1996 FLHTCI, 40k miles, sorry for the long post but want to try and get all the info out there.

I've read several posts on here and I am pretty sure I have a throwout bearing going bad. The tension in my clutch lever varies, most of the time the tension is the same as after I completed the adjustment, other times I have about a 1/2 inch slack. This has been going on for a few weeks, but it only happened about once every couple of days and after 2-3 shifts it was back to normal. I checked to make sure that I wasn't having an issue with the cable binding, or the adjuster "popping" out, or the cable at the lever, and the cable is only about 2 months old. On Saturday the better half and I went on a nice long ride and when downshifting coming into a town I was having to kick the shifter pretty hard to get it to shift because there was a lot of play in the clutch. When stopped in first I could really feel the bike tugging like the clutch wasn't fully engages/disengaged, I can never remember which is which. Anyway I parked the old girl and we had a cold drink and walked around for awhile. About 2 hours later we got bike on the bike and she seemed ok although netural wasn't happening. Got most of the way home and she started acting up again, but not quite as bad. I parked her for the night and adjusted the clutch cable the next day. Took her on a short ride after the adjustment and the tension in the clutch is varying wildly, maybe from the reccomended 1/8 of an inch of play up to a half inch. How hard is it to replace the throwout bearing? I'm reasonably decent with a wrench but have never messed with clutches or transmissions and I have the manual. Couldn't find any reference to a thorwout bearing in the manual though.

 

Have a '96 ultra and have had some clutch problems. But my guess is it's not what you're thinking. If you have the original clutch cable and you have been oiling it, it is likely binding. The original cables were graphite lubed and the oil will gum them up sometimes severe enough to break the cable.

The other possibility is blown rivets in the clutch plates. This can cause the clutch assembly to shift and bind inside the clutch basket, eventually scoring the basket. Without knowing history of your bike repairs it's hard to say, but I would look at the cable first, since it's easier, then to the clutch itself.

This is one of those problems that isn't going to fix itself, so good luck finding it.

 

Thanks Booker. The cable is only two months old maybe.

 

The 96 has this weird spring pack anti jutter plate in the clutch pack that is a known problem. It can be replaced with another friction disc and I think another steel. Been too long since I took mine out to remember. Someone here will correct me. That thing goes flat and the springs break and it plays hell with adjustment.

 

Will you find pieces of it in the tranny fluid? I also found what appears to be a part of a little circlip

 

Tiny circlip is what's supposed to hold the throw out bearing in place.

You can do some damage attempting to take up the slack when the bearing goes. It causes it to adjust too far beyond the correct stopping point inside the case.

If it is the throwout bearing look into a slightly better designed one that's made for police models. There might be one for your bike.

 

I've been looking at Barnett kevlar clutch plates and they are available as replacement 8 friction plate sets, or 'Extra-Plate' Clutch Kit
with nine friction plates and eight steel drive plates, leaving out that weird one. I couldn't make out what that does, so thanks for explaining it. 9 plate it is!

 

Well I took it apart and the throwout bearing is fine, but found some hunks of metal and part of a circlip in the fluid. Not sure what my next step is, still doing some research, but it looks like my riding is done for the year. Thanks to all for the advice.

 

As Johnny said, it may be the circlip that secures the throwout bearing.

If the throwout bearing clip is still in place, you might want to remove the transmission top cover and eyeball the shifter pawl and see if the circlip is still in place on the small spring.

 

The circlip on the throwout bearing is still in place, so I will try this next, thanks. This forum is awesome for novices like me, I am learning a lot.