Clutch problem?

jakeesspoo

Cart has been running great till today. My wife and kids went for a ride and when they stopped and went to go again the cart was just jerking forward, engine not running.
I managed to get it int the barn and take a quick look at it. It seems like the clutch is "closing" on its own and not when the engine revs up. I can pull on the belt and get the clutch to "open up" then it closes tight on the belt again. So i believe the jerking is obviously from the cart trying to start under load.
I believe that what im calling the clutch is what you guys call the clutch. I searched the threads for clutch in the titles but did not see any threads addressing this issue but i did see people using the term "primary clutch" so i do not know if what im referring to is the primary clutch.
Can someone tell me whats going on here so i can repair it? My wife and kids love this cart. My son turned two yesterday and everytime we are outside he says "golf cart" wich is funny coming from a two year old that is just learning to speak

BGW

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jakeesspoo

The clutch im looking at is not the one coming right off the rear of engine but across from it. Is what comes off the rear of the engine another clutch that operates in same manner? Could it be stuck closed? And if so whats the remedy. I do not recall ever putting oil in a clutch since ive had it about a year either uf this helps you guys troubleshoot. Thanks

jakeesspoo

Ok. Ive been searching through threads related to clutches and think i may understand a few things now. The clutch i mentioned in my original post appears to be what is called the driven clutch i believe. The clutch coming off the engine is primary clutch?
The driven clutch should be "closing" on the belt even when not running

The primary clutch takes 80-90w gear oil. Rotate fill plug to 7 o clock position and fill till it runs out. (Or if dry approx 12 ozs).

Im hoping that my primary clutch is just stuck closed from having no oil and that if I oil it and rock around and tap it around it will loosen up?
I am fully covinced that when i put oil into it that it will leak out only because I am really starting to believe that God feels the need to keep me constantly working on or repairing something around here. (I live on a small farm, something is always broke) Other than that like i said my family and I love this cart I have numerous atc's and atv's, minibike, go cart, etc. and my wife says the cart is the best thing I ever bought.

73eldo

Sounds like you have things straight now. Be careful when you go add / check the oil. If the plug is old the end could just break off and fall in.

The driven clutch is just spring loaded to close unless the primary closes up.

The primary clutch has ball weights in it that ride on brass slides. The faster the clutch spins the more the balls want to go out which then closes it in which makes the belt ride higher on the primary and go lower in the secondary which changes the ratio. What may be happening to yours is the slides have worn and or broken and are keeping the balls from sliding.

jakeesspoo

Will try the oil tonight and we will go from there. Will keep it posted.

jakeesspoo

So heres what i found. After looking for the fill plug on primary and not being able to find it i looked up the location in the manual and finally found it. I suppose it was so hard to find because i was looking for a cap or a plug and there wasnt one
I found fill hole and stuck a zip tie in there just to make sure it wasnt capped off or blocked with dirt. I cleaned up around hole and turned it to 7 oclock position and filled it with gear oil. So Without a cap I wiped it down again and took a fill cap off of a old atv battery. It fit loose so I put a glob of rtv silicone and put it over cap to hold it in. I did that this morning before work.
Tonight I went out there and rocked it back and forth some and then pulled up on belt and then "slam" it popped back out to open position. I started engine and watched it close and open again and again. Problem solved for now. I wonder how many years that clutch ran dry and what kind of damage it did? I guess I will find out eventually but for now the girls have their cart back. (Not sure I ever mentioned it but Im kinda a hillbilly and personally thought that my battery cap/silicone plug was a great remedy)