out!
-I will attempt to get a picture up of mine installed with the clutch ramp assembly together.

[dflack001]

Just realized this, page one of this thread has pictures of the aluminum plate installed with the inspection cover on and the ramp assembly installed too. That was my handmade kit...not nearly as nice as what I am doing now!

[Macbuell]

I am not an engineer, I do work with aluminum daily, but that doesn't matter. Anyways, let me explain my thinking with a picture. Below in red is the distance between MOST of the force from the clutch ramp will hit since it will be the last to slightly bend. This distance is very small. It is this small measurement which leads me to believe the threads would fail before the aluminum plate...



Try bending that thickness of straight edge aluminum with that amount of distance... now try it on the outside of a radius which I believe will make it even more difficult.

The strength of the plate shouldn't be an issue.

[dflack001]

Thank you for the input Macbuell...makes sense. The threads are 1/4-20x3/8 which is coarse...I can't see those threads failing if the drilling and tapping is done nicely and you use thread locker. Anyone know exactly how many pounds of force it takes to move that clutch? I'm having a hard time finding that kind of information...

[gbalias]

looks like good fixes make their way around....lol this was my fix from 4 yrs ago...i used steel, never looked back with any issues after that!

http://www.buelletinboard.com/forums...ht=primary+fix

i welded the countersunk screws to the plate to be SURE itll never come loose.

[EricZ]

Stock XB clutch spring force is right at 320 lbs max for 2003-2005 clutches and ~300 lbs for 2006-2010 clutches. Keeping things simple, divide the 320 lbs by the three screws and each screw thread engagement is responsible for ~110 lbs. A simple thread engagement calculator can be found in the link below. Be sure to consider that the internal threads (Primary cover) are much weaker than the external threads of the screw. Screw thread engagement calculator

[dflack001]

Thanks EricZ! I never would have guessed the clutch spring force to be that high...crazy!