I recently noticed that my secondary clutch moved around a lot. Theres a pretty good size hole where the shaft for it goes through a piece of metal that looks like it holds the shaft in place. The hole where it goes through looks big compared to what it should be and its mushroomed out like its been worn away. Am I missing a brace or bearings or something?????
Thanks, Dave

Pictures were tough to get, its in a tough spot. the last one is just to show you where it is on the sled (secondary clutch is on the bottom of the picture). Enlarging the pictures makes them a lot easier to see what it is.

That's your jackshaft, not the driveshaft, and it looks like a bearing "got away" from you. (You might/probably need a new bearing retainer too.)

Ohhh. About how much would it cost to fix and does it involve pulling the clutch off to fix it?

Oh dear... that is quite a bit of damage. You are missing your jack shaft bearing, if it is not somewhere on that shaft it somehow completely exploded and is now gone? you are definitely going to need a new bearing race or "retainer" yes you will have to pull the clutch. this is what happens when you dont service your machine properly and the bearings do not get greased. this will be the first of many if you dont tend to it right away, I would even suggest you have you drive shaft bearings replaced if you havent done so... I almost replace mine every year. :)

good luck

I bought the sled used a month ago so I just noticed this. About how much would it cost to replace the stuff?
-Dave

First thing I'd do is pull things apart to see what all you need. (Since the shaft has been "flopping" about just a bit, it's also possible that stuff in the chaincase has been affected so that needs to be looked at also.) It's possible that your clutch has "dry-seized" on the shaft judging from what I can see in the pics. (There should be a light coat of grease when installing the clutch, something I do more than once annually in our marine atmosphere. You really don't want a stuck clutch!) Any time a shaft can move like that, there's the possibilty that the shaft will get peened making removal of bearings and other things difficult.

If all you need are the bearing and the retainer, that isn't so spendy, but it will depend on how "special" that bearing is. If you go with OEM parts - I recommend it- sometimes they use a rather fancy part. But you tend to get what you pay for - and I prefer to run things rather than fix them. I think if you get by for $20 you will have gotten a real bargain, but a good bearing along with the retainer might easily go between $50-75.

(You can look up parts for many machines on various internet websites these days to get some idea of costs. Some, like http://www.alljet.com show parts diagrams for many types and makes of machines.)

all suppliers unless its chinese get their bearings from the same places either SKF or NTN, both are good bearings, make sure they say one of those names on the box and you will be fine. should also say it on the bearing itself. as far as cost goes, are you going to do the work yourself? or take it in? I seriously suggest you check the other bearings if you plan on going more than 20 miles from your house.

Ok, thanks for all the info and the price estimate. I plan on doing the work myself considering that a simple tune up for my other sled cost me 530 bucks at least. (I expected it to cost 200-300) :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing:
I'll check what I can on the sled when I do this repair.
Thanks, Dave

I got the secondary off easily and the shaft was greasy when I took it off, which is good. Now I just can't figure out how to get what remains of the bearing off. It looks like there is a hole for a key but its not lined up with the key slot on the shaft and theres no Alan key in it? Could it have fallen out? Does this just slide off or is there something more to it? I tried hitting it but it didn't move. I didn't wanna hit it too much because I didn't wanna damage the gears in the gear case.
Heres a picture of the remains of the bearing that I can't get off.

Replies ASAP are great cause we are getting 4-9 inches of snow tomorrow!

If there is a threaded hole for an allan screw and you don't have one in there then it has fallen out. The bearing is probably seized on the shaft. Have you got a torch you could heat it with. Maybe that would loosen it. In the meantime give it a good soaking of liquid wrench or some other penetrating oil. If you can't get it loose you may have to take the jackshaft out of the chaincase so you can work on it.

There's an eccentric collar which locks a flange on the inner race of the bearing -(the only thing that's left on the shaft). You'll need to loosen a hex head set screw in the collar. There should also be a hole drilled part-way through that collar. That hole is there to set the collar. (It should have been set opposite the direction of normal rotation.) Try, using a drift, to turn it forward. It should come loose from the bearing race. With a bit of luck - and perhaps a bit of WD-40 or Kroil- that should free the bearing so that it will slide - with some help- off the shaft.

"Try, using a drift, to turn it forward" Whats a drift?
And there is a predrilled hole like you said. how do I tell what direction its in? And I might just end up taking the shaft out of the gear case like you suggested retired pops.
All these responses are great and extremely helpful, I'll try all these different suggestions tomorrow.
Thanks a lot,
Dave

A drift is a type of punch. You could even use an old screwdriver if you don't mind ruining it or any steel punch. Normally the locking collar is turned opposite the direction the race turns in order to lock the race in case it tries to turn on the spin on the shaft. I don't hold fast to that being the case, however, so it's worth try the other direction when one way doesn't go.

Pulling the shaft out is not a bad idea either. That will prevent damage inside the case and allow you to check the bearing on that end as well. You can further, if the bearing is really, really stuck, set the bearing race on an anvil and hit it with a hammer. The race is so hard it will usually break without hurting a solid steel shaft. The only thing is to make sure that you protect your face well. Those hard pieces can and will fly when they shatter. (Not telling you to do it, just that you can!)

"normally the locking collar is turned opposite the direction the race turns in order to lock the race in case it tries to turn on the spin on the shaft. I don't hold fast to that being the case, however, so it's worth try the other direction when one way doesn't go."

So do I have to turn the whole bearing on the shaft before I try to remove it? Sorry, just a little confused.

Thanks a ton,
Dave

I picked up the new bearing and collar and it looks like the one on there should just slip off. I've soaked it in liquid wrench and I've hit it using a screw driver and a hammer. I also tried a wrench and a hammer so it could distribute the blow better. None of these solutions worked. It hasn't moved at all. Would it really be that rusty on the inside?
Thanks,
Dave

In our part of the world (coastal) metal parts can really get rusted together (which is why I know about breaking bearings to remove them). However, if the bearing collar is still on there, it can be just as bad, in terms of making the bearing stuck, as being rusted.

You need to understand how the collar locks the bearing. The inner race has a flange - part of the race extends out beyond the bearing's side. The outer portion of that race is machined round, but the center of the circle is not in the same place as the center of the shaft. Consequently, the flange is thicker on one side than the other. The locking collar has recess to match, but when you turn it one way or the other, it binds on the race. It's simple concept, but it works. It simply needs to be removed in order to "unlock" the bearing. When all else fails, I have sometimes driven that collar away from the bearing. I have sometimes also use an angle grinder - very carefully- to cut the collar off. Hopefully, if you get the collar off, the bearing will slide right off.

OHHHHHH!!!!!! haha. me and my dad just picked up a new bearing today and we were wondering why both the collar and the bearing do not have even wall thickness all the way around. Now I understand what you've been trying to tell me. Thanks so much for explaining so many times because I would still be trying to hammer the stupid thing off if I didn't know that. I'll go out and try to turn that collar now. Thanks so much, Dave