Fix for the Primary Cover

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Here's a shot of the kit installed on my primary cover...

12920_20140331200626_L.jpg
 
Would have bought this in a heartbeat after my ramp failed. Had to make one of these from scratch and it was not a good time. Good work! [up]
 
How much testing have you done on the final product? It seems to me that the aluminum you are using is way to thin to handle the amount of pressure that the clutch places on that section. Wouldn't this be a product better made out of steel?
 
Thanks Macbuell! I hear ya...I had to do my first by hand before I designed a kit.

2004xb12s: There have been about a thousand miles put on these kits with plenty of stop lights and almost no wear on the aluminum plate. I chose to go with aluminum over steel as an effort to keep from wear on the ramp assembly, I don't know where you can get one if it's even possible to get one. The aluminum plate is much stronger and a little thicker then the lip on the OEM primary cover. Given I use plate instead of cast aluminum it's really not brittle at all. Furthermore, I could stand on the ramp assembly without it flexing, there's no way you are putting that much pressure on the clutch.

I will try to find some specs on exactly how many pounds of pressure it takes to move the clutch. Given it's not hydraulic it can't be to high...
 
This is not cast aluminum, should be stronger. My cast aluminum ramp disintegrated like hardened sugar. I was not pleased.
 
It's not all about materials though unless all else is equal...Loading, design, number of cycles, fatigue, etc. take a large role in any design. Sorry...the engineer in me just came out for a sec! Carry on... ;)
 
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?
 
Thank you for your input 50...how do you feel about aluminum plate verse cast aluminum?
Click to expand...

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 ([email protected]) 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.
 
$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?
 
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.
 
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!
 
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...

3414_20140402195302_L.jpg


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.
 
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...
 
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
 

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