Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Wright Stander Mowers, wright stander mowers, clutch bearings

Question
Hi Mr. Jones, Yes the clutch is electric, and no the bearing in the clutch assembly is not replaceable, you have to buy the whole assembly. In the meantime since I wrote to you, I heard back from Wright. They said they could find no reason why we would be at fault for this guy's clutch failure. You are also correct that this is a commercial mower, but our customer is not a commercial user. Thanks Again
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi, First, what do you know about this brand of mower, they are not readily available in our California. We replaced the engine in this guy's mower, and he claims he's blowing clutch bearings because the engine to clutch key is "twice as long" (his words). (We think it is cheap chinese bearings in the clutch assembly, and/or the way he drives the mower now that it has more power, no engine miss))We did not change the key when we changed the engine. The key Kawasaki provides is 40mm, and key by Wright Stander is 1 inch, or 25.4mm.( Not twice as long in any case) Why engineer a non-standard key, or use one that does not fit the replacement engine? Additionally, this mower was built in Dec. 2000, and according to the owner, has been in one shop or another for approximately one third of its life, so basically it has never run correctly. What can you tell me about this( if anything?)? Thanks, Joann
PS: their own website (Wright)does nothing but sing their praises, and their Tech has not gotten back to me after a week.
-----Answer-----
They must be an east coast mower...none west of the Mississippi that I have seen.  Jeep had some bad bearings in some late 90's rear ends so it is possible.  Are the bearing replacable in the clutch?

From the website it looks like these are commericial mowers.  If the customer is a commercial type, then it may be in their best interest to purchase a different mower.  If that thing is in the shop that often then they are loosing money by not mowing.
Has the clutch been replaced?  Is it an electric clutch?
Let me know.
Eric

Answer
I have not seen very many clutches with replacable bearings.  What brand of clutch are you using?  Aftermarket or OEM?  I have come across a few applications where cheaper bearings failed.

Is there a spring or other mechanism to adjust the belt tension?  Are the engine mounting bolts tight?  Maybe they have vibrated loose just a little causing excessive vibration.  Also, this is a long shot, but has the frame been power washed and degreased to check for fracture cracks.  I had a very large customer with a riding mower who kept complaining of the drive belt coming off.  After being in the shop several times I finally saw some hairline cracks in the frame.  It turns out that when the heavy customer would sit on the mower the frame would flex just a little and throw the drive belt.  Needless to say we had to recommend the customer to a larger, heavier duty riding mower that could support his build.

Let me know if this helps.
Eric