Adjust Clutch Lever freeplay

[BUBBIE]

Bike is cold (sat overnight). Cable adjuster untouched with 1/8" gap. Clutch is working fine as in not slipping and it engages/disengages about midway through the lever pull.

I opened the derby cover, loosened the jam nut while holding the adjustment bolt still. I turned the adjustment bolt in (clockwise) 1/2 of a turn. Closed everything up and went for a test drive. The clutch slipped when I would really open the throttle in every gear.

Came back, let the bike cool. Opened the derby cover and (touched nothing else) and moved the adjustment bolt out (counter clockwise) and the clutch went back to nomal.

YES........ IF YOU LOOSEN THE CLUTCH CABLE EVEN IF A LITTLE AND then FINGER TIGHTEN THE center CLUTCH BOLT "IN",,,,, then loosen the cable AGAIN to make sure of adjustment on clutch basket.....
then REPEAT the clutch bolt adjustment AGAIN.... IF IT IS THE SAME 1/2 to 5/8 " out from against the clutch and your CABLE PLAY is loose,,, IT SHOULD WORK ,,, snug jamb nut....... THEN ADJUST THE CABLE TO THE 1/8 FREE PLAY and it should work...... IF NOT I'M THE IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!


signed....BUBBIE

 

[Porter]

Bubbie and Hoople:
Thanks for the help. My conundrum is that I CAN get the clutch adjusted to work well but I can't get it even close using the methods I have read or viewed on video, which make me believe 1) I am missing something very obvious or 2) Something is different inside my UC.

Hopefully a couple of bucks to a mechanic and I can pick their brain while looking at my actual set up. Like I said, everything seems to work fine as is in this is how it has been since I bought it and through 25k miles. It is just irritating from a learning perspective for me.

 

[BUBBIE]

Bubbie and Hoople:
Thanks for the help. My conundrum is that I CAN get the clutch adjusted to work well but I can't get it even close using the methods I have read or viewed on video, which make me believe 1) I am missing something very obvious or 2) Something is different inside my UC.

Hopefully a couple of bucks to a mechanic and I can pick their brain while looking at my actual set up. Like I said, everything seems to work fine as is in this is how it has been since I bought it and through 25k miles. It is just irritating from a learning perspective for me.

PLEASE KEEP US POSTED AS THIS IS QUITE AB NORMAL.... LET US KNOW WHAT YOU FIND OUT.....

THANKS signed....BUBBIE

 

[Chopper]

Interesting how different people find ways of doing the same thing, my only concern is that there is free play in the clutch so the plates do not wear out prematurely or the throwout bearing on the push rod shaft doesn't ether. I always look at the clutch basket as one unit and the cable as another, I go by the book and adjust the cable so the adjuster is screwed together all the way so I have complete free play on my cable, then I find that's a good time to lube the cable, then I loosen the lock nut on the clutch hub and turn the adjuster screw in untill there is no free play on the clutch adjuster, then I back it out 3/4 of a turn and retorque the lock nut while making sure the adjusting screw does not move, then I just adjust the clutch cable untill I have 1/16'' to 1/8'' free play in the clutch lever, I then pull the clutch lever in three times to set the ball ramp assembly and recheck cable adjustment, if it's good then I torque the lock nut on the cable. This way has always worked for me on my own bike and twenty years of servicing customers bikes.

 

[Porter]

Interesting how different people find ways of doing the same thing, my only concern is that there is free play in the clutch so the plates do not wear out prematurely or the throwout bearing on the push rod shaft doesn't ether. I always look at the clutch basket as one unit and the cable as another, I go by the book and adjust the cable so the adjuster is screwed together all the way so I have complete free play on my cable, then I find that's a good time to lube the cable, then I loosen the lock nut on the clutch hub and turn the adjuster screw in untill there is no free play on the clutch adjuster, then I back it out 3/4 of a turn and retorque the lock nut while making sure the adjusting screw does not move, then I just adjust the clutch cable untill I have 1/16'' to 1/8'' free play in the clutch lever, I then pull the clutch lever in three times to set the ball ramp assembly and recheck cable adjustment, if it's good then I torque the lock nut on the cable. This way has always worked for me on my own bike and twenty years of servicing customers bikes.

