A trommel separator includes a clutch mechanism that operates with a shaft mounted right angle gear reducer for direct drive of the drum and a flexible mount. The clutch mechanism has a clutch slip disk which is located between first and second disks. The first disk receives the torque from the shaft mounted gear reducer which is then transferred to the second disk, which is rigidly connected to a rotating drum, when the first and second disk are pulled together. A clutch regulating system, namely jam nuts and a spring coil, are connected to the first and second disks through shafts for pulling the first disk and the second disk together. The flexible mount has a mount which rests upon a pivot plate for rotating the mount around a vertical axis. A first and second plate is attached to the gear reducer and horizontally rotatable within the mount. Clips keep the mount from lifting off a frame and spacers prevent the clamping of the mount. Pads are also used to prevent wear of the clips.