cleaning the inside of a clutch bell...

[Clifffff]

Bros, I was a fool and used some unbranded Chinese aluminium clutxh shoes in my robinson racing clutch bell. Now I have run into serious problems. First off, the clutch shoes lock onto the inside of the clutch bell making start up of the truck impossible. I opened the clutch bell to release the shoes but found a more discerning problem. There is considerable burnt/melted aluminum residue stuck to the inside of the clutch bell. I managed to get some of it off using a flat screw driver and a hammer but not all residue was removed sussessfully. Even worse, now the inside of the clutch bell is all beat up and unsmooth. So any new clutch shoes will soon get locked inside the clutch bell. My question: how do you clean your clutch bell in these situations? Is there a holy method to this? I paid 20 bucks for this bell and it hurts to just toss it...

 

[Sparky]

If you've got a dremmel type tool itll fly off with a cutting disc to clean up the clutchbell,
I've had to do this a few times even with good quality alloy shoes

 

[Clifffff]

Thanks buddy. I stayed away from the dremel because I thought it might eat the clutch bell and result in an uneven surface... Used a flat screw driver and a hammer instead, followed by thorough sandpapering. It is pretty clean now.

 

[SavageDarwin]

I was going to suggest dremel with wire wheel

 

[olds97_lss]

Dremel with a large sanding drum works well. Just use light pressure and work your way around the bell without overheating any one spot. You want to grind away the aluminum, not melt it. Once it melts, it sticks to the sanding drum, then it doesn't work as well.

 

[OnThatPipe]

I wonder what caused the shoes to do that? Where they shimmed on the flywheel? How does the outside of the bell look like? i.e. are there any rings/etchings around it? That sucks as I know those bells are kind of pricey.

 

[OnThatPipe]

Forgot to add, without seeing it and basing it off your description, it sounds like that bell is toast. I certainly would not run it something like that. Assuming it's functional, it will be pretty much impossible to tune your engine with a fouled bell.

 

[Clifffff]

Forgot to add, without seeing it and basing it off your description, it sounds like that bell is toast. I certainly would not run it something like that. Assuming it's functional, it will be pretty much impossible to tune your engine with a fouled bell.

I used a dremel and managed to get most of the alloy residue out. To be honest, after I demurred the clutch, it looked really nice and even. I strapped it on today and used some mugen carbon shoes and no problems so far.

 

[OnThatPipe]

Good deal. Happy to hear that. Carbon shoes definitely have their place on the Savage. I’ll sometimes run two carbon and one alum or often all carbon depending on the setup. Glad you could save the bell. Dremmels are good.