"Bang" when unmounting main adjusting nut...

marp68

marp68

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Great Christmas greetings from Sweden to all XS650 fans...

I have a lot of free play but can't adjust it more by the lever, so I thought I'd try the main adjustment. I followed the clymer manual, took of the cap and turned the nut. But at first the whole adjustment bolt and nut turned. Then it said "pang" and it flew back and the nut was loose. I followed the manual and screw the bolt in with the screwdriver and then out 1/4 turn (did this a few times just be sure), and then finally secured it with the nut while holding the bolt with the screwdriver.

Okej, I know I will not be able to try it until spring with the engine running. So on the center stand I just put in one gear, draw the lever in and tried to turn the wheel. It didn't spin. It do in neutral, and I do know that it can be a bit harder to turn the wheel with a gear in position and the lever drawn in. But now the wheel was as stuck as with the lever released (first gear in position). :(

What can have happened, since the clutch did work on the road (never tried this with the engine off and on center stand before). :confused:

I don't know how the clutch adjustment works on this bike. Is it a sort of spring that may have jumped when I released the nut? Should I have hold the bolt with teh screwdriver while releasing the nut?

I intend to take off the left engine side cover to inspect the clutch mechanism, but what should I look for and be carefull with? What can be wrong and how fix it? The clymer manual doesn't explain the mechanism that well.

/Martin
 
The adjuster screw and lock nut in the worm gear are just plain steel and can rust up. You should pull them out and liberally anti-seize them. Don't follow the manual specs for setting the adjuster screw, use the method outlined in the Minton Mods .....

http://www.650central.com/tech/mintonmods.htm
 
I read the part but still don't understand what can have gone wrong... I did read in a another thread somewhere that it should NOT sound bang, snap, or something. Then it was bad...

What was it that snapped when I turned the bolt nut (and the bolt as well)? ANd is this something that can easily be fixed by unmounting the left side engine cover and then readjust something? Or did I destroy something, maybe inside the engine, or on the right hand side of the engine, where the clutch basket and friction plates are.

M
 
Last edited:
you should squeeze and hold the hand lever in when loosening that nut, keeps the cable end from jumping out of the lower slot...
the bang, pang, or other noises are the worm gear be slammed back by its spring when the adjuster nut loosens
 
Puuh, so hopefully this didn't mean that I broke anything at least then...

But the cable end can have jumped out of it's lower slot by this slamming back... Can I check this any way withpout removing the left side engine cover? The cable can not be withdrawn through the cover and seems to be as tight as before.


M
 
For 3 years that I've had this bike, I must have been playing with myself when it came to clutch adjustment. I mean it worked but not like it works now.....
I found to properly adjust my clutch that the handle adjuster wheel must be loosened and the clutch cable housing turned all the way in to the lever. LUBE the cable. I lubed mine when it was totally slacked. Then make the adjustment at the left engine cover....turning the phillips head adjuster screw in to where you just get resistance and then turning 1/4 turn out. Lock the nut down while holding the screw in place. Now go back to the handle and adjust the cable housing out to where you have 2?mm play at the handle perch before the clutch cable begins to actuate. Tighten the wheel down to lock that in place.
If you lube, adjust at the lever and adjust at the engine side cover all at the same time, you should have a good working clutch.
At least (for me) I have crisp, clean shifting up and down. Neutral easier to find, even when stopped. No slipping at wide open throttle.

Hope all this makes sense
 
marp68 said:
Puuh, so hopefully this didn't mean that I broke anything at least then...

But the cable end can have jumped out of it's lower slot by this slamming back... Can I check this any way withpout removing the left side engine cover? The cable can not be withdrawn through the cover and seems to be as tight as before.


M
Click to expand...


You can open the side cover enough to see if it has slipped off. You could have cracked the plastic worm gear though.
Try making the clutch adjustments and see what you have. If that works then okay, if not, then remove the cover and see what you have.
 
I don't think there is anything wrong with the clutch adjustment.

The clutch plates are probably stuck together, especially if you have not had it running for a while, so just pull the clutch lever in and cycle the kick starter until the clutch breaks loose. Might take quite a few kicks to break it loose.
 
I have the bang at times too. It comes from the nut coming lose and the lever inside the casing pulling back fast once free. When you try to loosen that nut you are putting max stretch on the lever return spring and when it finally comes loose "bang" as it returns back to the positon the spring is pulling it in. It should be okay and not related to the stuck clutch. Sounds like you just need to adjust it right.
 
jayel said:
you should squeeze and hold the hand lever in when loosening that nut, keeps the cable end from jumping out of the lower slot...
Click to expand...

My p.o. squeezed the slot with pliers so the cable can't come out on its own.
 
Okay, since I've had it stored a month now, I will pull the lever in and use the kick a few times. I assume with the gear engaged, right? Since in neutral there is no problem...

