Hayter 21 Clutch adjustment

[Baffle 0]

Hello forum.

I’ve been using a  Hayter 21 I bought sold as seen in late 2024 regularly since last spring and I’m really pleased with it. It starts and runs reliably once I’d serviced the carb and ignition, and I get loads more cut in the same time I was putting in before, and dealing with far rougher areas too.

I wondered if the power transfer to the wheels was as good as it could be, so I followed the service book to set up the clutch by setting the clutch leaf parallel with the machine body. Having done that there is no drive at all.
Mine is a later model (1975 I think)  with castellated nut and split pin on the near side rear axle. The castellated nut was only just being being held by the split pin and so I’ve now fitted a thick washer to take up the slack.
So I guess this means that the clutch linings / clutch plate are worn out and I’ll need to dive in further. How do I get the clutch apart? I can split the primary chain - what / how would I do next?

Additionally in places on various forums I’ve seen references to a Hayter clutch adjustment Service bulletin IIRC for 21s and Ospreys, but the link is to a Dropbox folder that is no longer active. Can anyone help with this? I have a PDF of the Osprey and 21 Instruction and Spare Parts book if anyone would like a copy DM me.

thanks in advance for any help

Edited yesterday at 02:17 PM by Baffle

[Anglo Traction 1,022]

There is a comprehensive topic on Hayter Osprey in the 'Other Garden Machines'. Link proved here-

Also, look at the Home Page again and look down on the righthand side column to find 'Files'. At the bottom I've located a downloadable copy of the User Manual.

See how you get on.

[Baffle 0]

Thanks RIchard. As I said in my post I have the Spares/Instruction booklet but not the Clutch bulletin that I seem to remember reading about. Having thought about the problem overnight and understood more about what I was seeing with the chain cover off, I’ll answer my own question. Yes if you split and remove the primary chain, you will find that the clutch plates and sprocket with bonded friction material will slide off the axle. The rear plate is keyed onto the axle and watch out for the woodruff key which may fall out. 

 

I found having cleaned everything up and readjusted, and given some free play to the clutch cable when the clutch is engaged cable that I now have drive. What the booklet fails to mention (probably because it is just too obvious) is that you may need to readjust the free play in the clutch cable at the barrel adjuster having made an adjustment to the clutch leaf.