I wonder what could have happened? Clutch stopped working.

[sseres]

everything has been fine since I last posted about my clutch, maybe 200 miles ago. Riding around on what was going to be the last day before the rains return here, it was low 80's out and I was on surface streets.

Suddenly, i was being pulled a little at a stop light, like the clutch was suddenly out of adjustment (more than the odd clutch worsens as engine warms up thing), but just a little.

I have the 650central ez pull clutch cable that i put on last year (HIGHLY recommend this over a standard cable). I tried giving it a little extra turn at the handle grip, but noticed that I was at end of the threads. I thought maybe it was just one of those "old bike" things and would certainly be better by the next traffic light.

Wrong. a few minutes later, I noticed that the clutch lever was wiggling! I grabbed it and it had no resistance. I thought nuts ,the cable snapped! I pulled over and wiggled some things (you know, like I knew what I was doing in case anyone was looking) and I realized the cable was intact. There was just no engaging the clutch, like at all.

I got lucky and got it popped into 1st and drove home while keeping RPMs under 3500 or so. I popped off the LHC expecting to see I don't know, a stretched cable? a smished up worm drive? the adjustment screw having fallen out? Spring popped off? Plastic track for the worm drive cracked? Not that I could see. Looked as good as when I put it in earlier this spring (with a new one from Mikes). The clutch has been freaking solid all summer, I swear.

I know I need to get into the RHC, but it's a messy job and I haven't had a lot of time to get out there to do the job that needs to be done. I guess my question is what do you guys think I'm likely to find? I didn't hear any parts rattling while I was driving home. I have the single piece push rod and it looks just like it's supposed to, and moves freely through the gasket on the left side.

Anyway, just looking for predictions. I have a lot of spare clutch parts (boss, baskets, and bolts) so I think it won't be tragic to fix if something actually broke. I just can't for the life of me think of what's causing this weird symptom, unless indeed the cable did stretch an inch and I just can't tell.

thanks as always!

 

[DIRTY DOG]

was the adjuster nut and screw tight in the lhc?

 

[JP50515]

That is strange....Maybe the clutch pushrod (if you have the 2 piece) could be jammed up in there?

 

[sseres]

Adjuster nut solid. Push rod is the single piece mod.

 

[azcafe]

Did you check and make sure the clutch push rod wasn't put in backwards. I know I put mine in backwards and for a while it felt fine but then all of a sudden I had issues with the clutch. I noticed I put the clutch push rod in backwards and now it feels good again.

 

[sseres]

wo! hadn't thought about that. You think it would work totally normally and then just not? I'll give that one a try this afternoon. Way easier than freaking opening RHC

 

[weekendrider]

Have you tried a simple readjustment starting from scratch? If so it does what?
For the perch adjustment to be at the end of the threads seems odd.

 

[sseres]

yah, I get that. It's like the cable was suddenly an inch too long. I didn't do the readjustment from scratch because it seemed to be I was dealing with way too much cable for that to be successful. I am hopeful the rod-in-backwards somehow somehow somehow is what was wrong.

 

[xjwmx]

My first guess would be that the cable is pulling out of one of the beads on the end. You can't really see anything until it's all come out. That's what mine was They don't break; they pull out of the bead.

 

[weekendrider]

Don't know that this will help but I measured a couple of(used) cables from(loose not on the bikes) specials.
Pulled to the perch end I had 4 3/4 inch of cable exposed.
Also measured one(new) for high bars (sheath is 18 inchs longer) again all slack pulled to the perch end 4 inchs but it has a plastic liner in the crooked end that adds another 1/4 inch.

 

[ANLAF]

sseres, if you have no luck with the pointers from the fellers you will have to go in the right hand side. Yes, a bit messy, but the past two times I have tipped the bike against the wall so not much oil to deal with.

I would expect your six clutch retaining bolts will have worked lose with the evibration. Those are not easy to torque down unless you swap them for the allen bolt head mod.

To lose an inch of play certainly suggests the clutch plates have separated.

Let's hope the adjustments and checking the pushrod does the trick.

Anlaf

 

[sseres]

All great ideas. I've been in and out of the right side enough just due to inexperience and forgetting a bit or bob here or there and then having to go in there again. I thought about the spring bolts coming off but a) they wouldn't have come off at the same moment, right? And b) wouldn't I have heard the rattling can of death if
Something like that came off?

 

[ANLAF]

We are all learning like you sseres, and even the experienced among us make mistakes.

As for the retaining nuts - making noise? Well, the answer is no. I had a similar clutch problem and found three loose and at the end of their threads. They could not fall out because the right side cover stopped them.

Nothing surprises me with these wonderful machines.

Anlaf

 

[sseres]

If the screws went loose, wouldn't the clutch slip all the time? It's rock solid holding, as if there's no release whatsoever, so I don't know about that now that I think about it...

 

[ANLAF]

Let's hope it's a sticking pushrod.

Anlaf

 

[sseres]

Ok, listen. We're all people of different skill sets, rights? We're here for the mutual sharing of ideas and our love of these machines, right? So, I'm going out on a limb here and ask that there's not too much damn laughing about what caused this most weird of symptom:

I got the oil out and RHC off (without tearing the gasket!) and noticed this:

and then, after taking the springs and plates out:

everything else was fine. So, put it back together and really made sure the washer was bent back against the bolt really really well:

All back together and hey, the clutch works again.

 

[sseres]

Oh, and the pushrods wouldn't go in the other way because the part with the machined end actually fits into the worm gear and the other side of the rod is too thick.