Coleman 550- issues with One Way Bearing/idling

amautv · August 11, 2022

1 1/2 years ago I was riding along in my 2018 Coleman 550 Outfitter when the CVT belt broken. Just prior to that I was having some shifting issues that I now understand can be part of the clutch. Finally a few months ago I sent it in to a shop who put in a new belt as well as a new wet clutch (drum, one way bearing, etc and an oil change) He fired it up and it turned on fine, sounded fine and I took it home. It was an auto shop but not a UTV specific shop. So get it home and after a half hour or so it started making some noises with my 10 year old driving it around. I get home and he said theres noises again and I played around a bit. Within a short bit of trying to drive it around I started having noises that I now understand was my One Way Bearing being destroyed. Aka metal noises from the bearing falling apart. Of course, after the cost of $800 to take it to a shop plus $200 in gas, trailer rental etc to take it in and back (it was a friends shop that was a bit of ad istance) I was quite ticked and pushed the UTV back into my garage and left it for a while. Then this past weekend i watched a bunch of Youtube videos along with a mechanic friend to pull things apart. We found the spindle was loose, opened it up further and found the one way bearing fell apart in my hand and the little bearings were already worn, no longer round and this was from less than a hour of use. THerefore leading me to believe it had very quick failure after the new wet clutch was put in. We looked things to look for damage further. Nothing really scratched/grooves etc so I ordered a new OEM bearing and we put it in, sealed it back up, followed the specs of everything and was 110% sure we put the One Way Bearing in correctly. We rode it around for a hour, sounded fine. Next day used it, sounded fine for a half hour. Third day I turned it on and let it idle a little bit and found that I was hearing metal scraping again like I did right after getting my utv back from the shop. Therefore I am 99% certain the One Way Bearing is about to break again (already breaking) Its a brand new OEM belt. Nothing looks off on the spindle. I do not know for sure if the shop touched the inner race for which, in my understanding, the One Way Bearing spins. I know I may be sounding ignorant here. I am not a mechanic by any means but I have learned a bit with the recent Youtube videos and attempted repairs. Whatever that "ufo" looking object is, we replaced the bearings (those black things that spin) I replaced the whole "Ufo" lol... as the original had some wear/tear that prevented it from spinning perfect. Nothing currently

visibly looks off... and the issue is mostly when the machine is more in an idle. It was at an idle when the One Way Bearing sorta went kaput the last time. THe noises is at an idle... but if I can get it drive, its fine. It also affects the ability to shift the gears.

I know I will have to replace the One Way Bearing again... I just dont know what might cause the issue that is destroying the bearinga nd so quickly. Again, this all started when the belt snapped when I was going about 15 mph down a road on a warm day. It has higher miles. The wet clutch was in bad shape and its replaced. The paperwork says "wet clutch assembly kit") Is there something that the belt can do to cause damage that might not be as visible but would directly create an issue that lets the bearing get ate right up?? Help me! I hate this machine and I really want it to run well ... so I can sell it and find something else haha..

aefron88 · August 12, 2022

I'm not an expert on the clutch and oneway bearing however i have read of some failures. I wonder if the new one was faulty right out of the box? I believe the whole point is to allow the driveline to go faster than the engine without spinning the engine faster. Do you do a lot of engine coasting down hills in low range?

There is also this in the knowledge section of motorcycle doctor's website about the spring being too loose on hisun one way bearings, causing premature failures.

Hopefully someone with more experience with clutches on these things can jump in and give you more information.

amautv · August 12, 2022

I had considered that with the original new One Way Bearing. However I replaced that destroyed one and now, 2 hours into riding, I am again hearing that metal grinding noise, which is how the One Way Bearing went after the repair so it seems to be following the same pattern. Most of my riding is around my 21 acres which is low speed and occasionally hauling some sand around in the back. I want to say that is maybe 80% of my use compared to 20% of going on the road and on the road its generally never far. The day that the CVT belt went I was driving all over on roads because my Golden Retrievers were naughty and took off so I took the UTV around with the hopes they would hear the UTV and run to it whereas my van is quiet. (and it worked, btw lol, just cost me a lot heavier than the dogs wandering) The engine sounds fine otherwise and the only time I have issues with shifting is just as this bearing is going otherwise it changes gears fine. The 4x4 works fine. I mean maybe I have bad luck and had not just one bad bearing out of the box, but rather two.

