OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Trimmers and Brushcutters Two Stroke Trimmers & Brushcutters Tanaka trimmer

I am after a shaft clutch for a Tanaka TBC 340 trimmer They are available in the States for $30.99 US plus postage. I have sent an enquiry on the postage but I guess that will push this trimmer over the edge price wise. Motor runs fine but I'm not sure if the owner will want to spend much money on it. It could also do with a new pair of clutch shoes but I haven't even bothered about them for the moment

I have attached the TBC340 Pro parts list but you need to check the length of the shaft because they had about three TBC340 models. I will look at uploading them over the next few days to the parts list and manuals area of the forum.

The other option you could try is to braise the shaft to the clutch drum or reverse the shaft or another option is to reverse the shaft, we did that in the past before we bought a new shaft.

Thanks Bruce,
there is no sign of any spline in the clutch, can see where it has been. Good call on welding in the shaft. My issue at the moment is I have to get a pair of circlip pliers that I can get right down into the neck to get the drum out.
Thanks again

Hi NormK,

Yes it can be a pain in the rear end getting the circlip off but they do have pliers that are longer than normal so you can get to it.

The shaft usually wears because of the heat transfer when driving the nylon and damaging the spline, which causes it to scallop and not connect properly with the clutch drum.

We used to run longer than the normal length of nylon and also a larger gauge which caused the clutches to wear (also had to replace the clutch springs) a bit quicker and also damage the shafts which we rotated till we had to replace them which took quite a while before we had to do it.

This is the large clutch shoe which we have stock of CLICK HERE

NOTE:
The parts list have been uploaded to the spare parts area

Hi Bruce,
Thanks again, I found a pair of circlip pliers that might do the job but the are $80 from Germany and my problem is I have got this far through life and not needed them and this means I would probably only need them once

If I remember correctly you should remove the fan case Item 43. Then using snap ring pliers go through the slot in the clutch drum to remove the snap from its groove. Then remove the drum and bearing. Usually these bearings are stuck so removing the small snap ring wouldn't help until you the drum and bearing out then you can separate the bearing from the drum.

Just think of this like some puzzle. The large snap ring will be captive between the bearing and drum.

Hi AVB,
All seems to hard for a $10 repair job. Good point on that circlip under the clutch, I would never have found it. I did wonder why the slots were there

Hi Norm,


Whenever I've been somewhere and haven't had circlip pliers I just grap a cheap set of pliers and grind the ends down to fit a circlip.

You can get them for $12. if you shop around.


There is a good running snipper on eBay for $19. and no bids even at tip shops I can buy a snipper that's a good brand like Stihl,
Tanaka ,Echo and pay $5 to $15. put fuel in and nothing is wrong with them.

Cheers
Max.

Thanks Max,
AVB steered me in the right direction, there is a circlip under the clutch drum you take out, then you knock the drum and bearing out and then you can get at the circlip holding the bearing on easily. Anyway I cut 6mm off the tube and that allows the shaft to go further up on the spline. Works fine but if it plays up again I will do as Bruce suggested and bronze the shaft to the clutch drum

Good that it didn't take too much to fix the trimmer Norm ,it's crazy around here all the 2 stroke equipment I see thrown out
that looks brand new and just needs the mixture screws adjusted.

Hi Max,
I see little stuff that looks ok thrown out around here, everything I see is usually old Ryobi flogged out stuff that somebody has pulled to bits and they are just junk. I guess it is all about the affluence of the area, the more money in the area means the better quality products get thrown out

Hi Norm,

If I ever wanted good mowers or 2 stroke equipment in large numbers to sell I'd go on the council websites and see when their
collection for hard rubbish is and take a trailer ,you'd end up getting a few trailer loads in 4 hours.

I don't understand why they throw some items out unless it's because it's been used once to get the place ready to sell then
they get a few million and just throw the tools out ,I picked up the Pole Saw still in it's box looked like it was barely used.

Most of the items in the pics looked new when I got them from hard rubbish but some have been used a lot now ,I find
new looking chainsaws and the safety chain brake is on and I think maybe they thew it out because they didn't know
how to unlock the brake .

On the flip side of being near some expensive areas you can't sell much second hand equipment , years ago I had people travel
4 hours away to pickup mowers ,now I would only get that if it's a rare bit of equipment they can't get anywhere else.


It's a disposable society these days , the rich get richer ,a lot of people are on $1000. for an hour to an hour and a half.
The dentists charge $1000 . for 1 and 1/2 hours.

https://microstartups.org/jobs-that-pay-1000-an-hour/

Cheers
Max.

Very good selection you picked up there Max, no way would I ever find anything like that around here

I'd always look in a rich area Norm ,a long time ago I picked up a electric start Ryobi that was in as new condition just needed the mixture
screws adjusted.

Problem was I had 3 meter sheds full to the roof with trimmers and couldn't give the working ones away quick enough.