Wow, what would cause that?
The "cross" is the spider. Yes it is screwed on to the bottom helix. 150 or 180 ft/lbs = very tight, plus Loctite thread-locker. To break it loose: heat the thread area to 250°F, use special tools to hold the bottom helix while using a breaker-bar + special tools on the spider. THREADS ARE LEFT-HAND. Turn CLOCKWISE to break.
I made a set of tools myself:
The bottom helix has three holes in it. The holes are at 120° intervals on a 50mm radius circle.
I drew a 100mm diameter circle on paper, marked 3 points at 120° intervals, and then used a punch to marK the points on a piece of 1/8" steel plate. Drill holes. Cut a ring-shank (large nail) so that 3/4" of shaft remains below head of nail. Beat nails into holes in plate, weld in place. Put the plate on a bench, drill two keeper holes through plate and bench, install bolts or pins to prevent plate from spinning. Put clutch on plate, then tie it down tight with a ratchet strap that makes one loop around the center shaft of the clutch and then passes under the bench or ties to bench legs. The clutch needs to be locked down tight to a fixed bench. We tied one to a welding table once, but could not break the clutch because the welding table was moving.
Remove the outer cover and spring from the clutch.
Then make a tool which engages the spider WITHOUT TOUCHING OR DAMAGING the bearing surface of the center shaft. I used 1/4" plate for a 30"x2" handle, with a 5" square of 1/8" plate welded flat to one end. Drill or cut a large hole in the center for passing over center shaft of clutch. Drill 6 smaller holes at appropriatre location to weld heavy bolts or pins (approx 3" long) into 5" square. These pins engage the spider very near to where yours broke.
Which is why I was wondering how yours broke?
Anybody seen this before?
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