Clutch Plate Material? Steel, stainless, cast iron?

Machinery_E · Aug 22, 2016

Got a slip clutch on a trencher I've got to work on. Initial thoughts were to just reface the plates as they are badly grooved/glazed. The clutch is slipping even tightening it up way past the mfg's specs. Looking at it closer, it looks like a shop made the parts and they are not factory. The center, main driving disk is made out of stainless steel. Is stainless a good material to use in this application? I was thinking it would have a tendency to gall/glaze over quickly? I'm not finding much info on the internet as to what the best material for clutch plates are. Thoughts?

Mtndew · Aug 22, 2016

My first instinct is to go with cast iron. I can't see stainless being used as it's pretty malleable.

Cole2534 · Aug 22, 2016

Pretty sure the plates on the ATV clutches I've played with were SS.

true temper · Aug 22, 2016

What kind of trencher are you working on?

Monarchist · Aug 23, 2016

true temper said:
What kind of trencher are you working on?

As germane, who made the motor?

Largish number of flywheel, driven disk, and pressure plates out there that fit LOTS of stuff besides the one in front of you, even if the rest of it is an 'orphan'.

A targeted 'parts bin' prowl often finds most are cheaper to buy than make or even refurb. Gots to do the pressure-plate AND flywheel side, after all.

Bill

Limy Sami · Aug 23, 2016

Assuming metal to metal or a hard friction material, CI would be my first choice - as long as the shape of the driving keys / tags allow such a material, if not go to steel, stainless would be well down my list.

James H Clark · Aug 23, 2016

Stainless sometimes tends to go out of shape after getting hot a few times. CI not so much.

JH

Illinoyance · Aug 23, 2016

I assume the purpose of the clutch is to slip before something expensive breaks, I also assume it is exposed to weather. If the plate rusted it would not slip at the desired torque. For that reason I would make the plate from stainless.

Machinery_E · Aug 23, 2016

Vermeer trencher. I'll upload some pics, not sure how they will look to show how the steel and stainless parts have worn. The stainless looks about as bad as the steel part and definitely not as wrapped-of course its used in a different way...the steel part in the pictures, big springs go on all the holes, and the disk is cupped inward with how the spring pressure is applied. I'm thinking of just refacing everything and giving it a try. Found a source for the clutch disks that is much cheaper than the OEM price and the next job the machine is on hopefully won't be a crisis situation.

jscpm · Aug 23, 2016

Wow, if you can afford to replace that with stainless, you must be loaded. I would have just used hot-rolled C1045.

Cast iron makes no sense unless you are planning to manufacture 1000 of them.

Monarchist · Aug 23, 2016

Machinery_E said:
just refacing everything and giving it a try. Found a source for the clutch disks that is much cheaper than the OEM price and the next job the machine is on hopefully won't be a crisis situation.

So long as the working surfaces fit-up well, wear and heat damage drop, 'ugly' is ignored.

What's not to like?

Illinoyance · Aug 23, 2016

It looks like the clutch has been slipping regularly. I would guess the operator is crowding too hard. That clutch should only slip under occasional overload.

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Clutch Plate Material? Steel, stainless, cast iron?

Machinery_E

Titanium

Mtndew

Diamond

Cole2534

Diamond

true temper

Stainless

Monarchist

Diamond

Limy Sami

Diamond

James H Clark

Stainless

Illinoyance

Stainless

Machinery_E

Titanium

jscpm

Titanium

Monarchist

Diamond

Illinoyance

Stainless

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