I am also having clutch problems with my SP500. The Clutch seems to be a common problem with everybody in the past few days and mine is similar to theres but not exactly the same. I would like to have some responses directly related to mine, although they are probably gonna be the same as the others.

Heres my story, last weekend I got my 96 SP500 (with the mods listed below) back from the shop. They put the cam in it, jetted the carb and replaced the buttons on the primary clutch. I rode some hills, high speed trails, open fields and did some doughnuts in the creek, in that order. Right after I got it out of the creek, we got back on the road to ride over to another spot. I was on the road for maybe a quarter mile when i felt the belt start to slip, then i feel something dragging down the back end of the 4 wheeler like the brake was engaged but it wasnt, the rear brake bearly even works. So I put it in reverse, the forward again and now theres nothing dragging it down but the belt is still slipping. I rode it back to the house, about 1 mile, the belt was slipping bad, smoking and smelling. Wouldnt even make it up the hill in the driveway. I thought it was just the belt. Today I put the new belt on it, and its still "slipping" and the clutch cover is getting really really hot. I know it needs the new style cover for cooling purposes but i dont think this one should get this hot. Before it gets hot, it doesnt slip, but I cant wheelie in low like I was last weekend and it doesnt pull as hard as it did last weekend before all this happened. I then took the clutch cover off so I could see what was going on, and its slipping around the secondary clutch. I tried to take it off to look at it but I cant figure out how. My Prob sounds familiar to the other one, do you all think its the same? I went ahead and ordered another belt just in case i ruined this one by riding it around with it slipping.

DID YOU KNOW, You can get DAYCO belts from "Advance Auto Parts?" Thats where i get mine because they get them next day. $37.15 is what i pay for mine.

 

When you got into the water and splashed around you got water in your belt cover and caused your belt to slip.When this first started you should have loosend some of the screws on the cover and drained the water out and reved the motor a little with it in neutral to get the belt dryed out.You have to be careful with water unless you have everything sealed good and a snorkle kit on it.

 

When you replace your belt where is it sitting in the secondary clutch? It sounds like your bottons could be shot as well when this happens your secondary clutch won't back shift all the way and you will smoke your belt when this happens too. If not It does sound like it could be a water issue.

 

ftwfth- I dont think I got any water inside the clutch cover. The water was only about 4 to 6 inches deep. If there was water in it, it would have had steam coming out of the air duct and it would have started slipping in the creek, right? Like I said, I got out of the creek and rode it on the road for about 1/4 mile before I had any problems. As soon as I got it back I took it apart, it didnt look like there was ever any water in there.

speedguy- It sits closer to the outside of the secondary clutch, not all the way out but it is close. When I watch it slip, its slipping around the outside of the clutch.

 

dude my uncle SP 400 did the same thing just randomly, tried a new belt and did not fix it all the way, took it to the dealer and three plastic buttons inside the clutch were shot, they only cost like 3 bucks or so, and a dealer can do it in about and hour, total bill for the new buttons was like 70 bucks total, i honestly think its those buttons though... take a look at them

 

After reading all the comments on the other post I do believe the buttons need replaced and possibly the helix too, it does have 4600 miles on it so I figure I will probably just replace everything that I can. I have seen a lot of people talkin about setting the spring at 2/2. What does that mean? What is the stock setting? Where do I put it so I can ride some phat wheelies?

 

Changing your sec. spring settings will not give you a huge perofrmance gain. IF you are lokking for buttons we have some harder ones which last a little longer than stock or you should look at a team secondary if you don't want to ever worry about this again.

 

Who is we? Where should I set the secondary spring on the stock clutch?

 

Speedguy is with HSP and is very knowlegable on most things.But as for your stock clutch get you a set of stock secondary ramps aka buttons and when going together set the spring at 2-2.

 

Thanks ftwflh