Clutch adjustment

figured id start a topic on the subject so if some one uses the serch like me to find it theay can. How in the round about way do you adjust the clutch iv done it before on my dad's HD but at the time i was reading it out of the book i know it has to do with the in line adjustment witch on the had there was 2 so i dono what to do on mine im going to try to do it and i guess if all els fails i can undo what i do i hope but if some one could post how to do it it would be helpful

 

Tere are 2 adjustments. First is on the clutch lever. Some of these bikes have a rubber boot over it so that is slid off and you will see the cable entering the lever bracket through a threaded stem with a round washer like nut. Loosen the nut and adj the stem until you have about 3-4mm of play on the lever with the clutch out. In other words, you should have 3-4mm of slack as you first pull the clutch lever from it's rested position. It will then tighten and pull the clutch open.
If this doesn't allow the clutch to work properly then on the right side of the engine toward the back is the other end of the clutch cable with an adjustment. You will see the cable in a bracket with a nut on top and bottom. If the clutch lever is too slack then loosen the bottom nut and trun it down some for the adjustment and tighten the top one until you get the correct amount of slack at the clutch lever. If your cable is too tight then loosen the top nut. And of course , tighten all nuts afterwards.

 

So slack is not just between starting to pull the lever and clutch disengagement? Slack is between where you start to pull the lever, and when it starts moving the cable? I didn't know that.

 

Well - what BlueMaxim said.

The arm on top of the clutch (look down by the oil filling hole) moves the clutch plates apart. If this arm isn't allowed to return to it's resting place then the clutch plates are always being held slightly apart.

The arm's position is controlled by pulling the clutch cable. If the clutch cable is too short then the arm is always being pulled (making the clutch always a bit seperated). To be able to control the arm properly the clutch cable has to be the right length. Cables stretch as they age so it's not a bad thing to keep an eye on anyhow.

You can adjust the clutch cable length on both the arm and on the clutch lever. Likely there is enough adjustment room on the clutch lever to get the right length. If not, you can do a larger adjustment on the arm - and then fine tune the length up at the clutch lever.

The reason BlueMaxim suggests 3-4 mm of slack is so that you are absolutely sure that the arm is all the way back in it's resting position. Again - if the arm is not all the way back the clutch plates are spread a little bit and can slip.

If you have more than 3-4mm slack then you will find that you will have to pull the lever in ALOT to make the clutch disengage. If you really have WAY too much slack you'll find it very difficult to the get the clutch spread apart enough to be fully disengaged. Extraordinary clunking and grinding will be the result - as well as extra stress on the starter if you aren't being a good little boy/girl and starting in neutral.

You can think of it as this if it helps... certainly an experiment that sort of captures what is going on here.

Get a 12" peice of string - hang a few washers on the end of it. Hold the string by the tail and lift you hand 9" above the table top you have it resting on.

If you can see light between the washers and the tables consider the 'clutch' disengaged. If an edge of a washer is touching but not hard against the table it is slipping. If it is hard on the table the 'clutch' is engaged and you are motoring happily.

Lifting your hand a little bit you take up the slack of the string. This is essentially what the first 3-4mm of the clutch pull is. It's a bit of freeplay. In this slack you can see the 'clutch' is fully engaged still.

Lift your hand a bit more and you will lift the washers from the table (i.e. spread the clutch plates)... this disengages the 'clutch' (washers) from the table.

--- Now ---
Consider limiting the range of motion you hand can make to only 2".

If your hand is at rest and you adjust the string so that it is still limp (3-4mm of slack) you will find you can easily seperate the washers from the table within that 2" of motion.

If you make the string too short you won't be able to get the washers to touch the table.

If you make the string too long you won't be able to lift the washers.

Same thing - but easier to play with... plus the kids like to watch you playing with their toys... or perhaps as mine would - think I was crazy.

 

Clutch play as childs play! So Cool Woot! I like your post so much better than mine.

 

you had it all first... I just like to play with kids toys.

 

thank you

 

I have just realized that when i put a new clutch cable on(last year)that the clutch cable may be a bit short.not allowing the clutch arm to fully rest.So i am guessing this is a bad thing?When i took the cable off the arm went back afew centimeters.Help.

 

You don't really need help - you just need to reread it. All you have to do is adjust the turn screw up by the clutch lever ( to make the cable longer/shorter) or a macro-adjustment down at the clutch lever arm...

Not at all meant to be sass - but I thought it was clear. If it isn't clear then I'll try to clarify/fix it.

 

yeah I just discovered the problem within the last hour.I will try to adjust the arm to give me a bit more height.Since nothing else seems to let the clutch rest.I am just hoping that a summer of riding hasn't had a bad effect on the clutch.i know they are wet put I am assuming that a semi engaged clutch is not a good thing.I never noticed slipping,jsut engine revving when stopped.

 

Take the round nut at the clutch lever blade bracket ,loosen it and turn teh stem part all the way in. Check the free play. If it is still tight then loosen the top nut at the other end of the cable until you get some slack. 3 to 4mm measured from the clutch lever edge to the clutch lever bracket. This is right where the cable enters into the bracket and then the lever. Hope this helps clarify things a little.

 

If you look closely, there is a line on the crankcase, and a very small dot of the lever at the clutch itself (at the crankcase) which should line up when the clutch is out (engaged).

 

if the cable is so short that neither adjustment (on the lever, and at the clutch) allows for the clutch to be fully engaged, then take the C-clip off of the pivot point on the arm, and slip the whole are assembly clockwise one spline. After that re-install C-clip and adjust.