Rivera Pro clutch diagnosis

[laid55]

Originally Posted by sugarlou

They are SLIGHTLY smaller..enuff to make a racket??? Thanks again Trent.

yup!I was looking at your earlier post where you ran it without the metal plates.if you look at your picture of the basket.by removing the plates,all the clutches moved over,possibly to the spots on the dog that weren't worn,and possibly even thicker from the edges of the worn out spots.

[sugarlou]

I ran it w/out any plates..no frictions or steels to eliminate the basket/motor pulley and belt from the equation. I am not following you laid.

[sugarlou]

from this view the dogs/ plates look [/IMG]pretty compatable..no?

[sugarlou]

Latest update..An email was sent to Rivera w/ a link to the youtube video..An email was sent to me stating I needed to call John on the phone for tech assistance...I called, got some young lady on the phone..she was very nice but almost impossible to understand..alot of ..ummm...umm. You know the type..John was at lunch..he called me back, I told him my sad tale ..said I would email him the link again..He said he'd take a look and get back to me.......no word yet. I get the feeling I've been brushed off but will give them the benefit of the doubt.........

[sugarlou]

Day 3 no word..resent an email re asking to look at my video and get back to me.. Starting to fade on Rivera Engineering offering tech assistance.

[Tman]

Remember Sturgis is going on and many companies have their people outr here working the booths. I would give it until next week.

[sugarlou]

I will..but I spoke to John on the phone at the Rivera offices on Mon.

[sugarlou]

UPDATE ..John at Rivera tech help is not responding to my emails and has offered no usefull advice...nice company...They were sure friendly when taking my $550

[Trent]

Originally Posted by sugarlou

UPDATE ..John at Rivera tech help is not responding to my emails and has offered no usefull advice...nice company...They were sure friendly when taking my $550

Man, this sucks. Rivera has ALWAYS been great to me. Maybe you pissed someone off there! haha

[Big Nick]

I'm goign by the shop at 1 today. I will ask my buddy, I know we had a few customers with the same problems. i will show him this link.

[sugarlou]

I have been nothing but nice to the Rivera people..I don't go spouting off at the mouth unless seriously provoked! I spoke to him once ..he said email me the link..I emailed it ..nothing ..I remailed him...nothing nasty this exactly "have you had a chance to review my video yet"..If that pissed him off he's a nut..Then after no word i copy and pasted the same email ..maybe 3 more times. The last one I sent said "are you recieving my emails" Hardly harsh words..Today i get a responce asking me to forward it to someone else in the company..I did..We'll see. B

[sugarlou]

Got a reply today and as expected ...THIS CLUTCH IS ONE NOISY MF!...Heres the poop from Rivera...

Hi, From the video you sent, it sounds like normal noise that you getfrom an open belt drive. However, as the clutch p[lates start to wear, andthe gap between the edge of the friction and the clutch dog grows, the drivewill become noisier. Usually replacing the plates will help to quiet that abit.Thank you,Ben KudonDirector of Sales & MarketingRivera Primo Inc. THIS CLUTCH SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE THIS WHEN I FIRST INSTALLED IT..maybe a tad quieter.

[Dr. Jett]

Well, they stopped short of trying to sell you official Rivera logo'ed earplugs. Thats considerate.

[sugarlou]

the video link again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xBaZJQiAyE

[sugarlou]

no shit!!!..I ride w/ an Ipod and noise cancelling earbuds...

[trimixdvr]

wish I could help, can tell you that I have one on a 79 shovel and it makes a little noise...nothing like that though..

[front st cycle]

I don't own a belt drive, but I have never heard one that sounded like that either...

so much for customer service!

[sugarlou]

I am gonna turn one of my "brainiac" buddies loose on this deal...I sent him the vid and said.."no way .. let me at it." So I'll post what we (he) comes up with.

[bigassbike]

its a racket, but i 've heard the same. might try some old style with the little springy anti-rattlers

[sugarlou]

this clutch is backwards though( so to speak )..the stocker has the notches on the steels..this has the notches in the frictions..so they aren't interchangable
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update as of 12/5/07


O.K heres the original video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xBaZJQiAyE

Its fucking freezing/ snowing here in NJ and the Shovel is a bit cranky about starting so no follow up video yet.

Heres the deal: A cat named satanmechanic saw my youtube video and had the same issues w/ his Proclutch.. we corresponded back and forth a few times and he relpy's " I fixed it". All of the credit goes to him..not only did he help me out..HE MODIFIED SOME OF HIS OWN PARTS AND SHIPPED THEM TO ME FREE.

Its great to know there are still some real people left in this world and that good Karma comes back around!. I of course am gonna take care of him for his troubles and let his wife pick out something from my website.

Anyway heres the deal.
I am not "super wrench" (obviously) so bear with me on some of these terms.
The rivera clutch hub has splines..The first clutch steel to go in is .120" thick steel plate. It stops on the hub (due to a widening of the hub) before it touches the clutch basket. This space behind the first steel is responsible for the clutch pack never truely tightening up to the point where the plates stop rattling. Why its designed like this I don't know.

I measured the distance behind the first steel and the satanicmechanic modified a stock HD steel plate as well as an additional Rivera friction..The center hole needs to be opened up on a lathe in order for the plates to reach over the hub to the back of the basket. I will includes some pictures.

In my case one HD steel and one Rivera still allowed the noise to continue. He cut an additional HD steel sent it to me ..again free... and I reassembled the clutch as follows.The 2 modified HD steels first.Then the modified Rivera friction, then then what would normally be the first rivera steel(.120" ) and the rest of the clutch pack alternating friction /steel ...etc..

Started it up and....silence..just motor noise and some normal open primary noise while the lever is pulled in...NOW HERES THE DISCLAIMER!
We don't know what effect this will have in the long run..He's on the left coast and rides daily and reports no issues. He has a concern about the bearing failing prematurely but thats not definate and time will tell. I'd personnally rather replace the bearing if it should fail down the line to ride without that rattle can sound cutting into my otherwise enjoyable days out riding.

So I will post some follow up stuff to keep you all informed..but my riding season ends with temps in the 30's.. I know I'm a pussy to all you tuffguys on here..but its my choice and I'll be back riding in the early spring.












.