What Year Cat Clutch?

When servicing a primary clutch on an Arctic Cat, one needs to pay attention to what year of sled the clutch is on – because starting with the 2010 model year, the hardware switched from SAE sizing to metric.
This has caught unknowing technicians off guard when they try to put the clutch cover back on, and can get the cover bolts started, only to find it doesn’t thread in very easily or, worse yet, they strip the aluminum threads in the moveable sheave. The thread sizing is close between a small SAE and metric bolt like what is used to attach the clutch cover to the moveable, so you really want to be sure to not be mixing parts from an older (2009 and earlier) primary with a newer (2010 and newer) primary clutch. Don’t mix the hardware! At a minimum, make sure the cover bolts thread in easily BEFORE you put the spring in and try to thread them in under pressure, because when the cover is under pressure it is much more difficult to detect cross-threading and damage to the moveable sheave until it is too late. Trust us on this one….