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Hey guys,
I've got about 43k on '98 with the stock clutch. I've had it apart a few times for gaskets and such but the plates and springs are stock as is the cable.
It feels like the friction has gotten smaller and sometimes i cant find neutral when the bike is warm. I've tried adjusting it per the manual. It just makes low speed maneuvering a little less intuitive... Any suggestions?
I'll pull them out and check. If they have good material left, how/should I clean them up or just replace them once I'm in there.
Also, what brand clutch disks and fluid should I go with? Thanks
I would first try some Harley Davidson Formula + before tearing everything apart. Fill to bottom of clutch plates in accordance with the manual.
There are many opinions on what is the best fluid for the primary, I have always used what the H-D manual recommends and have never had an issue.
If it does not make the problem better, you can drain and reuse it if there is not a lot of miles on it.
NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.
Last edited by CoolBreeze3646; Jan 15, 2024 at 06:59 AM.
Ok, thanks for the tip!
I've had the primary apart on this bike last year but now I'm starting to think I installed the clutch incorrectly with those little rings on the inboard side...
Dang you, nagging insecurity!
Well it is winter and if you have the time a good project to keep you busy. You can clean the fibers and steels with Brake Cleaner and inspect the tolerance per the service manual.
The friction zone on my 08 Road king seemed to "shrink" with mileage. The first 10,000 miles it seemed quite wide (lever movement) but by 108, 000 miles it was considerably smaller even though the clutch still did its job beautifully. Never thought of it as "grabby", yours might be considerably different than mine was. My 23 police Road King seems to have a rather narrow friction zone right from the start but it is still easy to use even in slow maneuvers. Many have improved their clutch performance by switching to Harley Formula + and others speak highly of the fairly new 70W 140 transmission AND primary lube. At about $25 per quart, I haven't tried the new stuff. Mobil ! V-Twin 20W-50 seems to do a good job in my primary for about half the price of the Harley special stuff. I hope your fix is as easy as changing primary lube.
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Grabby clutch
