Ive been surrounded by mad Hardley gremlins now for quite some time and Im not sure whether to surrender and go Japanese again,or not.!
I thought I had the old 91 Ultra sorted after many,many problems & ŁŁŁ$$$$s over the last 18 months or so. I took the bike for a long 700 miles round trip,mostly Motorway/Freeway. After approx. 250 miles I got stuck in a very severe Traffic jam/back up. As you all know...with the big Tourers you cant filter,or thread your way through the static traffic,therefore its Clutch Lever in,move a few Yards,stop. Then another few yards and stop again. Im sure you all have been stuck with the same problem at some time or another.
After being in this situation for over 1 hour my Clutch Lever started to move closer to the handlebar and eventually it was about 1" from the h.bar and I was losing it,Clutch control, completely. I managed to pull into an inside lane and exit the M.Way. I camped for the night,arose early next morning and re-adjusted Clutch as per Harley W.Manual. I got the full play back again and continued the journey. As I neared the last 80-100 miles the Clutch Lever started to "act up" in the same fashion. In the end I decided to park up again for the night.I again re-adjusted the Clutch the next morning.It adjusted easily to the H.D.Manual spec. I continued on my journey and after approx. 40 miles I heard a strange"rubbing metal/clangy" noise. This noise wasnt too loud at first but after another 10 miles I pulled in to a Service area to see what was happening. I couldnt find anything + the engine seemed to rev quite freely when in Neutral. At this point I decided to take the Primary Case off and inspect the usual suspects ie.Clutch,Balance Shaft Nut,etc. I couldnt check the electrics but the ammeter gauge showed that the bike was charging well & normal. I refitted the Primary,re-filled with the old oil and started her up. She started easily and again was charging normally. It was only when I pulled away that this noise returned,therefor I had to phone the Recovery guys and get "trailered" home for the last 250 miles/. I had the Clutch plates examined recently by a Harley mechanic whilst doing other work myself and he said they were ok and re-pressed the Clutch Assembly back in. I changed to the modern Harley tranny fluid at the same time. If you can give me any suggestions re. the Clutch problem,I would be really grateful. As far as the metal grinding noise from the front end (possibly inc.engine,forks,brakes,wheel bearings ,steering head area) I will be putting the bike up on the hydraulic stand tomorrow to look at what is happening when she is in gear/s. I ran the engine when the Primary case was off and there wasnt any noise. The Primary Chain adjuster/adjustment was good,Clutch adjusting nut etc. good & tight and nothing wrong with balance shaft/crank end nut. I also had the Front Brake Calipers off to check that there wasnt anything stuck in them etc.
There you have it......sorry to go on a bit but there is no shortcut to relating this problem and I am getting really p***** off with the bike. Bung.

 

edited, I prolly should just keep silent on this.....

 

Check the throw out bearing, we just had the same problem and thought it was the cable. Turned out the one of the two throw out bearing washers broke in three pieces and took the bearing with it. We replaced both washers, the bearing, and the "c" clip. All this stuff is on the other end of the tranny where the clutch cable goes in. Hope this helps.

 

+1 on the throw out brg. Sure sounds like that is the problem.

 

Bungo,

Your bike is 20 years old (almost). Take a deep breath, give it a hug and take a look at that bearing. We're behind you!

 

Hi Graham,J.Kraft & Mia,Many thanks for support,prompt response and advice. Yeah,the bike is 20 years old and Im almost certain that very few bikers with old British bikes would consider a 700 mile round trip unless they had done a full restoration. Maybe Im expecting too much from the old Ultra? Will do what you guys suggest tomorrow. I was so *"scunnered" I couldnt even look at the bike today. Will probably be in a better mood tomorrow and make a start. Bungo.

*"scunnered",pronounced "skunnered". A very old Scottish word for "totally p***** off"
Also....a "scunner"("skunner") is somebody who p***es you off.

 

Hi Mia, Would this account for both problems ie. (1)the adjustment. (2) the noise.?

 

Went to Poland on mine in May, just over 2,500 miles return. Part of the pleasure of riding older bikes is the thrill of getting back home without incident! Hope to go to Ljubljana in Slovenia next year.

With buying a secondhand bike it is likely to get on top of whatever former life it had. It won't be long before you are back in the saddle and thinking calm thoughts once more!

 

I remember back when I had my 1942 "45", and the throw out brg. went bad. Since it was a foot clutch, there was a push rod (pull rod) actually, that pulled in the clutch through a lever on the right side. I use to slide washers in between the lever and the throw out brg. with a little oil to shim it up. When ever the clutch got out of adjustment to far, I just slid in more washers. You can find all sorts of ways to keep your Harley going when you are 16 and don't have any money. LOL

 

Yes, and if you find out that is the problem, wash ot the side cover real good. Then drain the tranny and flush it out with some diesel or kerosene. Then fill it with some motor oil and ride it around the block and drain it again. Then fill it with gear oil and ride it for a day, and drain it again, then re-fill it. Pay attention to the magnetic drain plug, repeat until it looks ok. The oil is cheaper than a gearset!!!