Very nice photo essay 5Twins! Great tutorial.
Next installment - some (external) clutch work. This consisted of a new clutch pushrod seal, bushing, and installing a N.O.S. long pushrod. Also, the fabled "1L9" worm gear from an XS400. Initial inspection under the left cover revealed that the pushrod seal appeared to be the major leak point. But, I cleaned it all up and put some miles on it to be sure. The bike would dutifully "mark it's spot" with a few oil drips after every ride, lol. So, in I went ....
The P.O. had already replaced the pushrod seal but he did a shit job. He didn't replace the bushing which could have been partly, if not mostly, responsible for his failed new pushrod seal. Once I removed it, I found it was an original 8mm long bushing, and comparing it to some new ones I had, you could easily see it was worn pretty thin .....
The usual replacement is a slightly longer than stock 10mm bushing fom MikesXS. I found I could get them from McMaster-Carr for about half the price, and in even longer lengths. I decided to try some 12's and that's what I installed here. There is a counter-bore into the shaft with a lip at the end and it's 11mm deep. You can't drive the bushing in any farther .....
So, the bushing and seal install went well and the new long pushrod was a perfect slip/sliding fit with absolutely no side to side play or wiggle. Once again, I applied that new seal tip I discovered and filled the seal lip with grease .....
This difference between the Standards (left) and the 81 Special (right) has just surprised me last week...