Cheap DIY clutch centering tool for R1100 Oilheads.

[TREE]

It’s quick, it’s dirty…… and it’s cheap.

 

Got a drill press ? ....... you can do this !

 

Cut a piece of hardwood about 1.75 to 2 inches long from a broom handle etc, ( it has to be larger than 18mm or 11/16” diameter. )

 

Sand the ends at 90 degs so it’s flat.

 

Centre drill it accurately with a 5/16” drill ( this is the only hard part ).

If you are slightly off no sweat, the last sanding step will correct this.

 

Trap it on a long 5/16 allan bolt ( has a smaller head ).

Wrap some electrical tape around the threads where it will be chucked by the drill press. Do not tape more than 1 revolution.

( leaves a bump ) cut one turn, then apply a 2nd piece of tape over 1st piece one more turn.

 

With the head pointed down lock it in your drill press.

 

Use sandpaper on a true vertical block to sand it down as it turns.

I used a machinist's V block with 180 grit sandpaper.

Push the paper in slowly, shave a bit off at a time.

This will true the wood around its true centre.

Do not use too much side pressure.

 

Around 18mm diam it will start to slide through your clutch plate.

Try to stop sanding as soon as you can get a snug press fit.

 

Redrill the centre hole with a 23/64 ” bit .

Now the clutch pushrod will fit snugly through the wood.

 

Here is a photo of the finished tool.

……. and it worked perfectly !

 

 

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/3052/centretool33gu.jpg

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Genius. Cheap isn't a strong enough word for it; the material is almost free, and drill presses are ubiquitous.

[Rob L]

I have made many pilot tools using a dowel rod/bolt etc. and electric tape. Wrap the rod until it fits snuggly in the hole. If you need a step, add tape at the step until that diameter fits. A dollars worth of tape that I can still use when I am done and a perfect fit in a matter of minutes. May be to simple for some, but definitely works and is always concentric!

[No_Twilight]

Tree,

Good job. You are clearly a good woodworker and I'd guess you have some machining experience. However, I'd guess the average guy would have a lot of trouble with this method. Most people wouldn't get the center drill very close at all, then they probably won't get the hole parallel with the axis of the dowell. Then the sanding is very difficult. A 2 minute job on a lathe gets very difficult as the errors add up.

 

This job is one of the most satisfying parts of having a lathe!!!

 

So what's my point? I don't know how accurate this needs to be but many will have trouble getting it very accurate. Some may think that I'm posting here just to generate business (since I'm selling these tools) but I'm selling them cheap enough that I'm not making much at all on them.

 

Those of you who want to make one via this method should feel proud of your abilities once you get it done.

 

Cheers,

Jerry

[TREE]

Hi Jerry. Yes, the 1st centre drilling is the hard part, I used my V block to keep it on a 90 deg axis. Even then it was off ctr a bit, but the slow sanding fixed that.

 

Also I suspect once you get the tranny sliding in on 8mm temporary pins in two of the six engine bolt holes ( I used the 9 and 3 o'clock position holes for my pins ) you can wiggle the splines into the clutch by turning the driveshaft slowly even if the tool was a bit off centre. ( My theory.)

 

After that the 2 locating sleeves at 5 and 11 o'clock in the block should fit into the tranny case holes with a bit of wiggling.