OK here we go again with another clutch question. Its on my 79 shovel with a 4 speed. I got all my starter problems taken care of now the clutch needs adjusting. I took off the derby cover, I loosened the cable all the way so that it was loose at the adjustment by the tranny. I backed off the jam nut in the center of the clutch hub. I then turned the center adjusting screw ( shovel has the slot and not a allen) I turned it till the shift lever on top of the trans was about 1/2 to 5/8 from the top of the starter. I locked it down and then went to the cable. I turned it out till the clutch lever was all the way out and backed it off till I had about 1/16 of free play at the lever. Well this didnt work so well. When I try to put it into first it makes a noise like the gears not engaging. I can shift into second no problem and then down shift to first no probelm. But when I try to go into first from netural it grinds. Please someone tell me thats its just a clutch adjustment problem and not a tranny problem. Any help would be great. I am this close to getting this scoot on the road.
Thanks in advance
Warrior

 

Anyone got any ideas????

 

Sounds like a clutch adjustment to me however, the shovelhead four speeds are notorius for creeping at stops, with the bike in first gear. The clutch hub basically wobbles, allowing the clutch to grab. The Tamer clutch insert holds everything in it's proper position and is supposed ro remedy this.

http://www.legendmcs.com/Clutches/clutch-clutches2.html

 

Pretty typical for the clutch to drag on a shovelhead.
You can disassemble the clutch and use brake cleaner to clean the friction plates then put it back together by the book and she might work right for a while but they gum up pretty fast.
After cleaning use some non petrol based silicon lube on the friction plates,you can get it at NAPA.
This will help repel moisture and oil from soaking into the plates for a while.
I always just shifted into netural at stops and kept the idle down low enough to keep it from grinding into gear.
Sometimes maybe shift up into second and then down into first .
It will go into second eaiser and then shift through into first without grinding.

 

Pop off the derby cover, loosen the lock nut, tighten the adjusting screw untill you feel it touch, then back off a hair and tighten it down. Use the adjuster on the clutch cable to get a little slack at the lever. You should have three threads showing on the hub fingers too.

 

Ok guys I rode yesterday for about 40 miles, ended up sucking. I am having problems with this clutch. I took it apart before I rode yesterday and clean everything with break cleaner, skuffed the clutch plates and put it all back together. Adjusted the clutch like ya said, tighten the screw till I felt resistance then backed off 1/2 turn. Then took the slack out of the cable. I worked pretty good while the clutchs were still pretty dry, but as soon as they got wet from the oil, it was hard to shift. So today I tore it apart again and cleaned the clutch plates again. I did notice that the clutch basket has some free play in and out, not much but it is noticable. Also the pushrod from very bottom to where the clutch handle will bring it out is only 3/32", this dont seem like enought to me to make the clutches release. I have also put in a new pressure plate and springs. I set the springs at 1" from the pressure plate. I am loosing my mind on this. I have always rode shovels and have never had this kind on problems with the clutch. I am very close to putting it up for sale, accepting defeat and buying a blockhead. I have had this bike for 4 months and it was suspose to be a turn key scoot ready to go. What little I did get to ride yesterday, it made my back sore. I have never had a hardtail and have always wanted one, thinking that my bad back could handle it. Wrecked a superglide about 20 years ago and fractured L2 and L3 vert. in my lower back. I might just have to go to a soft tail so I can continue to ride. Any help or advice would be great here guys or gals.
Thanks in advance for the help.
Warrior

 

Is the vacuum system working? there should be hardly any oil in the primary, just a drip to keep the chain wet and then it should suck it back out. If you're getting a lot of oil on the clutch plates that might be it. Reading from the factory Shovel manual the spring adjustment should be 1-1/32 from the pressure plate edge to releasing disc surface. lever play should be 1/16th. the clearence between the release arm and the starter motor 3/8 ~5/8 on '79 and later it should be 13/16 between the top of the trans. case and the release arm. That's for a dry clutch, the diaphram spring wet clutch is different, I have the info for that too but I think they were on Evo's.

 

As a quick test, clean the plates again, drain the oil out of the primary, block off the oiler to the primary, and run it dry for a time. If it works OK, you're getting too much oil. If that's the case, and I'd do it anyway, permanently block the supply & return lines to the primary. Put some ATF in the primary, just enough to hit the bottom of the clutch basket . The ATF works great with wet-or-dry plates, if it gets splashed on them, and it lubes the chain just fine.

Since it appears your clutch is dragging/not disengaging, check the pressure plate-to-releasing disc adjustment. If that is the one inch you refer to, it's too close. As stevent sed, 1-1/32" is the correct distance. Is the pushrod OK? I've seen them ground short when a throwout bearing failed, then the rider tried to reuse it after replacing the bearing. It was too short to ever get the clutch adjusted properly.

New pressure plate? Is it OK, or did you get a bad one? If the problem started after the replacement, looks like a suspect part to me.

The Tamer, or a Ram Jett Retainer, will fix the basket play and make a much smoother clutch, with no "tugging" when you're stopped.

 

Ok My bad, Forgot to say the the primary oil lines have been blocked off so I am the one that had to add oil to the primary. I have been using RevTec primary oil. The last time I only put about 3/4 a quart in it, looked good on the stand but then when it sits on the kickstand it gets into the clutch basket. I replaced the pressure plate because the old one was skuffed up to bad to save. I also replaced the adjusting bolt with one with a ballbearing in the end. The throwout bearing looks to be working fine. The pushrod shows very little wear on the end. As I was saying before though, it only comes out about 3/32" with full lever pull and I was told it should be about 1/4". I spent about 45 min. last night rolling the trans over and shifting in and out of gears and that seems to be working pretty good, just turning the clutch hub. POCOCJ, PLEASE tell me more about using ATF in the primary! This RevTec oil at 5.00 a quart is getting pretty expensive, I have alot of ATF on hand.
THANKS so much for the info so far, its helping alot. I have a manual but nothing is like getting first hand info on this.
Will try to get it back together today, shop not heated and its pretty cold here today in Kansas.
Thanks again
Warrior

 

I know from your PM you got it working, at least for now. Hope it keeps on for ya.

The ATF is just something I stumbled on so long ago I can't remember where from. Probably something outta EasyRider's back when it was a real biker mag, instead of the lick-spittle crap they put out now.

Anyway, when I first closed off the primary on my '78 Shovel, I was told to put a quart of motor oil in it. Sucker locked up so tight it couldn't be shifted at all. I thought I screwed up, drained it, and played around with it dry. Worked fine, so I drilled a hole in the top of the primary and shot some chain lube in on the chain every now & then. That got old, and I ran across the ATF thing. This time I was told to just pour it to the bottom of the hub when on the side stand. Ended up being way less than a quart, and IIRC, quite a bit less than the 3/4 quart you were trying.