MA Muffler Clamp-Any problems?

[cdrking]

I have a Fury with the MA muffler clamp and the damn thing keeps coming loose. I have ground a flat on the shaft portion so the set screw sits on it but no luck. It keeps coming loose. I use red loctite on it too.

Is this clamp any good? This is a SB-15 muffler on a YS80 in a Fury Extreme.

Any other suggestions?

Jeff

[capebob]

If you are using red thread lock I would guess you have never snugged the set screw up tight. I had to run a tap down the threads of mine to clean them out before I was able to snug up the screw. That's a 4mm set screw and it can take a gorilla grip. My clamp is holding fine with green thread lock.

Bob

[cdrking]

Yeah Bob, the last time it came loose I ran a tap down the threads cleaned it up really good. I cleaned the set screw with alcohol and put a L shaped allen wrench and gave it the full on twisty death grip/vise grip lock.

Still no luck.

Jeff

[capebob]

Jeff,

The only other thing I can think of is that your thread lock isn't biting. Red and blue aren't really very good for small parts like we use. Green is very thin and although only as strong as blue seems to bite better on small fasteners. Hard to imagine that red isn't working though. Good luck.

Bob

[cdrking]

I'll try green next time but yes you're right I would think red would do it.

Also I've been fighting a vib and may have it sorted out so maybe that's contributing to the loosening of the clamp.

Thanks for the input.

Jeff

[trickydicky]

This guy makes the fines clamps I've ever seen for $ 30,-- each.
And he's a fast deliverer too.
I'm sure he will mail you a pic if you ask him.
estolz@charter.net

[conrod]

I used a 2 set screws and it helped. Ended up going to the stolz mount and tried it out this weekend.....sweeet...

[BigVanVader]

Sweeet flying this weekend too conrod! I gotta get me a Fury.....know anyone that wants to buy a sweet raptor 30 v2?....hehe

[Dr.Ben]

Been there, seen this.

1. It helps if you have one of the new SS standoffs which resist divoting by the set screw. Performance Specialties can help you out.
2. What I stumbled on that solved my problem was to use loctite primer on the set screw before insertion, and then use loctite 640 for threadlocker. It's holding solidly with no sign of letting go. Use the longest set screw you can find and avoid a hollow point version.

I think Eric's clamp is beautiful. The only thing that concerns me is whether it's going to take out at least the side frame in a crash since it forms such a rigid mount. Not a flame, just a concern.

Ben Minor

[cdrking]

Thanks for the info. I am not familiar with loctite 640 is this a specific color loctite?

I just purchased a new clamp that a guy makes on RR. He sells them for a reasonable price.

I know what you mean about the frame damage in a crash. But I am prepared I have another set of side frames standing by. Hope I will never have to use them though.

I will also look into the Performance Specialties product.

Just this one little thing on my Fury is driving me crazy. Other than this little problem the machine is flying great this year.

Jeff

[DavidH]

I will also look into the Performance Specialties product.

Jeff,
PS makes the clamp that MA sells.
I have seen the clamp that Greg Jestico makes and it is a nice clamp. I believe that is the person your referring to that is on RR.


David

[Rob Stump]

Hey Ben, I can tell you from experience. Erich's clamp is rock solid. I took out a tree tail first inverted practicing my own version of that "gopher maneuver" everyone's talking about. My Tempest was a flying brick for about 66 feet before it hit the dirt and took out anything protruding from the fuse. It finally came to a stop over 106 feet from the initial tree impact which was only 5 feet off the ground! Erich's clamp held firm and didn't damage anything on the main fuse. Didn't even bend! My SB-16 looks like it was in a hail storm! If it hadn't been for Erich's clamp I'm positive my muffler would have been destroyed or possibly been thrown so far from the crash site I would have never even found it as was the case with most of the head!

Thanks Erich! :wink:

[Todd Marsh]

The brand name green lock tight was for things you NEVER want to take apart again (it is listed as permanent, & truckers use it alot on HUGE fasteners- that then require the heat of a mapp gas torch tom remove if needed..) I use only the real name-brand Lock-tight, & you MUST shake the blue bottle WELL or it doesn't work, the chemicals in the blue type, settle out & separate and its holding strength is greatly compromised if it works at all. The red doesn't need to be shaken before use as the chemicals don't separate , but I still do. Also I avoid the generic & spend the $ on the real stuff. If you use either the red or blue correctly you shouldn't have issue 1. Although- I did have a muffler that I used red LT on as well as lock-washers and it did continue to back out......Maybe the heat from the exhaust is compromising the lock tights holding ability, once the engine is hot. You know when you want to remove a something with red LT that is very tight, applying a little heat will make that fastener come out MUCH easier & you wont strip the cap screw either. Just a idea. I have used red on small fasteners and BROKEN the bolt threads off into the nut/whatever it was inserted to, because the stuff is SO strong. Go figure. Then I applied a little heat to the others and they backed right out easy. Also making sure the threads don't have any oil on them BEFORE applying LT is important for proper adhesion.