Your are missing what I said , isn't about normal usage the problem comes when the TO is loaded up constantly from too tight adjustment. Has dick all to do with sitting at a light or regular use. I've been dealing with these things since the 70's off and on professionally, not my first rodeo changed a fair few since the moco went to this cheesy little TO setup back in the shovelhead days, isn't a new thing with it.

 

OK, but how could he be shifting in and out of neutral and first if it was set that tight? Maybe I am missing what you're saying, but if it was that tight wouldn't it be impossible to squeeze the clutch lever, or at least impossible to engage the clutch and get first? He said after the first replacement he was able to drive it, so how could it be that far out of adjustment?

I'm not saying what you describe isn't possible, just that I don't see how it fits this guy's situation.

 

No, not at all. All it needs to cook one is have the cable just tight enough the TO is constantly spinning with pressure on it, those are very small diameter short needle bearings we're talking here. Whole things about the size of 4 stacked dimes. Something changes, neutral gets hard to find so the adjustment gets tweaked a bit tighter and now the bearing is under load constantly. Gone through so many of these I have a few complete sets in my repair goods stash still. Guys during the shovel days had fits with these things when they first changed over.

Thing is there is no other reason that bearing will burn up unless somebody forgot to put the bearing wafer in between the hard washers for some reason, that's it. Once the bearing starts seizing it spins the whole push rod assembly and galls the end in the clutch pack too.

 

Yeah,thats a bummer.

 

I understand how it could happen. I just can't see how it could happen in a matter of a minute or two, with a clutch that is adjusted close enough to ride. Maybe, as you mentioned, the washers and bearing are not assembled properly.

 

Noticed your bike list I had several BSA’s wish I still owned. Had a 68 Firebird scrambler an old flat track racer rebuilt for me in 1973, poked it out 720 welded and ground a cam for it , thing was beast.

 

Yeah, the BSA's a project. Hasn't run in over 20 years. I'm afraid to do anything to it without first cleaning out the crank. I'm sure it's full of dried sludge. Matching numbers. The T150 would run if I just put the head back on. The T900 needs swing arm and rear suspension and would be good to go... I just don't get things done as fast as I used to.

 

Well just since I mentioned it here, I did replace the clutch cable and left in the Easy Pull and things are much better. I do have a very slight amount of clutch drag but I have more range of clutch pull, I can now shift easier, find neutral while running, and back the bike with the clutch in. The clutch movement is also much smoother with the Barnett Chromite II cable I put on so if that helps any.