So, started having real problems shifting and getting the 1200 Nightster into neutral. Went and got a shop manual, and read up on adjusting the clutch. Then I went online and watched some videos on changing the clutch plates on the sportster, and read a few different forum postings on the subject. It all seems easy enough. I even made my own spring compressor tool after watching a youtube video; and it worked good.
I had that derby cover off and on @ a dozen times, trying to adjust the clutch and it just didn't change, no matter what I did.
Finally read a few more forums and watched a few more videos and figured it probably was the crappy spring plate that came apart. So, I watched a few more videos and read a few more forums, and read my shop manual on how to change the clutch plates. Everything goes fine, until it comes to getting the plates out of the clutch hub. Once I got the diaphragm spring depressed enough and got the retaining clip out, the whole contraption, and the plates up to and including the spring plate, came right out. But for the life of me, I have not been able to get the rest of the plates out of the hub. I can't see anything that they are catching on, but they will only come about 1/4 inch and then feel like they are hitting up against something, but I don't see where it's catching.
Figure it's a damaged hub that they are sticking on and I will need to remove the whole clutch basket assembly, and disassemble the hub from the shell to get the plates out of there. My problem with that is....to do that, I have to get the whole assembly off the bike and press the bearing out from the back, I think. in any case to get the whole thing off, I have to remove the main shaft nut, which is put on with 250 FT/LBS!!!of torque, and with the clutch plates removed, that hub(and hub nut) spin. Which means I have to find some way to hold that hub from spinning while I try to break that nut loose....or I have to put all the clutch plates back in the hub, and put the diaphram spring back on, and get a sprocket link tool to keep the sprockets from spinning. But...I also have to remove the stator nut as well, to be able to slide the whole clutch assembly off. And why the hell couldn't the main shaft nut and the clutch hub nut be the same damn size. Really??? one is 1-1/8, and one is 1-3/16??? Come on!...
So, after this long-winded, whiny post, I'm wondering if anyone else has run into this problem and how did you fix it?
I also considered drilling a screw into the plates and yanking on them hard with pliers to pull the plates out, but I figure that might be a little to drastic and might end up doing more damage, somehow...

 

Take a screw driver and work them out or a magnet to pull them out. Its not hard.

 

I know it's not supposed to be hard and you should be able to use just a screwdriver and a magnet, and if that had worked, I wouldn't even be on this forum. I even have a tool that I can slide in behind them and pull and they won't come out. I have tried for 30-40 minutes at a time, for a couple of days now, and they won't come out.

 

Been there, done that.
Look over the basket real good, you may have a scored basket.
Slide the plates inward, take a small flat file to the burr's.
Also pick up some dental picks, that will help pulling them out

 

FINALLY!!! There is some serious scoring on the clutch shell, and it took getting my dremel with a fine grinding tip, in there and ground down some high spots and then was able to get the plates out. Once all the plates were out, I can really see the scoring the spring plate did to the shell when it came apart. You can see a gouge about 1/3 of the way around the shell. I'll get in there tomorrow and see if I can smooth that down well enough. I hope that works, because I really don't want to have to try and break that damn shaft nut loose.
Energy One clutch pack vs Barnett Extra plate clutch pack? Any opinions, one way or the other?

 

Dremel, i need to get one of those.
Glad to hear you got it off.

I went with the energy one set and have been happy with it.

 

I put a Barnett plate set in my 1200, works great. You'd probably be happy with either brand, both get good reviews. Don't forget to soak the fiber plates in oil before putting them in.

If you have to pull the clutch shell, you'll need to put the clutch plates back in to get that shaft nut off. I've used an impact, makes it easy. There are a variety of ways to wedge the chain so the pulleys don't move; I use one of those stepped plastic things, fits all Harleys. That nut is left hand thread, too. You already know you have to pull both primary chain sprockets and the chain all together.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ary+chain+tool

I wouldn't re-use that clutch bearing again after having to press it out, either. Pressing it out can damage it. Also a good thing not to miss taking out the snap ring holding the bearing in...

That's my grandson putting the gasket and cover on in the sig pic, after I put the new plates in. Was an easy job with the right tools.

Just curious, how many miles on yours? Mine had a bit over 30,000. I just did it then for piece of mind, glad I did, the rivets weren't broken yet, but were loose.

 

I'm happy to see this post and discussion. I have a 08 Nightster with 30k miles on it and just started taking things apart yesterday. I ran into a problem with my cheap snap ring removal pliers. I am going with the Energy 1 clutch pack set. Wish me luck

 

Good quality snap ring pliers sure make life easier with Harleys. Good luck!

 

Finally got the old clutch plates out and the new ones in, and all is good. Thought I'd give a brief summary of some issues, some observations, and the parts I needed to complete the job.

List of parts and tools bought for the job:
Energy One Clutches Clutch kit with extra plate and 15% stronger diaphragm spring...$114.02 off Amazon.com (cheaper than direct from Energy One)

Energy One Clutches Spring Compressor Tool (BTX-11)...$49.95 off Amazon.com

James Gasket Primary Cover gasket kit....$22.74 off Amazon.com

Clutch Cable kit...$60.95 from Gary Surdyke Motorcycles (broke cable connector at primary cover, when tightening down)

7pc Crows Foot flared wrenches...$11.99 at harborfreight.com (needed to torque clutch cable connector, and chain tensioner nut.

Observations:
1- The primary cover has sixteen 1/4" allen screws, two T-25 Torx screws, and six T-27 Torx screws....Why the hell can't they all be the same type and sizes?
2- The primary chain sprocket shaft nut is 1-1/4", the clutch hub main shaft nut is 1-3/16"...Again, why couldn't they both be the same size? Fortunately, I didn't need to remove the sprockets and clutch hub, otherwise this would have been a bitch of a job to do.
3-Be careful when installing the clutch cable. Apparently that screw connector is pretty weak metal, because I broke it while tightening it down. Luckily, there was enough sticking out that I was able to back the broke piece back out.
4-You can make your own spring compressor tool easy enough. There is a good youtube video that will show you how... I would recommend cutting the pvc coupler to about 1" high, and make sure you get a really strong bar piece to screw down on the pvc coupler, otherwise it will bend under pressure. I made my own, and it worked fine, but I decided I wanted the actual correct tool to put the plates back in.
5-If you have trouble getting the plates to come out once the spring is removed, get a jewellers file, or dremel tool and go to work carefully filing off the tiniest little gouge or scoring around the inside of the hub. I couldn't see or really feel any gouging or scoring but something was sure keeping the plates from coming out. Once I got my dremel tool in there and hit all the grooves once, the plates came out. Once all the plates were out I could see a nasty gouge all the way around on the inside of the hub. Using the jewellers file and dremel tool I was able to smooth all that back down. I could still see a gouge around the inside of the hub once I smoothed it all down, but I made sure the new plates would slide in and out smoothly, with no hang-up before I completely installed them. If you can't get it smooth enough, you will end up having to replace the hub, and I don't envy anyone that has to do that job. Breaking a shaft nut loose, that is put on with red loctite and 240-260 ft/lbs of torque will be a bitch...

Don't think I can post pictures yet, otherwise I'd post the picture of the exploded spring plate that caused all the problem. Knowing what I do now about this clutch, I would recommend replacing the original clutch pack that uses the spring plate, with an extra plate clutch pack, that doesn't use the spring plate. Replace it now, before it causes big problems. Really is an easy enough job, if you do it before the spring plate explodes and causes damage that will make the repair job a bitch to do.

Anyway, my baby is back together and I love the feel of the new clutch. Shifts nice and smooth...

Hope this info helps some of you....Rick