Drive Clutch - Polaris TX Starfire Owner's Manual

DRIVE CLUTCH
THE DRIVE CLUTCH ON YOUR 1973 TX STARFIRE IS
WITHOUT A DOUBT THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT
ITEM ON YOUR MACHINE AFTER THE ENGINE. It is like
the brain in the human body - - if the human brain is not
functioning properly, the body is not working properly. The
clutch is the same. If it doesn't work properly, neither does
your machine.
This clutch is an RPM and torque sensing unit designed to
transfer the maximum amount of horsepower from the engine
to the ground. This is accomplished by weights and a spring
inside the unit reacting to overcome the centrifugal force
applied to it from the engine.
The spring and weights work in combination. The spring resists
the force of the weights mainly for engagement but assisting
through the complete shift pattern. If the weights are too light
(not heavy enough), the clutch will give you a 'fair' engagement.
Immediately the engine will obtain very high RPM, but the
belt will not go into high gear (top of the clutch). (See
diagram no. 1).
RPM
Diagram #1
1o,ooo
r
8,000 . /
6,000
4,0 00
2,000
28