chain with clutch vs/OEM belt?

I'm thinking of doing a build with a clutch and chain coming off the engine and going straight to the top of the input to the rear end. What's some things I might want to look out for or why should I not do it this way? I'm going to build an entire new frame from new steel.

The biggest issue with a centrifugal clutch and chain is that you can't drive at low rpm, and you can't disconnect the driveline at high rpm.

A modified motorcycle clutch takes a lot more work, but you have the advantages of control.

I thought about that issue. I figured I'd just shift it to a lower gear and rev th engine more. I can order the clutches with differant lock in speeds too. If I lock at too low of an RPM I'll be below the torque curve and the engine willl stall. I'd thought some about trying a V/S torque convertor set up too.

a CVS ( snowmobile) system would work well, but you still have the low speed high speed issue. Not to mention they are 3 times the price.

I'm running a Centrifugal clutch and chain / jackshaft on mine, but its not intended to be for crawling.

Do you have a link/pictures of your set up?

You would be able to crawl if you put like large sprocket on the trans the still have speed in the higher gears

I may just hunt me down a hydrostatic drive transmission. I know where there's a lawn mower graveyard near me. I junked an old Toro 44 inch with one a long time ago there. He may still have it. That would save a lot of problems. Then all I'd have to do for more speed is install alrger pulley on the engine and a smaller one on the tranny. The flow would be controlled by the pedal position.

TheEquineFencer wrote:

I may just hunt me down a hydrostatic drive transmission. I know where there's a lawn mower graveyard near me. I junked an old Toro 44 inch with one a long time ago there. He may still have it. That would save a lot of problems. Then all I'd have to do for more speed is install alrger pulley on the engine and a smaller one on the tranny. The flow would be controlled by the pedal position.

Can't do that with a hydrostatic, Overspeeding them burns out the pump and release valve.

That's good to know. That's why I joined this group, good info. I guess I could still use a hydrostatic drive and run taller tires or maybe even add a jackshaft on the output to another axle to gain the ground sppeed on the output side. The more I drive the Cub I've built/building with the hydrostatic drive the more I like it.

I wonder what the "linit" is for input speed on a hydro drive before I start cooking things?

Wouldn't be that hard, different between each transaxle though. Just take max engine speed (3600RPM) Factor in the pulley sizes and bam.

If you google the serial number to the hydro you will see some letters mean different gearing, I just got 4 hydro stats then realized that they are geared differently.
But two of them the same so I'm good.

TheEquineFencer wrote:

Do you have a link/pictures of your set up?

Nothing good enough to show everything, And its torn down for paint right now.The build thread is here

http://atltf.forumotion.com/t1385-mastercraft-off-road-project

and vids are up here

https://www.youtube.com/user/chopperhedduck/videos?view=0&flow=grid

Man, I thought I was really doing something. You're the man! It'd be nice to have a gear box with reverse in it. That thing is a nice homemade 4 wheeler in sheeps clothing!

TheEquineFencer wrote:

Man, I thought I was really doing something. You're the man! It'd be nice to have a gear box with reverse in it. That thing is a nice homemade 4 wheeler in sheeps clothing!

It's really just a collection of leftover parts, and an old tractor I didn't like or need.

If I could find a Horizontal FNR gearbox, i'd install it in place of the jackshaft.

I bet an old gear box from a servicar would work. I've been looking around for one. I thought about looking for a PTO gear box from a truck transmission that has a Fwd/N/Rev.

I still have a fnr box out of a MTD, but its got verticle input. I could put a clutch on my vert shaft BS motor , but not with the swingarm without a major rethink