Noisy clutch at idle
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Novice
Joined: Oct 2009
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Noisy clutch at idle
I'm riding a fairly newly purchased '04 Anniversary Fat Boy . . . .
When idling at stoplights I'm noting increasing noise when the clutch lever is released. When I contract the lever the noise stops. So, it seems like the clutch is increasingly not fully disengaging.
OK, in the past my bikes have all had screw adjusters on the clutch levers that let you alter cable tension. My Fat Boy seems to have a hydraulic clutch with no obvious way of reeling in some greater cable tension for better disengagement.
Does this mean that I have to go the route of getting into the actual clutch to stop the noise?
Thanks guys.
When idling at stoplights I'm noting increasing noise when the clutch lever is released. When I contract the lever the noise stops. So, it seems like the clutch is increasingly not fully disengaging.
OK, in the past my bikes have all had screw adjusters on the clutch levers that let you alter cable tension. My Fat Boy seems to have a hydraulic clutch with no obvious way of reeling in some greater cable tension for better disengagement.
Does this mean that I have to go the route of getting into the actual clutch to stop the noise?
Thanks guys.
Tourer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
From: Tucson, AZ
If the clutch was not disengaging completely you'd know it when you put it into gear -- the bike would lurch forward. Is that what's happening?
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 96
Likes: 1
From: Delaware, OH
Unless someone added a hydraulic clutch, it came from the factory with a cable clutch. The adjuster is not on the lever itself. It's under the rubber boot halfway down the downtube infront of the front cylinder, normally it's clipped to the frame right near the adjuster.
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Thanks for the responses guys. My Clymer is not too helpful in diagnosing the noise. To answer some of your questions:
Yes, there is no lever reservoir so the clutch is likely not hydraulic (I got that opinion from the Clymer manual.)
I will check under the cable's rubber boot on the front of the engine for an adjuster; that will likely help (not in the Clymer).
Yes, it could be the belt in the primary. The noise seems to be getting louder though . . . .
No, the bike does not lurch forwards when put starting to travel, but still it seems like the clutch plates are not fully disengaging when at idle. However, it sounds like I need to figure out whether the noise is in the clutch or is the primary belt. It certainly sounds like something big is rotating.
Thanks for your very helpful range of comments, especially as I'm new to Harleys. BTW I would never go back to Jap bikes after tasting Harley's brew.
M
Yes, there is no lever reservoir so the clutch is likely not hydraulic (I got that opinion from the Clymer manual.)
I will check under the cable's rubber boot on the front of the engine for an adjuster; that will likely help (not in the Clymer).
Yes, it could be the belt in the primary. The noise seems to be getting louder though . . . .
No, the bike does not lurch forwards when put starting to travel, but still it seems like the clutch plates are not fully disengaging when at idle. However, it sounds like I need to figure out whether the noise is in the clutch or is the primary belt. It certainly sounds like something big is rotating.
Thanks for your very helpful range of comments, especially as I'm new to Harleys. BTW I would never go back to Jap bikes after tasting Harley's brew.
M
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Novice
Joined: Oct 2009
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Just one more thought. I had a Ducati about ten years ago and they had (have?) a dry clutch which made an idle noise that is similar to my Harley's current idle noise. It's sort of a rotating, dry rasping sound.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,271
Likes: 29
From: Green Country,Oklahoma
All Harley clutchs rattle.You just can't hear them because of the oil in the primary.If someone has changed it to a belt then there will no longer be oil in the primary causing a rattle if lever is pulled in or there is no oil in your primary...........
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,115
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From: SoCal
Also...probably a good idea to buy an actual HD manual. The Clymer stuff falls short as you've already discovered.
Plus, as someone else said, if you were experiencing clutch drag you'd know it. The bike would want to pull forward even with the clutch in and would lurch when you dropped it into gear.
Lastly...the cable adjuster doesn't affect clutch plate separation. If you do need to adjust clutch for better separation you'll need to do it at the clutch adjust mechanism in the primary, behind the derby cover.
Sounds to me like you might have an aftermarket belt drive primary and are just hearing the normal sounds they make.
Last edited by JustDave71; Jun 23, 2010 at 08:20 AM.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 5
From: SoCal
from Primo site:
Q: Why does my open belt clutch seem to be so noisy?
A: This is due to the fact that an open belt is run with out an enclosed housing, compared to stock which is enclosed and muffled with oil. The noise you hear are the clutch plates tapping against the inside of the clutch shell.
Q: Why does my open belt clutch seem to be so noisy?
A: This is due to the fact that an open belt is run with out an enclosed housing, compared to stock which is enclosed and muffled with oil. The noise you hear are the clutch plates tapping against the inside of the clutch shell.
Tourer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
From: Tucson, AZ
Yep. You need the real McCoy: the official H-D service manual. Parts manual is also very useful. The exploded views of assemblies in the parts manual are excellent.