Speaking of which, when you install a new bearing, are you greasing/lubing/oiling anything and with what do you do so and how much? that is, before closing it up? and how do you know for sure when you have added enough oil to the wet clutch? My children have county fair this week so I am not able to fiddle with it, but next week I will tear back into it and I can take some videos for sounds and some pictures to see if anyone is like me, a visual/audio person and can help really direct me what to focus on.

amautv · August 12, 2022

Oh and thank you for that link. I am reading it now.

aefron88 · August 12, 2022

Oh I'm well familiar with chasing a wandering Golden. One minute mine is there and the next minute I look up and he's off in the woods on an adventure trying to give dad a heart attack...

As far as oil level, motorcycle doctor claims up to the top of the threads on the dipstick. They have an extension available on ebay for most hisun engines (I can't find it on their website?) That screws into the threads and has a new dipstick to let you easily add more without making a mess. In this case more is more until you start dipping the piston rod and churning everything up too much.

I don't see a reason to grease the one way it should be bathed in oil algith everything in the wet clutch assy.

I have read on other atvs where people just remove and toss the one way bearing, so that may be a possible option? Supposedly it just reduces engine breaking, but should still work ok. Don't quote me on that.

Like I said I haven't dug into the clutch on one of these yet so I'm only going based on what I've read in forums and the service manual.

Greg Kilgore · August 13, 2022

Well haven't dug into the HISUN wet clutch. But replaced the wet clutch in my CFMOTO twice. Once it was needed and Once out of fear it was bad.

Anyway the way bearing aka engine brake. This is the way it was explained to me.

The engine has to be able to idle without the one-way bearing engaging.

"One-Way- Think of it like this: with the unit not moving and in gear, the engine must be able to idle without engaging the one way and looking at the primary straight-on the engine would be rotating clockwise. That's the same as the shaft being able to rotate counter-clockwise when the engine isn't running. So, if looking straight-on at it and it rotates counter-clockwise freely.. and engages when you turn it clockwise, it's correct. ........" NMKawierider

Now that again is on the CFMOTO. The CVT belt on my UFORCE 600 the belt is on the passenger side. On my Axis 500 the CVT belt is on the driver side. But looking at driver side or passenger side. When looking straight-on clock-wise is clock-wise. I followed the above advise and was up and going without any issues.

I soaked my new wet clutch overnight in the same ATV wet clutch oil I fill the crank case with. Matter of fact I poured the oil from the bowl I soaked wet clutch in.

The oneway bearing get lubed from the engine oil. So NO grease.

Be sure to use a good ATV/motorcycle oil formulated for a wet clutch.

My Axis manual says to unscrew oil dip stick, wipe off, then reinsert WITHOUT screwing in, pull back out. Read oil level. A little over full doesn't hurt. But not way over.

amautv · August 14, 2022

So I played around with it today. It was working great just so long as I only idled in neutral and had foot on brake. Sometimes it idled fine in a gear and holding pedal but not always, would hear a little noise. THEN I tried to put a little pressure on the machine by moving a canoe trailer and lets just say bing bang boom went the One Way Bearing. Couldnt shift gears etc and had the noise shifts, metal etc. Same as it did when bearing broke last time. Now, I slammed it into Reverse and got it moving again as I was 1000 feet from the house... and it took me quite a few tries. But I shifted it into gear and then I did manage to shift it back into H and got it the rest of the way home. Got it back to house, noise started up as I got down to low RPM and I shut it off. I am 99% certain the One Way Bearing went (and this is like 4 hours of use) but I dont understand why the act of what I did would have caused strain to Bearing.

For me, the CVT belt is on the drivers side of the UTV, drivers side of the wet clutch.

So I think I am going to try just taking the ONe Way Bearing out and see what it does.

HOwever a part of me wonders if it has to do with transmission at all because we seem to be doing good until its a matter of switching gears or would that still have a connection to the One Way Bearing and Wet clutch?

Greg Kilgore · August 20, 2022

You can take out the one way bearing. Don't think it will have any ill effect. Other than not holding itself back.

From what you stated about your one-way bearing install. Sounds like it was installed backwards. If you decide to reinstall a new one-way bearing. Put it in opposite of the way you did last time. Just a thought.

aefron88 · October 16, 2022

Amautv,

Did you ever remove the bearing? How did it work out?

amautv · November 7, 2022

So it ended up being, at least for this particular issue..... The bearing on the crack case cover was in bad shape. Once we replaced that bearing we no longer had this particular issue anymore. I am still trying to get this machine reliable, but this problem was solved by replacing that other bearing.