centrifugal clutch and transaxle

[whateg0]

Has anybody ever used a centrifugal clutch with a transmission or transaxle? It seems like it would work, and would give you almost hydrostat-like functionality. But if it works, it seems like it would be more common.

My thoughts for a project involve a riding mower, which usually uses a spring-loaded idler as a "clutch" that goes to a transaxle. However, I don't necessarily have a good way of acuating the idler in my design. So, I thought about using a centrifugal clutch, but then I'm limited in my top speed. So, if I used a centrifugal clutch, I could just idle the motor down and it would be effectively disengaged.

Thoughts?

Dave

[stevinator]

I saw one cart at a sale where they used a small briggs with a centrifugal clutch and went to the Lt rear end and it worked great supposedly.I just can't remember if the thing was chain or belt driven.The rear end would have been belt driven originally.The rearend was turned 90 deg compared to a tractor mounting to hook up the horizontal shaft briggs above it.The motor would have been a vertical shaft type in the tractor.He had it locked in 3rd gear or reverse ,I can't remember.You would just have the right rotation to go forward instead of backwards.It was a neat little cart,I should have took pics because I thought about powering one if I found the right setup.If the trans is locked in a gear solid it should be just like hooking to a solid shaft or gear on a cart or mini bike.Then it should be a matter of pulley or gear changes on the rear end to get the results you want.

[urch55]

Fly Shifting

Has anybody ever used a centrifugal clutch with a transmission or transaxle? It seems like it would work, and would give you almost hydrostat-like functionality. But if it works, it seems like it would be more common.

My thoughts for a project involve a riding mower, which usually uses a spring-loaded idler as a "clutch" that goes to a transaxle. However, I don't necessarily have a good way of acuating the idler in my design. So, I thought about using a centrifugal clutch, but then I'm limited in my top speed. So, if I used a centrifugal clutch, I could just idle the motor down and it would be effectively disengaged.

Thoughts?

Dave

There is no reason why it would not work. However, It would not act like a hydro because you would have to idle it down to shift. In other words no shifting on the fly. Why not install a truly auto hydro transaxle one pedal, tilt forward and you go that way tilt it backward and you go that way.

[GilaSlim]

Cushman

Cushman made scooters and "trucksters" that used centrifugal clutches and transmissions. The scooters had a two-speed transmission and a foot pedal that disengaged the clutch (retracted the flyweights) so you could shift. Pretty slick system.

The truckster was a three-wheeler with a cab and would have some kind of bed behind. The ones I saw most commonly had insulated boxes and were used to sell icecream around neighborhoods. These, as I remember, had three-speed transmission with a reverse gear. Not sure if it was a regular transmission, or a transaxle.

Cushmans were pretty popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. You may not be old enough to remember them. Made in Iowa, I think, and used old style tractor seats on the scooters.

[bajajoaquin]

The problem would be that you couldn't disengage the clutch when you were at the top of a gear. I.e. the shift from one to two wouldn't work, because the engine would be spinning along merrily.

The closest thing I'm aware of would be the centrifugal clutches that have come out in the last few years for dirt bikes. They use ramps and bearings to engage the clutch, and the lever is just used to disengage for shifting, not to apply pressure to the plate.

[whateg0]

That sounds kinda like the freewheel on the rear of modern-day bicycles. Am I close?

Dave

[willness33]

Old post, but I just stumbled on it. It's pretty much already been done and improved upon. It's called a Rekluse clutch.

http://www.rekluse.com/z-Start.html

[hockeyguynick]

Not sure what exactly you are looking to do, but most automatic 4 wheelers use a centrifugal clutch with a tranny. for low, high, neutral, and reverse.

[Steve from Ohio]

The Honda's of a few years back made an engine that was called the GY6 and was used on their scooters. It was 50 to 150cc and had a CVT (constantly variable transmission) that was automatic and had no shifting other than reverse on some units.

It was so good that when the patent expired, the rest of the world started building them. Now even the Chinese have improved on them so much that they are even better than the original Honda engines and transmission.

I built a reverse trike with one of the 150CC units and recently sold it. It got over 150 mpg and was a blast to drive. With the improve aerodynamics of a trike ans some engine tweaking, the trike's top speed was 87MPH. It had a 4 gallon tank and went 600 miles on a fill up.
I am now building two more with the idea of selling them. \

Here is a photo of the engine and CVT transmission.