Villiers 10d clutch

[darloman]

Hi i have fitted new clutch corks to a Villiers 10d engine and although everything seems to work as it should, when the bike is on the stand with the clutch engaged, the rear wheel still turns slowly. Is this natural or is there something i hav"nt done, or do i have to wait for the corks to bed in.  Many thanks Bud.

[33d6]

Hi Bud,
It's perfectly normal for the back wheel to revolve as you describe. The clutch is turning the main shaft and churning the lubricating oil. That is all it takes to get the other gears turning as well and finally to get the rear wheel turning. It's just oil churn.
There's nothing unusual going on.
Cheers,

[R]

If its in neutral, you should be able to apply the rear brake and the wheel should stop.

[darloman]

Thanks guys, my mind is now at rest.

[wristpin]

I saw your post when I was about to post asking for info on buying cork inserts or getting a plate re-corked so I guess you know the answer! It's actually for a dry clutch in a 1950s lawnmower but same principle. So any information will be appreciated.

[33d6]

Dry or wet with oil, it makes no difference. It's still the same principle and works in exactly the same way.

Just be aware a cork clutch running dry can run hot and burn the corks if you hold the clutch in for lengthy periods but who stands behind their mower holding the clutch in for ten minutes at a time? 

Why do you want to replace the corks? Is the clutch slipping or dragging? Do you have a gearbox or is it the more usual domestic mower with just a clutch to ease putting it in drive or in neutral? Many clutch issues are caused by wear and maladjustment in the release mechanism and not the plates at all.

As for buying inserts or having the plate recorked that would depend on where you live.
Cheers,

[wristpin]

Thanks for your reply . The corks are worn almost flush with the steel carrier plate and are slipping even when adjusted by the book.
The attached link is for a 12" machine but the one in question is the 17" version.
I'm near Ashford, Kent
Thanks

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7xqg5gq924keavi/Atco%202%20Stroke%2012inch0001.pdf

[33d6]

If your clutch is the same as shown in the PDF then replacing the corks is simple. The trick lies in selecting the right size tapered cork and boiling the cork before inserting it.
I've no idea where you can buy ordinary tapered corks in Ashford but the size you want is a cork that can go about 1/3 to 1/2 way in the hole. Make sure they are all natural cork and not glued up from bits and pieces. Whatever you use it must be all natural cork and not a mixture of glue /resin and cork.
When you have your corks you then put a saucepan of water on the stove and bring it to the boil. Turn it down til it's just simmering and tip your corks in. They won't sink, they'll just float on the surface so you need a big enough pan for them all to float.
Leave them for 10-15 minutes then pick one out and squeeze it. If its gone all soft they are ready to insert. If you try this with cork glued up from bits and pieces you will see the cork softens but the glue doesn't hence the need to use all natural cork.
You will also notice that as cork is a brilliant insulator you can pick it out of boiling water and immediately handle it with your bare hands. It isn't hot in any way.
As the cork is now soft you can push it in all the way so the large end of the cork is about 3/32" or so from the plate. If you are careful and get all the corks in the correct position you have one side of your plate all ready for use.
Once all corks are in place you put the plate aside for the corks to dry out in a day or so and return to their normal stiffness. Once dry you take a very sharp knife and trim the excess cork off doing the final flattening and sizing by rubbing the plate on a flat sheet of sandpaper.
As you can see, re-corking a clutch is not rocket science but can be fiddly first time around as you learn just how thick the finished plate should be.

Have fun.

PS. For those of our readers who have motorcycles and not Atco mowers, the process is exactly the same except the tapered cork is inserted sideways. The trick lies in getting a tapered cork just too big for the tapered hole in the clutch plate. When squeezed in after boiling the corks are held firmly and won't move. Unfortunately you then have to trim both sides of the recorked plate.

[wristpin]

Thanks for the comprehensive instructions!
Can anyone recommend a good mail order clutch cork seller or a reputable "re-corker"?

[33d6]

That's the other trick Wristpin, not only learning how to do the job but where to get your raw material. In your case the good old Yellow Pages is a flying start. My local Yellow Pages advises CORKS- see .Bottle closures .Home Brewing which is a good start. I'm sure your Yellow Pages will be similar.

Learning where to obtain the material necessary to do a job is a major restoration skill. Ask any tradesman about how much time he spends sourcing material and you'll be surprised. If you can reduce that time jobs can get much cheaper.

Anyway, have fun with your mower, if I lived any closer I'd ask for a demo on my front lawn.
Cheers

[wristpin]

Met blokes like you before when I had a mower business. Take a ride-on mower out on demo, mow quarter of an acre of over grown grass  and get the "I'll think about it" treatment !!
Fairly clued up where to get stuff  - several little back books going back years - but corks have never featured.
Is the quality of the cork directly proportional to the quality of the plonk that its retaining
Seriously though, I'm surprised that there's not a well known clutch plate re-corker that immediately comes to mind.

[R]

All the instructions I've ever seen for recorking clutches begin with
"First, select your wine. And don't forget to save the corks".....

Perhaps the cost of getting plates professionally recorked would exceed the cost of the bikes they were fitted to,
or something along those lines....