Need advice, clutch is not engaging

[MOSFET]

Hello guys. I'm in the process of making the final adjustments on my XS650 before spring time and today I came across this problem - the clutch on my 79 Special is not engaging

facts:

- Cable is fine and is moving freely on its own

- Worm gear is adjusted

- little steel ball inside worm gear is in place

- Visually I can see the worm gear do its thing (moves in when clutch lever is pulled)

- with the bike's engine off, on center stand, I can get it into any gear (without using clutch), so in neutral the back wheel turnes freely, in 1st it locks up (so no sticking discs or whatever)

- I have the cable adjusted to maximum tension (all the way out) on the clutch lever at handlebars and I have to operate the lever with two hands.

- When the bike is in 1st gear, and I pull in the clutch lever, the back wheel is still locked up, so the clutch is not engaging

- I have not tried to work the clutch with the engine running, I was moving it forward and backward in front of my garage while operating the gear lever and clutch lever, trying to make work somehow (assuming someting was stuck in the system), but it didn't help.

- The clutch has not been taken apart. The bike has not been ridden for many years, it has had the engine work on idle a few times. Engine oil was changed few weeks ago.

How should I continue, what to look for next? Any ideas?

Thanks,
Kustas

That's me

(the photo has been shopped, in real life the bike was standing on the center stand)

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

It could be a stuck clutch. See if these threads help:

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7413
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16696
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34208
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35147

 

[peanut]

yep its a stucky for sure
I expect the clutch on my 79 is going to be the same after leaving it standing for nearly two years
Good opportunity to clean all the components file the tangs and reoil the plates

Why have you set your lever so far out ?

 

[MOSFET]

Thanks guys for the info, I am thinking of opening the sucker up so I could seperate manually anything that needs seperating. Will do some reading beforehand.

Why have you set your lever so far out ?

Good question I was thinking that maybe my cable has stretched over time so much that it is not working the pushrod like it's supposed to, and that is why my clutch is not working. I have never ridden this thing, so I guess it's just a newbie mistake. I don't really have much experience with motorbikes yet. It's times like these, when I'm really thankful for the internets.

 

[peanut]

well we are in the same boat you and I because I know very little about bikes . This is only my third. Thankfully a lot of my 50 year classic car mechanics experience helps me.

I would loosen the clutch cable off and set the clutch lever where it feels most comfortable for your hand and finger reach first. Then adjust the worm drive adjust and lock nut to take up the slack . That way you should have a clutch that is easy to use.

Stripping and rebuilding the clutch is very straightforward and needs no special tools. There is plenty of help on this forum and many members have done youtube video tutorials including Nightflyer, Airwolfie, Anslaf and myself which will help.
You might find this helpful for reassembly

 

[MOSFET]

well we are in the same boat you and I because I know very little about bikes . This is only my third. Thankfully a lot of my 50 year classic car mechanics experience helps me.

Ah, there you go, you already have an advantage over me, when it comes to fixing old mechanical bikes. My daily work involves maintaining the avionics systems on those fat flying public transport providing devices they call airplanes. So hopefully I can give back to the forum, by helping somebody out with their electrical problems on their bikes.

I would loosen the clutch cable off and set the clutch lever where it feels most comfortable for your hand and finger reach first. Then adjust the worm drive adjust and lock nut to take up the slack . That way you should have a clutch that is easy to use.

Stripping and rebuilding the clutch is very straightforward and needs no special tools. There is plenty of help on this forum and many members have done youtube video tutorials including Nightflyer, Airwolfie, Anslaf and myself which will help.

I will keep this in mind, thank you.

 

[vsop-dk]

Hi MOSFET, nice looking bike you got there.

Credit to Carbon for providing this guide.. Clutch walkover and Disk Replacement

Gives you a good idea about whats going on inside and behind that right cover.

 

[fredintoon]

My daily work involves maintaining the avionics systems on those fat flying public transport providing devices they call airplanes.

Hi MOSFET,
to be precise, your clutch is not disengaging.
But from what you describe, your clutch has most likely just got it's plates stuck together from sitting for so long.
Choices:-
Get brutal:-
Run the bike down a hill in neutral, pull the clutch lever and boot it into 2nd.
Which will most likely break it loose but could also bust off a transmission drive dog.
Get smart:-
Read up on the clutch dismantling and reassembly techniques and then tear the clutch down.
& FWIW, I built the Concorde. Yes, truly. Well, me and 10,000 other guys.

 

[wherearewe]

I had this recently. Honestly i wouldn't muck about dropping the clutch etc to free it. It didn't work for me and will prob do more harm than good. Take's 20 min max if you simply drain the oil, remove the right side cover and use a large flat blade screw driver to gently work the plates apart. Plus you can check the clutch action and see whats going on. Put it back together and off you go. If i happens a lot you might need to rebuild with new plates.

If i leave my projects sitting i like to pull in the clutch and pop a cable tie over it. Also i think it helps to pull in the clutch and give it a few kicks till you feel the kicker go limp. Then you know all is gravy.

 

[MOSFET]

Thanks guys, I will definitely take the "smart" route, and take it apart, I don't want to waste my time on fixing my neighbour's fence, when things go wrong

I will update this thread, when I have fixed this issue.

Hey fredintoon, thumbs up on the Concorde part. One of the coolest aircraft.

 

[5twins]

If it's not stuck too badly, you may be able to free it up by holding the clutch in and kicking the motor over. It may take many kicks, like 10+, but if not stuck really bad, this will break it free. You'll know you've got it if the kicker starts pushing through its stroke without turning the motor over.

 

[MOSFET]

Making a quick update on the issue. I decided to take the brutal way of fixing this problem, which worked well. Gave a good push to the bike, jumped on, switched to 1st, then 2nd, while working the clutch lever and voilà, problem solved, clutch works fine. Sounds scarier than it is.

 

[XSLeo]

I have found the that way peanut suggests to adjust the clutch is backwards.
The way the book tells how to adjust the clutch is right.
I do mine that way except for when I back the screw out I turn it out a few turns and spin it in/out till I gat a good feel for how hard just the screw turns.
Now as you turn the screw in you will have a good feel for the moment that you feel an increase in tension. this point is important, this is the point all free play is taken out of the mechanism. You need to add back a bit of free play. The book calls for 1/4 turn back, I think this is a bit much. I watch the nut, as it turn with the screw, back it out one flat of the nut.
At the lever I adjust for between 1/8 and 1/4 inch free play.
A well lubed worm and cable with this adjustment will get it about as good as it gets.
Leo