Promark 310 Wood Chipper Centrifugal Clutch

[Beebad]

I was chipping some branches yesterday and clogged the chipper. I couldn’t run around fast enough to shut is down.
The roller stopped turning which mens the blade/flywheel isn’t either.
The manual says if it isnt shut down damage to the centrifugal clutch will occur.

I removed the belt cover. The engine starts right up but the clutch moves ever so slightly and then something starts to squeal and I shut everything down.

I can grab the belts and pull and the blade moves until it encounters chips in bottom of the blade housing.

What happens to the centrifugal clutch if it gets damaged?

I found a receipt where the clutch was replaced in 2019 with parts from Jacks engine….

Does this sound like right the symptoms of a damaged clutch? What in the clutch gets damaged? Can I fix it? Is there any other remedy?

 

[BAP]

First off, have you cleaned all the chips and brush out of it manually? Trying to start it with it plugged up is going to make something slip and make noise. Part of chippers ability to keep going is the centrifugal force of the heavy cutting head. Trying to make it cut from a dead stop isn’t going to work. It needs the speed of force from the heavy cutter head spinning to make it work. Your squealing sound could be the belts slipping.

 

[hagrid]

I was chipping some branches yesterday and clogged the chipper. I couldn’t run around fast enough to shut is down.
The roller stopped turning which mens the blade/flywheel isn’t either.
The manual says if it isnt shut down damage to the centrifugal clutch will occur.

I removed the belt cover. The engine starts right up but the clutch moves ever so slightly and then something starts to squeal and I shut everything down.

I can grab the belts and pull and the blade moves until it encounters chips in bottom of the blade housing.

What happens to the centrifugal clutch if it gets damaged?

I found a receipt where the clutch was replaced in 2019 with parts from Jacks engine….

Does this sound like right the symptoms of a damaged clutch? What in the clutch gets damaged? Can I fix it? Is there any other remedy? View attachment 179151 View attachment 179152

Take a picture of the internals of this drum, plz. And clean out the rotor housing.

 

[NCL4701]

Centrifugal clutches are quite simple.

https://youtube.com/shorts/-djNurMQfoc?is=umwkrDvPD3w37EkH

.

They work much like a drum brake with the “brake” applied (locking the engine to load) by centrifugal force. In the same way you can damage brakes riding them going down a mountain causing them to overheat burning or glazing the linings, if a centrifugal clutch is slipping under load, it can overheat causing burning or glazing of the linings on the fingers that engage the drum.

As others have said, first thing you have to do is clear the jam. In the picture, it looks like you removed the output chute, but the base for the chute is still packed with chips and you said you can’t freely turn the flywheel. You have to clear out all the impacted chips and get the flywheel turning free before doing anything else. Right now, it sounds like you don’t know for sure if the clutch is slipping at all or if it’s just the belts squealing as they slip. Based on the one pic and your description of symptoms, it’s likely freeing the flywheel is all you need to do. I don’t see how you get to the flywheel without a lot of disassembly but hopefully there’s an easy way to get into it.

If you get the flywheel free and find the clutch is slipping in normal operation, as @hagrid said, pics of what’s in that drum would be really helpful to know if it’s something that can be fixed or if the whole clutch needs replaced.

 

[Beebad]

Take a picture of the internals of this drum, plz. And clean out the rotor housing.

View attachment 179153

Will do this morning

 

[Beebad]

Centrifugal clutches are quite simple.

https://youtube.com/shorts/-djNurMQfoc?is=umwkrDvPD3w37EkH

.

They work much like a drum brake with the “brake” applied (locking the engine to load) by centrifugal force. In the same way you can damage brakes riding them going down a mountain causing them to overheat burning or glazing the linings, if a centrifugal clutch is slipping under load, it can overheat causing burning or glazing of the linings on the fingers that engage the drum.

As others have said, first thing you have to do is clear the jam. In the picture, it looks like you removed the output chute, but the base for the chute is still packed with chips and you said you can’t freely turn the flywheel. You have to clear out all the impacted chips and get the flywheel turning free before doing anything else. Right now, it sounds like you don’t know for sure if the clutch is slipping at all or if it’s just the belts squealing as they slip. Based on the one pic and your description of symptoms, it’s likely freeing the flywheel is all you need to do. I don’t see how you get to the flywheel without a lot of disassembly but hopefully there’s an easy way to get into it.

If you get the flywheel free and find the clutch is slipping in normal operation, as @hagrid said, pics of what’s in that drum would be really helpful to know if it’s something that can be fixed or if the whole clutch needs replaced.

“ I don’t see how you get to the flywheel without a lot of disassembly but hopefully there’s an easy way to get into it.”
i removed some upper inspection plates and can see and feel the upper part of this flywheel blade but the chips are at the bottom. Vacuum wouldn't fit in there, need a smaller hose. Will snap more pics this morning. Thank you for the video.

 

[D2Cat]

Might try to turn the flywheel in reverse to help free the stuck wood.

 

[Beebad]

Will do this morning

That was the ticket. after some disassembly, I was able to snake the vacuum down into the blade housing and cleared it out so relieved it was not the centrifugal clutch thanks everyone for helping.