Just use a deepwell socket to break it loose. You can put the bike in gear and have somebody hold the rear brake to keep it from moving. There's no need to hold the center adjustment while you are breaking it loose. After you've made the adjustment, you can snug the jam nut with an offset boxend wrench while holding the adjustment rod. Once it's snugged, you can use a torque wrench to do the final tightening. BTW-I don't worry about the adjustment rod moving once the jam nut has been snugged, what little bit it moves-if any-doesn't hurt anything. Hope this helps.

 

Harris said, " If you use the clutch to control the motor at low speeds, you should use ž turn. ˝ turn is for “normal riders”, who use the clutch like an on/off switch. 1 turn is appropriate for a police bike in city traffic service. "

Well, as it turns out, I'm in the middle of the 15K service and I can't seem to get the right setting on the "back out" setting. I like my clutch to release 1/8" from full squeeze. I mean as soon as I let off finger pressure, I want her to start grabbing.

For the first run, I backed off 1/2 turn. I could barely ride the thing because it took so much real estate (handle away from bar) to engage. I used the cable adjuster to fix that, but the clutch handle has an inch of slack.

When I read this, I thought, Whoopee, and I hurried out to re-adjust with 3/4 turn of backoff. Well, I've still got an inch of slack in the clutch cable.

Is this clutch wear that is not gonna go away until I spend (???? hundred $$$) with the dealer for a new clutch? If I do this again, and back off a whole turn, will my slack go away?

BTW, after fifteen hours of reading this forum, 33 hours of getting my stuff together, two weeks of worry and planning, I completed the 3 hole service today. What I did wrong, even after all the planning? Put the filter on without putting any oil in it, and put the derby on with no oil in the primary. Yeah, I caught it in plenty of time, but it was frustrating. And as a teenager I spent two years under cars in the local service station changing oil and greasing cars and changing tires. Not my first rodeo, but it was my first time of this particular bull.

So, whassa answer to my clutch dilemma? And if you've never ridden with a clutch that engages at the slightest touch, you don't know what you're missing. Thanks for all y'alls help. I'm gonna go "test ride" in some 100° North Carolina heat. Boots and jeans, yeah, but the leather is staying in the closet.

And by the way, I want to thank Harris for the motor office training course he sent me three years ago. I spent hours and hours in the parking lot stopping and starting at that 2X4 and practicing the exercises, and man, does it pay off. I'm not about to scrape floorboards just to show off, but knowing I can handle this big bike in a tight parking lot does wonders for your confidence. Every time I go to the grocery store I do tight turns just to stay on top. Thanks, my good friend.

 

Yes adjust your clutch. It is one of the easiest jobs to do yourself

 

That worked like a charm.

Thanks!

 

Harris for President!

 

Prezactly!!

 

I suspect that at some point your clutch was misadjusted at the internal adjustment. If' it's been run with the set screw tightened down too far (a common error) that will cause everything to be too tight, and thus the clutch cable stretches over time. The good news is a new cable's only about $25.00 bucks, the bad news is the install is a bit of a PITA, since your typically have to loosen the exhast to get at the screws that hold the clutch release cover on (get a set of ball-end allen wrenches).

It's very unlikely that the clutch pack itself is damaged or significantly worn. Despite what you read on line the stock H-D clutch is damn tough.

Harris

 

Of what? I couldn't get elected to the subcommittee on garbage collection for the southwest quadrant of the trailer court.

 

If it's working the way you like it... leave it alone... There is no finite adjustment that is critical in order for a clutch to work properly. Some metal sediment attached to the primary plug is normal... why else would they make it magnetic... ?

 

I have only adjusted my clutch twice in 79k miles.