Section 25 - Clutches: Gasoline Vehicles; General Information - Club Car Carryall 550 2015 Maintenance And Service Manual

SECTION 25 – CLUTCHES: GASOLINE VEHICLES
DANGER
• See General Warnings on page 1-1.
WARNING
• See General Warnings on page 1-1.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The torque converter consists of a drive clutch, a driven clutch, and a drive belt. The drive clutch, which is mounted to
the engine, is in the open position when the engine is at idle. At this point, the belt is riding at a low position (smaller
diameter) on the drive clutch. The driven clutch is mounted on the transaxle. It is in the closed position, and the drive
belt is riding at a high position (large diameter) on it when the engine is at idle.
At the point of clutch engagement, the speed ratio of the drive clutch to the driven clutch provides excellent starting and
low-speed torque.
As engine speed increases, centrifugal force on internal weights close the drive clutch, pushing the belt up to a higher
position on the clutch (increasing the diameter of the belt loop). As the diameter of the belt loop increases at the drive
clutch, the driven clutch is forced open as the diameter of its belt loop decreases.
On steep grades, or when the vehicle is heavily loaded, higher torques are achieved through the use of a
torque-sensing ramp device on the driven clutch. This device overcomes the force of the centrifugal weights to close
the driven clutch and open the drive clutch, thus increasing axle torque with little or no change in engine RPM.
The engine and torque converter rotate counter-clockwise as viewed from the clutch side of the engine.
To provide optimum performance for the engine and powertrain, the vehicle uses a pair of tuned clutches.
To properly assemble and disassemble the torque converter, the following tools should be used:
• Clutch Tools (Figure 25-1, Page 25-2).
• Scribe or small pick (not included with clutch tools).
TROUBLESHOOTING
See General Warnings on page 1-1.
Maintaining proper adjustment of the engine and governor, as well as the torque converter, is essential to the
troubleshooting process. If these adjustments are within specifications and, when climbing a steep hill, the engine
begins to lose RPM before the drive belt reaches the top of the driven clutch, there is a torque converter problem.
If the torque converter is not operating properly, perform the following steps:
1. Check the governor and throttle settings. See Engine Control Linkages on page 23-6.
2015 Carryall 550 Maintenance and Service Manual
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