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Team Tamale Digital Gap and Endplay Tool (27/05/2004)

By:: Glenn M. Cauley

Proper building and adjustment of a Centax clutch is very important for proper operation and long life. An improperly built and adjusted Centax clutch may result in excessive slip, early or late engagement, engine bogging, and premature thrustbearing failure.

When building the Centax clutch, you must pay particular attention to proper shimming to obtain the proper clutch gap and endplay.

Introducing a Great New Tool

The Team Tamale Digital Gap and Endplay Tool is the easiest, quickest, most accurate and precise tool for setting up the Centax clutch installed on your Serpent or Mugen nitro-powered RC racecar. Setting up the Centax clutch gap and endplay is very important to allow your clutch to perform properly and to its full potential.

This is the exact same tool used by such noted racers as 28-time National Champion Ralph Burch Jr. and his mechanic/pitman Mark Blackhedder and Art Carbonell. Everyone who has one of these precision tools agrees that it is the quickest most accurate way to set up your Centax clutch.

The Team Tamale Digital Gap and Endplay Tool has the following features:

* Easy to use – Quickest, easiest way to measure clutch gap and endplay. No more fumbling with calipers trying to take measurements.

* Precision crafted – High-quality precision-machined components and electronics

* Universal adaptor – Precision-machined, anodized adaptor fits all versions of the Centax clutch: Centax-1, Centax-2, and Centax-3.

* Easy power on, auto shutoff

* Easy to read digital display – Large LCD display give readings in either Metric (mm) or Imperial (inches)

* Reset/zero button

* Low battery indicator

* Foam-lined wooden storage box – for smart transportation and safe keeping

For more information about this and other great tools, see the Team Tamale website at:
http://www.teamtamale.com

Universal Adaptor

The newly-designed adaptor lets you use this great tool with all versions of the Centax clutch, including the new Centax-3 clutch in the new Serpent 710.

Simply slip the adaptor onto the clutch housing and gears. The built-in retention spring holds the tool firmly in place.

Quick and Easy To Use

With this digital tool, gap measurement is very quick and easy. It takes only a few quick seconds to get a gap measurement.

To use the tool, simply remove the inner bearing(s) and reassemble the clutch as you normally would to check the clutch gap. Attach the tool directly to the clutch housing… it is held firmly in place by the retention spring. Seat the clutch housing against the clutch shoe, press the zero button to zero the readout, pull out the clutch housing and tool together and the readout will give you the exact amount of clutch gap. Then simply use the proper amount of shims to obtain the desired gap. It’s that simple!

Without this tool, you would have to fumble with calipers to make one measurement, move the clutch housing, take a second measurement, and then calculate the difference between the two measurements to obtain your gap reading. There was always the possibility of the calipers not being in exactly the same position for the two measurements, which would lead to errors in measurement.

With the digital tool attached firmly and directly to the clutch housing and pinions, you are assured of accurate, precise measurements every time.

Clutch Gap vs. Endplay

You can use the digital tool to measure clutch gap and clutch endplay, which are adjusted separately on Centax clutches.

CLUTCH GAP is the distance that the clutch shoe moves before it contacts the clutch housing. Clutch gap is the FIRST thing you should adjust on the Centax clutch. When properly shimmed, there should be 0.40~0.70mm of clutch gap.

ENDPLAY is the amount that the clutch housing moves along the crankshaft. Clutch endplay is the LAST thing you should adjust on the Centax clutch, and is done with the clutch fully assembled with all bearings, spacers, and shims installed. When properly shimmed, there should be minimal endplay (0.05~0.10mm).

For more information on Centax clutches, see my other articles:

Centax Clutch Adjustment:
http://www.mytsn.com/publ/publ.asp?pid=9829

Building the Perfect Centax-3 Clutch:
http://www.mytsn.com/publ/publ.asp?pid=10063

In Closing...

I am very impressed with the quality and ease-of-use of the Team Tamale Digital Gap and Endplay Tool. It makes clutch assembly much easier and more precise.

If I had to find any fault with this product, it would be that I only found out about it now, instead of years ago!

Team Tamale Digital Gap and Endplay Tool

Universal adaptor

Easy to use

Clutch gap vs. endplay