Thanks! I believe that is what have been doing exactly, but does not deliver the proper result. But your wording made me think:

When you say "turn the adjuster screw in untill there is no free play on the clutch adjuster" is that the same as me taking a allen wrench and turning the adjuster bolt clockwise (in) until I can't turn it any more (bottoms out). Initially the adjuster bolt is/feels a little "wiggly" (is this what you mean my free play?) but then I feel some slight resistance, but I can still keep turning it. To try and describe the "wiggly" bit: the round disk that the adjuster bolt threads into (and the jam nut jams against) moves a little. Maybe that is my problem, I am/have been screwing it ALL the way in (till I can't turn it any more--6-8 turns).

 

[Chopper]

Yep, you only screw the adjuster in to take up the free play, so the round disc stops wiggling, then when you back out the adjuster 3/4 turn you should be able to wiggle the disc again, that tells you there is no pressure on the clutch at all, then you tighten the locknut & then adjust the clutch cable (lengthen it) so there is just 1/16'' free play in the lever, pull the clutch in three time, that sets the ball ramp assembly so everything finds it's place, then recheck the 1/16'' cable free play and should be good to go, my hands know what to do, but sometimes it's hard to describe what I do to someone else, sometimes it don't make sense to me, that's why I never listen to myself

 

[Jack Klarich]

Yep, you only screw the adjuster in to take up the free play, so the round disc stops wiggling, then when you back out the adjuster 3/4 turn you should be able to wiggle the disc again, that tells you there is no pressure on the clutch at all, then you tighten the locknut & then adjust the clutch cable (lengthen it) so there is just 1/16'' free play in the lever, pull the clutch in three time, that sets the ball ramp assembly so everything finds it's place, then recheck the 1/16'' cable free play and should be good to go, my hands know what to do, but sometimes it's hard to describe what I do to someone else, sometimes it don't make sense to me, that's why I never listen to myself

Great advise, but do you talk to yourself when you work, I do and sometimes I argue with myself, LOL, always the best info from you Chopper Thanks for joining this Forum, Jack

 

[Porter]

Yep, you only screw the adjuster in to take up the free play, so the round disc stops wiggling, then when you back out the adjuster 3/4 turn you should be able to wiggle the disc again, that tells you there is no pressure on the clutch at all, then you tighten the locknut & then adjust the clutch cable (lengthen it) so there is just 1/16'' free play in the lever, pull the clutch in three time, that sets the ball ramp assembly so everything finds it's place, then recheck the 1/16'' cable free play and should be good to go, my hands know what to do, but sometimes it's hard to describe what I do to someone else, sometimes it don't make sense to me, that's why I never listen to myself

That's exactly it! I was thinking that "free play" was as far as you could possibly thread the adjuster bolt in!!!! That is WAY past stopping the plate from wiggling! I had the wrong definition of "free play"!:small3d028::small3d028::small3d028:

Man, if there was a way this board could offer a "hands on" HD maintenence class, I would sign up! Thanks a bunch Chopper! You picked the right word to use to make it clear to me! SWEEEET!:s

Thanks for speaking my language! I feel sane again!

 

[Trek]

What a great read. Thanks everyone. I have almost 3000 miles on my bike and will be changing the fluids at that time. My clutch lever has about a 1/4 inch or so play in it. 2 questions... do you think I need to do a complete adjustment or just the free play in the cable? If I do need to adjust the clutch pack what size t-handle allen wrench do I need? Thanks everyone. Congrats on getting your sanity back Porter.

 

[Chopper]

The book calls for it every 5,000 miles and I would have no problem waiting till 6,000 miles if you're only 3,000 miles between services and you had it done at the 1,000 m/s. You do want to adjust & lube the cable every service though.