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So, I am satisfied with the latest DIY air filter—the base being CNC’d by my neighbor, the lid being DIY as shown earlier. Best compliment to the lines of the bike between the stock Super E dog dish, the Offy low-profile option, and this simple round K&N 6” filter. When I get my tax refund, I may ask Zach about making up the recessed base plate, but it’d be lots of bread to gain 3/4” lower profile—and I haven’t yet ridden this one to see whether it bothers my knee.
Engine sounds pretty good. I can’t get a babysitter, so won’t get to do the low-speed 50-mile break-in initial run til later in the week… (I attached a brief video clip you can download and watch & listen to.)
However, I am going to take the opportunity to futz with the clutch some more and see about eliminating the slight drag & creep in 1st gear—which is still there with one flat of free play from gently seated on the pushrod. Here’s how I’m going to proceed, but please weigh in with any suggestions:
1) back off the tensioning nuts one detent;
2) bleed the system a little more. I can hear the pushrod click against the adjuster screw when I first begin applying pressure at the lever, but perhaps there is still a teensy bit of air in the system that’s preventing full release…?
…and if that doesn’t work...
3) swap out the OEM steel pressure plate for the aluminum job I bought long ago but never installed. I have heard people say—including Russ of RSES—that he’s yet to see a flat OEM-style pressure plate.
Note: this is a new BDL clutch, new stock-tension springs, and when I squeeze the lever it does allow me to freely move the kick starter with just the slightest bit of resistance…
Last edited by NM Pan-shovel; Apr 29, 2025 at 03:30 PM.
If you haven't already, make sure the clutch hub bearing retaining plate (item 15, Fig 4.4 page 4-5 in my manual) (the one that those round springs are pressed against) isn't contacting the clutch shell (basket). It can drag on the clutch hub keeping it turning some like the clutch isn't fully disengaging (at least as much as the earlier clutches will).
If you haven't already, make sure the clutch hub bearing retaining plate (item 15, Fig 4.4 page 4-5 in my manual) (the one that those round springs are pressed against) isn't contacting the clutch shell (basket). It can drag on the clutch hub keeping it turning some like the clutch isn't fully disengaging (at least as much as the earlier clutches will).
Oh, thanks, hadn’t thought of that. So, its inner surface should be completely clear of the clutch shell’s outer suface?
If it isn’t, what is the solution? To insert shims somewhere to keep it proud of the shell’s outer surface? Or is this an O.D. / I.D. contact issue?
Also: I have a hub kit with rollers, the three springs, a tube of lubricant and what I assume is the plate. It feels like a kind of flimsy fiber thing—and I seem to remember the one in there was plastic. Is one better than the other?
Last edited by NM Pan-shovel; Apr 29, 2025 at 04:19 PM.
There are a few aftermarket plates made of nylon to replace the steel one. The idea is to keep clutch basket in place so the friction and steel clutch plates won't come in contact causing drag. I've never used one but I know many that swear by them with the Shovel and earlier clutch setups.
As far as the rollers go, the short offset rollers have always worked better than the longer inline rollers.
There are a few aftermarket plates made of nylon to replace the steel one. The idea is to keep clutch basket in place so the friction and steel clutch plates won't come in contact causing drag. I've never used one but I know many that swear by them with the Shovel and earlier clutch setups.
As far as the rollers go, the short offset rollers have always worked better than the longer inline rollers.
Paul
Okay, thanks. I will pull the clutch tomorrow and see whats going on. So, heres my new order of proceeding:
1) check pressure plate adjustment (31/32 is starting point per manual) and trying backing off the tensioning nuts a little;
2) bleed the system a little more. I can hear the pushrod click against the adjuster screw when I first begin applying pressure at the lever, but perhaps there is still a teensy bit of air in the system thats preventing full release;
3) pull clutch and check bearing retainer plate & three springs;
and if that doesnt work
4) consider swapping out the OEM steel pressure plate for the aluminum job I bought long ago but never installed. Thats if the OEM steel plate is not flat, gouged, etc. I dont remember that but perhaps I missed it.
Yeah, but I have no experience with the hydraulic clutch setup you have. Hopefully it provides the same or a little more movement of the release disk (pressure plate). But I don't recall seeing a spec on travel for the 4 speed setup to compare to. And the aluminum release disk is a good idea anyway because the factory stamped one isn't usually as flat, so there are high and low spots as well as less comtact overall.
Yeah, but I have no experience with the hydraulic clutch setup you have. Hopefully it provides the same or a little more movement of the release disk (pressure plate). But I don't recall seeing a spec on travel for the 4 speed setup to compare to. And the aluminum release disk is a good idea anyway because the factory stamped one isn't usually as flat, so there are high and low spots as well as less comtact overall.
Paul
Good point on the aluminum part. In that case Im changing things around:
1) pull the clutch, check the bearing retainer plate for contact with clutch shell;
2) install the aluminum pressure plate & set the springs by feel (because the 31/32 measurement wont work anymore with that domed aluminum pressure plate);
3) see if Im getting .060 of travel, which is what I keep reading is minimum needed to release these 5-plate clutches;
4) if I am not getting at least that much movement, bleed the system a bit more to eliminate that as a contributor.
Then Ill give her another try. Might be Friday before I can get out on the blacktop, but at least I can check for clutch dragging / creep in the driveway.
Check the clutch shell to see if there is any or much wobble when the pressure is released (springs removed). If the shell moves much, that will take up slack between the clutch plates that the movement of the release disk movement creates when the lever isn pulled in. The clutch fix kit you have is supposed to help keep the clutch shell in place, rather than walk out and push the plates closer together creating drag. Hopefully there are installation instructions, but the people I know that have used them only installed the nylon bearing plate.
As far as the springs go, they just can't coil bind before the clutch is fully released (the clutch pushrod stops pushing against the release plate). But they also need to provide enough pressure to prevent the clutch from slipping under a load.
FWIW ( nothing) your old Offy air box gets my vote
No, it’s worth something. A bike’s aesthetics to my mind are always a blend of how the looks affect the rider and others. Nobody lives in a vacuum (though there’s a hilarious Panhead in the below Chopper Cult Panhead compilation with bizarre, vertical handgrips soaring into the air that challenges this idea… could anyone but him like those bars?)
My only gripe about the Offy setup was the possibility that it was increasing vapor lock and causing, or contributing to, difficult hot starts. However, since I have (finally) learned that I was timing the auto-advance distributor incorrectly—with too much initial advance—it could well be that the Offy’s plenum wasn’t the cause.
So: when I get free to conclude the initial 50-mile ring-bedding segment and start running errands, I can experiment with the air cleaners. The extremely low profile of the Offy plenum does make for a nice knee-to-tank riding experience. And I think it looks kinda cool...
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
(I attached a brief video clip you can download and watch & listen to.)
