Originally Posted by howardcano

That adapter is a thing of beauty! It's exactly what I envisioned, and you've already created it!

I'd love to use off-the-shelf clutch components, bells, and pinions, and your point of using the pilot shaft and larger bearings is valid. But since we then can't get a small enough pinion for a good ratio, maybe it's time to discuss the double-gear-reduction/jackshaft arrangement I mentioned earlier.

The good points of the jackshaft are that the gear pitches don't necessarily need to be the same for the clutch bell and the diff gear (although it's likely they will be 32p/mod.8 anyway); and it's a great place to put a brake disk or drum, away from the heat of the clutch and the oil from the front bearing.

The bad points are the extra parts and complication.

(The motor would be rotated 180 degrees, which looks different, but might be preferable for a can muffler. And it keeps the pit man from getting as dirty!)

So which is the lesser of two evils? The clutch bell/pinion adapter, or the jackshaft?