Thanks for making this video, this just happened to me. Just got in the drive way, and started searching what the problem was and how to fix it. 2016 wildcat sport 700.
Nice video bud, I have a question maybe you can help. My cable is busted and is stuck in high gear. Can I manually shift it by turning the linkage with a set of pliers? Just want to get her moving so I can get it to my garage for repairs. Thanks
Wildcat Trail 700 clutch question to Dalton: Please help me understand, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this. Bigger weights engage clutch at lower RPM? It seems to me that more weight would require higher RPM to engage as it takes more energy to get the increased weight to move. Is it because more centrifugal force is needed to use lighter weight to force clutch to engage, even though they move sooner? I have stock wheels and it says use the second largest weight. I want the clutch to begin to engage at a lower RPM. Dalton technician reply: Well, ..you are wrong. Lol Heavier weights overcome the pressure of the spring easier and engage sooner. ..however....and as you will see in the instructions, it is the primary spring that is the principal control of engagement rpm...not the flyweights. The weights control the rate of shift of the belt going down the track(and thus the rpm during the main clutching phase) It is all there. Some of the pages that look boring are the most important. The kit engages slightly lower rpm than stock anyway.. however the most important aspects of the kit are much more than that. The kit has to be set as described in the instructions for each tires size (because of course, that is the test results) Thanks My reply to Dalton: Thank you for your immediate reply. I did replace my Wildcat original clutch parts with Dalton’s and used the recommend 3/4” weights. I may not have even needed the Dalton kit, but am not by any measure upset that I purchased and installed it. If you look at this video you will see the problem that I am certain was the major problem with my clutch: m.th-cam.com/video/4pwM26rOico/w-d-xo.html I had to use a file to hack off a huge chunk a metal from each of these six glide surfaces in twelve steps, then use progressively finer sandpaper to polish the rails until I ended up with a 0.02” slide clearance. Previously, quite literally the clutch would not move without hammering it. No wonder it would not shift, and it lurched at high RPM when engaging into gear. I’m surprised it worked at all. I bought it used with 6 miles on it, and never liked the way it shifted. I was told by several people who should have known better it was normal, but I had a feeling otherwise, and it got progressively worse with use. So by buying your kit, it forced me to find the solution, additionally I benefited from the upgrades. Now my Wildcat drives much more like I expected it should. Now I move the shifter with ease and do not have to force it and worrying that I am going to break something. Additionally, now I give it a little gas and it moves a little bit, not revving the engine and the cat jumping quickly and with great force forward or reverse; with the need to cover and slam on the brakes before it crashed into something; and it got much worse when it warmed up. By the way, all I needed to do the upgrade was a bench vice, a 7/16” 15” threaded rod, a block of wood with a 1/2” hole in the center, a 1” x 3.5” x 1/4” piece of aluminum with a 1/2” an offset center hole, a 2” PVC pipe coupler, a washer or two, and a 7/16” nut (all things I had sitting around the house); plus a primary clutch puller (definitely recommended). Remove clutches. Clamp the rod into the vice, slip the wood over the rod (to cushion the delicate clutch parts), slip the clutch onto the rod, place the 2” PVC coupler on (fits perfectly over secondary bell - holding down collar), next the metal plate (offset hole allows easier viewing when reassembling primary), washer(s), and nut; good to go! Again, thank you for all of your help. I’m sure the kit added to the smoothness of the shifting, and it definitely is responsible for my identifying the problem.
I had the same problem with my clutch. It's very common with the rapid response clutches in the 700s. What I did was get Scotch-Brite sanding ball attachments for my Dremel. Started out with 400 grit, progressed to 600, then 800, then I switched to 1,000, and 1200 grit sandpaper. Finally finished it by polishing it with McGuire's extreme cut rubbing compound that removes 1200 grit sanding. Use that on my Dremel with the polishing ball. It made my pillars look like a mirror. The key is to take your time, and only take enough material where it starts to slide freely. Use 400 grit until it moves pretty easily. To the point where it almost falls down by itself just by the weight (with clutch removed sitting on a bench without the spring). Once you get it to move fairly freely, step down into your 600-1200 grit to polish it back up. By the time you're done it should just completely fall when you let it go. You don't want any gaps, but you want it where it slides up and down very freely. Make sure when you're using your Dremel you don't apply a lot of pressure, and you take off even amounts of material. a good thing to do is to always keep it moving and count the amount of strokes you take on each pass so when you do either side of the spider, you know you've taken out about the same amount of material. It's a relatively easy process, but taking your time is key. Don't try to take too much material off at once. If you get overly aggressive you could end up ruining your clutch. I installed the Dalton clutch kit while I had it all apart, and after sanding and polishing my clutch, this thing shifts like a dream. The Dalton clutch kit allows earlier engagement which means when you touch the gas it doesn't jerk. It engages smoothly and takes off almost like a regular automatic transmission. Engine braking is much better now as well
Thanks for making this video, this just happened to me. Just got in the drive way, and started searching what the problem was and how to fix it. 2016 wildcat sport 700.