Regarding "turning the phillips head adjuster screw in to where you just get resistance", I can feel some small resistance quite immediately, but then I could turn it in almost a whole turn more before I more or less hit the bottom. The resistance harder and harder.

How do I know when to stop turning it in and turn it out 1/4 turn? I read somewhere that one should screw it in and out a couple of times to reach the "true" bottom.

I will also try this thing with loosing the cable at the lever, turn it all in before adjusting by the left side cover.

Thanks

M
 
marp68,

Well, no. Do it in neutral otherwise you will be struggling with the momentum of the wheel turning.

What you are looking for and trying to fix is the engine still turns over with the clutch pulled (disengaged). The kicker is on the transmission side of the clutch, so when it finally breaks loose, the engine will no longer turn over when you kick it with the clutch disengaged.
 
marp68 said:
Okay,

Regarding "turning the phillips head adjuster screw in to where you just get resistance", I can feel some small resistance quite immediately, but then I could turn it in almost a whole turn more before I more or less hit the bottom. The resistance harder and harder.

How do I know when to stop turning it in and turn it out 1/4 turn? I read somewhere that one should screw it in and out a couple of times to reach the "true" bottom.

I will also try this thing with loosing the cable at the lever, turn it all in before adjusting by the left side cover.

Thanks

M
Click to expand...

You are correct about feeling the resistance almost immediatly if it's close to being adjusted properly. If you back the phillips head screw out a couple of turns and then turn it in, you won't feel the resistance for the first couple of turns. Got it?
As soon as you feel the resistance, back it out 1/4 turn and lock it down.
Have it loose at the lever when you do this.
 
So what have happen if I now have turned it to hard, that is, too much in, before backing it 1/4 turn out? That is propably what I've done, since I thought that the first small resistance was dirt, etc on the bolt just making a bit hard to turn. I thought I had to turn it until it stopped completely.

I will however redo the whole thing tomorrow night, according to to all extra recommendations, and see what happens.

Thanks

m
 
Your not the first or last person to have a hard time with the clutch adjustments.
As nj1639 says, back the screw out a few turns. At this point turn the screw in and out a bit to get a feel for how the screw feels, then turn it in. As you turn it in when you feel the resistance start to change is when you stop. This is the point that no slack exists between the actuator and the pressure plate.
This is where you back the screw off. You need a bit of slack in the mechanism to ensure it engages completely. Now at the lever adjust for about 3to4 mm freeplay. I di this by very gently pulling the cable away from the perch. Now as you pull and release the lever the cable will pull away and return to the perch. Adjust the screw till it moves 3-4 mm.
This should make your clutch work well.
If the rear wheel won't turn, the clutch plates can be stuck together. As Pamco pete says, holding the clutch lever in and kicking the engine over will break the plates loose.
In gear, with the lever pulled the rear wheel may not turn easy. The clutch opens about 4-5 mm. The clutch can drag just enough that the wheel won't turn easy.
When you get it running and ride it then you will tell if it works right.
 
XSLeo said:
Your not the first or last person to have a hard time with the clutch adjustments.
As nj1639 says, back the screw out a few turns. At this point turn the screw in and out a bit to get a feel for how the screw feels, then turn it in. As you turn it in when you feel the resistance start to change is when you stop. This is the point that no slack exists between the actuator and the pressure plate.
This is where you back the screw off. You need a bit of slack in the mechanism to ensure it engages completely. Now at the lever adjust for about 3to4 mm freeplay. I di this by very gently pulling the cable away from the perch. Now as you pull and release the lever the cable will pull away and return to the perch. Adjust the screw till it moves 3-4 mm.
This should make your clutch work well.
If the rear wheel won't turn, the clutch plates can be stuck together. As Pamco pete says, holding the clutch lever in and kicking the engine over will break the plates loose.
In gear, with the lever pulled the rear wheel may not turn easy. The clutch opens about 4-5 mm. The clutch can drag just enough that the wheel won't turn easy.
When you get it running and ride it then you will tell if it works right.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by "the perch"? The hole on the lever where the threaded screw part is inserted and can be adjusted? Or the threaded part itself, so that I just lift the cable end off from the threaded adjusting screw?

Now I got a good picture off the adjusting procedure. :) As you said, I will however not be able to test it until I'm on the road, which will not be until next spring... :(

Why I wanted to adjust it in the first place, was because of the big free play, which also could be due to bad friction plates. It hasn't yet started to slip though, but may be near. And I couldn't adjust the lever more.

I also about to go through the bike after buying it, according to the "buyers guide" I found here on the xs650.forum. But it seems that I sometimes mess some things that works... :mad::wtf: But I'm happy, have five month of winter and of learning about this nice bike until I can take it out for a ride again... :D

/m
 
Next season when you start riding the bike again and find all kinds of extra free play developing in the hand lever as the bike warms up, use the "Minton Mods" method for adjusting the clutch as I suggested earlier.
 

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