Test your clutch troubleshooting skills

[John]

Step right up , boys and girls, and take your best shot at this one.
While stopped at a traffic light this morning, my bike started to act like it didn't want to idle. Kinda like the clutch was trying to engage, and loading the engine. After checking it out, I found this to be the same in all gears, while idling and not moving. There is no slippage at all in normal use, and the upshifts are smooth. Downshifts are kinda noisy, with a loud clunk, and neutral is hard to find. To me it sounds like the clutch is not disengaging properly. Checked all adjustments and I even adjusted the recommended slack out, thinking maybe the cable has stretched. No change. Strange thing is while the engine is loading up, trying to move forward, I can easily roll it backwards. The mechanic who owns the shop where I bought all my big bore and related parts, checked it out today, and he agrees that it is clutch related, but thinks it may be the clutch basket has loosened up on the shaft, a fiber clutch disc has broken, or the basket is cracked/broken. Makes sense, except for the fact that I don't really beat this thing very hard. It's been 1000 miles since I completed the big bore, and I haven't been aggressive with the clutch or trans.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in Advance.

[DEmily]

Have you pulled the side cover off? Did you adjust the clutch at the clutch houseing or just on the handle bars? Maybe you just have some wear and an adjustment at the clutch housing would do the trick? Just guessing.

[scalded dog]

There is an "OEM" clutch on e-bay, ends in about 4hrs. $51. when I last checked, I would buy it but don't have the extra funds right now. Later 'Dog

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there "Big Bore Bro",

About a year after I rebuilt mine, and put new friction plates in, I was on a rally run to NY from Va., driving along, had my little toiletry bag-o-goodies fly out of my crudely packed bag that was strapped to my backrest, my riding buddy alerted me to this, it had my electric razor in it, so I drove back to the area and was putting along the road side, slipping the clutch alot, and very little wind, and after a while, it got quite hot, and started to grab too much, etc.. Gave up on the search, drove on to the next station, but was still hard to shift,etc. BTW, I used the same 18 y/o cable I had on it originally!! I did use HD Springs.

I tore it down at the station(had my tool box with me!), and adjusted the slack at the engine while it was warm! That fixed it, and haven't had to adjust it since, that was 3 rallies and several thousand miles ago! And I HAVE Stressed my clutch quite a few times, nothing broken inside!!!!

However, it could also be a worn throwout bearing in the star plate, could be the worm gear slides worn in the throwout clutch lever.

Readjust the slack at the clutch housing(leave the side cover off), then set the handlebar clutch lever slack to where you like the release, the pull your clutch lever all the way in, and then mark with a marker where the throwout lever comes to inside the housing, then ride it a while, and then recheck, if the lever doesn't reach the same point or less, then it may be stretching?
T.C.

[John]

Times' up

Please put down your pencils and hand your tests to the front. The problem that I found last night was the nut that holds the gear on the main driven shaft had backed off and was wearing against the back of the clutch basket. I have it all back together,with the exception of the gasket on the case cover, and I will be making a new one today.
I appreciate the replies. Thanks.

[DEmily]

Man,

That's about the worst I ever did on a test. I'll have to steal the instructors notes before the test next time!

[Geezer]

Originally posted by DEmily
Man,

That's about the worst I ever did on a test. I'll have to steal the instructors notes before the test next time!

Me too, my guess was warped plates.

Geezer

[chevy45412001]

parts bike

John that is what i found on the parts bike i have. The po had 1 st gear type symptems. Bike would not stay in gear unless you held up on shifter with foot. When i tore the bike apart to get parts i found a Bolt behind the clutch basket was backed out and rather stripped looking.If i held pressure on it the thing stayed in gear. The part i dont know is what the bolt is holding? shift drum? or what? Looking at the works straight on the bolt was about the 10 or 11 o'clock posistion behind the clutch basket.

[pgg]

mmmm.... problems on an 80' - SPECIAL? Say no more!

Sorry Sorry, specials' are cool. cough cough.

Well, my 78' got a loose 32mm clutch nut too - but not the same symptoms, it just slipped after 5000 revs.

My other 78' bike has a 80SG motor in it, and the clutch nut is smaller than on the 78 motor - it's 28mm.

[skids]

Re: Times' up

It is a good opportunity to clean the oil glass, if it needs it!

Originally posted by John
I have it all back together,with the exception of the gasket on the case cover, and I will be making a new one today.
I appreciate the replies. Thanks.

[John]

Well, I made a couple of new gaskets today, and buttoned up the clutch cover, added oil and fired it up. Everything is as it should be. No more clutch problems. Oh, and this is for pgg...
The problem wasn't with the 'Special'ness of the bike...it was with the idiot that assembled it...I also learned how to get the front end up in the air...While in first gear, get the bike moving with the engine at about 2500-3000, back off the throttle quickly, and just as quickly, grab a whole handful of it. I was getting about 12-15 inches of lift.

[chevy45412001]

sorry john that s a given

thats easy to do on theese bikes. Now try third gear get rolling bout 25-30mph,pull in the clutch take the tach up to bout 7500-9,000 rpm and dump it.3-4 feet in the air and ride it out...OOOOOHHHHH ya LIFE IS GRAND!

[John]

Bigblock

Looks like you got bigger grapes than I do. I'd be afraid of bending the forks. I did knock my handle bars out of whack when I came down too hard. They tilted downward, and I couldn't tweak them back without loosening the bar clamps. I don't know if I'd want to beat on the clutch that hard, just to lift a wheel.