Almost ready for its maiden voyage after being parked 22 years. The clutch is being a pita. Plates are sticky from 22 year oil. What’s the best way to clean them? Seems as a kid I remember scuffing them with light sand paper once degreased?

any words of wisdom how to adjust the clutch once back together. Didn’t do that part when I built the bike 37 years ago so need a little help.

 

Clutch adjustment Exactly by the book..even with a Ramm Jett retainer..which really do work!
Disassemble clutch.. Clean (no rust) steels. Scrub the frictions in mineral spirits or paint thinner, with stiff (not wire) brush,, hang out to dry, then figure 8's on fairly smooth, clean concrete floor.. assemble...again..By The Book

 

Cleaned all the plates. I followed the manual and have the 1/2” gap between transmission arm and starter. Still won’t go into first and grinds. It did go into second fine with minor dragging. There are no transmission issues as this was a functioning. and riding bike when parked years ago. I just ordered a new clutch perch and lever because they are tired and holes are worn with a lot of slop.

any words of wisdom???

 

No words of wisdom, but some leading questions: Is the pressure plate (spring plate) moving evenly when you pull the lever? Have you installed a retainer on the basket? Keep at it, I've had them work better than a modern one (for short periods of time).

 

Ok things aren't quite as simple as scuffing the plates you want civil clutch on a shovel. Pull the plates & steels, fingers on the hub grooved or the stop dogs on the clutch shell doesn't matter what else you do plates are going to drag. That one is written in stone.

Isolate the primary, cut the stock oiling for it off. Cleans things up, stops several cronic leaks and the engines much happier. Use ATF or dino primary oil and only fill enough to just touch the bottom of the clutch shell with the bike sitting some waht level.

Inspect the hub & shell for the aforementioned grooving issues. I rebuild the hubs swapping the fingers, the aftermarket stuff are softer than a liberal political promise. Don't use those Big fix long rollers, waste of money. Ramjett & stock cage & bearings. The hub needs a hair of free floating those f*cking rollers everybody is pushing don't allow.

Try the new plates on the fingers, they don't slide easy open the holes to the next drill size, and yes that's a real issue. Steels check for flat and I knock the rattle ball cages off them, does help and later model didn't have them at all. If they are glazed, scuff with a scotchbrite pad, just break the shine.

' Alum pressure plate, stock steel is never flat or true and the spot welds are always proud, lousy hooked up & drag if bad. Skip the book adjustment of the plate, follow it for the cable. Adjust the nuts to 3 or so threads showing and tweak till the pressure plate moves evenly all round, is no uncommon to have to swap springs around to get this.

Do these near right and you'll get a smoke acting, no drag solid hook up clutch. Lubbing the cable is a must every spring. Tired compensator and chain will cause issues too.

I see at least a shovel a week with clutch issues and this is what solves them 95% of the time, easy and little money spent.

This was last week's PIA, the fingers were even loose in the hub I could spin them by fingers. Just that little will make one drag heavy.

 

^^ Agree with all...except of course Isolating the Primary... never known it to Cure Leaks and..Have decided, by Trial And Error, that it is Unnecessary, if primary is sealed Properly.. But... some folks are Locked onto Isolated!!

 

Check like all of the above and if you remove the plates the best thing I've found to clean the fiber plates is coleman fuel aka naptha leaves no residue. I also use it or lighter fluid also mostly naptha to clean vintage camera shutter blades.

 

Had another set of newer, less used, and cleaner plates. I have the 1/2” adjustment at the transmission arm and starter. I adjusted the lever but the perch is shot and another is in the way. Ran into another snag so I am in a holding pattern.

 

Main reason for isolating is the engine not sucking all the clutch **** flying around inside chain case back into the engine through breather gear port, sprayed all over the cam, bushings and lifter rollers before getting sucked into the return side of the oil pump back to the oil bag. Losing a few of the heavier "they all do that" bleeders is just an extra perk.

 

Makes Logical sense...just like it did when I began doing it.. But...In Practice..I see Little to No Difference!!