Hi Guys,
I'm in the process of changing the drive belt on my son's '93 LT80. We bought it used last year and I don't have a service manual or even the owners manual. There was a lot of dust in the housing so I figured I'd better clean up the parts while I'm in there. My question is should any of the clutch components be lubed? The only part that I could tell for sure that did have lube on it was the center hub that the pulley moves in and out on. The other parts were too dirty/dusty to tell if they originally had lube on them or not. Also, what type of lube is used in the rear gearbox? Anybody know anything about these or have a manual? Know where I can find a manual that covers this model other than the dealer?

Thanks for any help or advice.

 

Hi,
As a long time LT80 owner, I hope I can help. After cleaning up all the dust and dirt, take the front clutch apart,take the 3 screws off the back of the inside pulley, check the condition of the 6 roller weights inside. mine were all worn out, having gotten stuck at an angle when the pulley jammed open from too much dirt. if the plastic cover on the metal rollers is bad, buy new ones,or have some new sleeves made,I made my own,having acces to a lathe at work. Reassemble,putting a little lube on the rollers(moly or a graphite dry slide lube.) For more aggressive clutch action, only put in every other roller,in a triangle pattern,this raises the engagement rpm, makes it a much better performer and hill climber. the back clutch has a lot more parts, if you don't feel up to it, let a shop take it apart. On mine, after dissassembly, I found the slide packed full of dirt and crud, removed and cleaned everything, and lightly lubed the shaft the sleeves slide on, the spring is the biggest hurdle to get by, it is pretty stiff. I also scuffed up all the pulley surfaces with a light sandpaper, it was really slick from years of the belt polishing it. It's a little work,but it made a huge difference, it would peel out from a dead stop, and climb hills like a racer. The tranny oil drain is a little bolt underneath, it is kinda hard to get to , and the little bolt on the right side to refill is even a bigger pain, without the manual, telling you just where it is would be kinda difficult, I believe a Clymer manual should cover all the maintenence points, you should be able to get one from Dennis Kirk, or some other parts wharehouse.
Hope this was some help,have fun and let me know how it turns out.


95 Wolverine, 98 Recon for my son (LT80 is gone!)

 

Thanks 95wolv,
I've already taken the front clutch apart and cleaned it, I just wasn't sure if the rollers needed to be lubed or not. There was some dark gray residue around the roller area that did look a little like a graphite or moly lube but could just as easily have been dirt or dust buildup. I did a search in the forum and saw where someone else mentioned leaving out half the rollers to increase the engagement rpm, this sounds like a good idea because it is sort of a dog when it comes to pulling out on inclines. I haven't disassembled the rear clutch yet but will probably do so tomorrow. I am a mechanic by trade but this is the first time I have been into this little quad for any service on the drive system. I have looked for after market manuals, including Clymer, Haynes and others but can't find one listed for the LT80. I have this thing completely apart right now because I'm also changing the rear suspension pivot bushings at the frame so access to the tranny oil plugs is not a problem, just needed to know what type of oil to use in it.
Thanks again for the help!