Nice video bud, I have a question maybe you can help. My cable is busted and is stuck in high gear. Can I manually shift it by turning the linkage with a set of pliers? Just want to get her moving so I can get it to my garage for repairs. Thanks
Yes you can but you have to adjust the shifter as you adjust the lever with pliers. Turn the key on so you can see what great you are moving it into.
I’m going to call tomorrow to see if this is a recall issue. Seems too common of a problem for them not to address.
Wildcat Trail 700 clutch question to Dalton:
Please help me understand,
I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this.
Bigger weights engage clutch at lower RPM?
It seems to me that more weight would require higher RPM to engage as it takes more energy to get the increased weight to move.
Is it because more centrifugal force is needed to use lighter weight to force clutch to engage, even though they move sooner?
I have stock wheels and it says use the second largest weight. I want the clutch to begin to engage at a lower RPM.
Dalton technician reply:
Well, ..you are wrong.
Lol
Heavier weights overcome the pressure of the spring easier and engage sooner.
..however....and as you will see in the instructions, it is the primary spring that is the principal control of engagement rpm...not the flyweights.
The weights control the rate of shift of the belt going down the track(and thus the rpm during the main clutching phase)
It is all there. Some of the pages that look boring are the most important.
The kit engages slightly lower rpm than stock anyway.. however the most important aspects of the kit are much more than that.
The kit has to be set as described in the instructions for each tires size (because of course, that is the test results)
Thanks
My reply to Dalton:
Thank you for your immediate reply. I did replace my Wildcat original clutch parts with Dalton’s and used the recommend 3/4” weights.
I may not have even needed the Dalton kit, but am not by any measure upset that I purchased and installed it.
If you look at this video you will see the problem that I am certain was the major problem with my clutch: m.th-cam.com/video/4pwM26rOico/w-d-xo.html
I had to use a file to hack off a huge chunk a metal from each of these six glide surfaces in twelve steps, then use progressively finer sandpaper to polish the rails until I ended up with a 0.02” slide clearance.
Previously, quite literally the clutch would not move without hammering it. No wonder it would not shift, and it lurched at high RPM when engaging into gear. I’m surprised it worked at all. I bought it used with 6 miles on it, and never liked the way it shifted. I was told by several people who should have known better it was normal, but I had a feeling otherwise, and it got progressively worse with use.
So by buying your kit, it forced me to find the solution, additionally I benefited from the upgrades.
Now my Wildcat drives much more like I expected it should. Now I move the shifter with ease and do not have to force it and worrying that I am going to break something. Additionally, now I give it a little gas and it moves a little bit, not revving the engine and the cat jumping quickly and with great force forward or reverse; with the need to cover and slam on the brakes before it crashed into something; and it got much worse when it warmed up.
By the way, all I needed to do the upgrade was a bench vice, a 7/16” 15” threaded rod, a block of wood with a 1/2” hole in the center, a 1” x 3.5” x 1/4” piece of aluminum with a 1/2” an offset center hole, a 2” PVC pipe coupler, a washer or two, and a 7/16” nut (all things I had sitting around the house); plus a primary clutch puller (definitely recommended).
Remove clutches. Clamp the rod into the vice, slip the wood over the rod (to cushion the delicate clutch parts), slip the clutch onto the rod, place the 2” PVC coupler on (fits perfectly over secondary bell - holding down collar), next the metal plate (offset hole allows easier viewing when reassembling primary), washer(s), and nut; good to go!
Again, thank you for all of your help. I’m sure the kit added to the smoothness of the shifting, and it definitely is responsible for my identifying the problem.
I had the same problem with my clutch. It's very common with the rapid response clutches in the 700s. What I did was get Scotch-Brite sanding ball attachments for my Dremel. Started out with 400 grit, progressed to 600, then 800, then I switched to 1,000, and 1200 grit sandpaper. Finally finished it by polishing it with McGuire's extreme cut rubbing compound that removes 1200 grit sanding. Use that on my Dremel with the polishing ball. It made my pillars look like a mirror. The key is to take your time, and only take enough material where it starts to slide freely. Use 400 grit until it moves pretty easily. To the point where it almost falls down by itself just by the weight (with clutch removed sitting on a bench without the spring). Once you get it to move fairly freely, step down into your 600-1200 grit to polish it back up. By the time you're done it should just completely fall when you let it go. You don't want any gaps, but you want it where it slides up and down very freely. Make sure when you're using your Dremel you don't apply a lot of pressure, and you take off even amounts of material. a good thing to do is to always keep it moving and count the amount of strokes you take on each pass so when you do either side of the spider, you know you've taken out about the same amount of material. It's a relatively easy process, but taking your time is key. Don't try to take too much material off at once. If you get overly aggressive you could end up ruining your clutch. I installed the Dalton clutch kit while I had it all apart, and after sanding and polishing my clutch, this thing shifts like a dream. The Dalton clutch kit allows earlier engagement which means when you touch the gas it doesn't jerk. It engages smoothly and takes off almost like a regular automatic transmission. Engine braking is much better now as well