Clutch Spacer Removal... THE RIGHT WAY! (pics)

Bump...can you pls answer the question above. I'm really curious to know!

**THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE RZR "S" OR SOME NEWER 09+ MODELS... THEY HAVE NO SPACER**

I just recently bought my RZR a few days ago, and after much searching and looking around, found a few threads on the subject. They all has similar content, but none of them had really clear-cut instructions for those people a little unsure about what they're doing.

As you probably know, the clutch spacer is known to increase the top speed of the RZR by 4-5 MPH, up to around 60-62mph. I asked the dealer service center about this mod, and the service tech was ALL FOR IT... in fact he wanted me to report the results! He said it should in no way affect the warranty, but mentioned the only thing that may take the abuse is the belt... which isn't warrantied anyway, and EASY to replace! So here we go!

I took a few pics of the important steps along the way, to help those that are debating it. THIS IS A PIECE OF CAKE!!! If you at all mechanically inclined, you'll have no trouble!

The method I chose to take, is probably the most effective, reliable, and safest way to do it. No hammer/chisel... No hot blade... and the parts are saved if you want to replace. I chose the "remove the clutch cover" method... It didn't take any longer than the other methods, and if anything is probably EASIER!

Total time: 25 minutes start to finish

Difficulty (1-5): 2

The first few steps I didn't take any pictures, because I'm going to assume that if you're trying this, you have a "little" mechanical common sense. First remove the seats... and the black plastic cover that hides the transmission set-up...

Then you'll see the tranny-cover which has a black tube coming out of the top... simply losen the hose-clamps, remove the two black push-fasteners that hold the vent-pipe in place, and remove that tube all together... you're left with the following...

You'll see the cover, and the open hole where the pipe once was... I circled the screws you need to remove in red, there's around 8 or so total. In blue, I circled the 2 bolts and 2 screws you need to remove on the seat-belt mounting bar... This will come right out to make everything easy.



After you remove the cover... you can see the exposed clutch and CVT assembly... Here's the spacer you're looking for, in the clutch...



Some people break it with a chisel and hammer... or melt it with a hot blade... but I prefer to do it properly, and keep the stock spacer intact, in case you ever want or need to re-install it.

The next step, is to simply un-bolt the 6 bolts that I circled below... don't worry there's NO pressure on the plate yet, it's being held by the center bolt...



Now you have the clutch cover, with just the center bolt holding it in place... take the 5/8" socket again, and loosen the center bolt, while holding the cover... take note as to how much force is needed to release the bolt, as you want to apply similar torque when you are replacing it... don't worry, it doesn't spring off hard, it's VERY LIGHT pressure (have your wife or girlfriend hold it, if you're scared)...



After that, just slide the bolt out, making sure not to lose the plastic sleeve that the bolt sits inside... and remove the spacer!



After that, re-insert and re-tighten the center bolt, ensuring everything lines up correctly... apply around 50 ft/lbs, which is NOT very hard... you can crack the magnesium cover if you go crazy. Like I said, similar to the pressure you used to remove that bolt, and just a "tiny" bit extra when going back in.

Now just reverse all the steps, and you're done... should only take 20-30 minutes, and all parts are intact! Probably the safest and easiest way to do this...

Hope this helps the newcomers, and people still unsure about it. It was literally MUCH MUCH easier than I thought it was going to be!