Yes it is. And that's why I chose to use the stock retainer. If I break a belt in Bumfuk Egypt, it's a lot simpler to remove the clutch shell, install a new belt on the front belt sprocket, and 'work' the shell back on the hub and the new belt in the same motion. If the belt has the proper amount of tension (a little bit slack), this is possible.StueyC wrote:Bigincher, it sounds from your description that the stock retainer sits against the cage to stop it walking out. The plastic one I have has a lip that holds the edge of the clutch shell bearing race so it not only would stop the rollers from walking out but also holds the hub and shell together as a unit. With the stock retainer fitted is it possible to lift the clutch shell off the clutch hub?
Now, if the shell and hub become 'married' into one unit by the use of the retainer you describe, suddenly a 20-minute roadside repair becomes a two-hour pain-in-the-ass. Who carries a clutch hub puller??