Thaddeus’s ‘77 Survivor

[5twins]

On the left side, the first thing to check would be the sprocket nut. Even with that lock tab washer, they come loose, and leak like crazy when they do.

 

[tzimmerm]

I’ll have to check all these points when the bike has some down time. It’s supposed to be rainy later this week. I think I’ll open up the valves a little more and maybe I’ll get around to taking that LH sidecover off to re route the clutch cable, and while I’m at it I can check that nut and the pushrod seal. I guess I need to check that clutch adjuster screw on there too. I was NAIVE as to how much maintenance an old
Bike like this required.

 

[tzimmerm]

Ok, after reading the results of a forum search for “slipping”, I think it is very likely that my clutch springs are to blame for my slipping. I got some real good riding in this weekend. I’ve already put 400 miles on since my last oil change! I experienced some slipping on the long way home from work this afternoon. My clutch is very easy to pull, and always has been. Since everything else on the bike has been original, I think it’s very safe to assume the clutch springs are as well, so it sounds to me like I’ve been lucky that the stock springs have lasted this long.

 

[weekendrider]

New parts and pieces for tired old parts and pieces are almost always a good swap. How bad or in what conditions is it slipping?

 

[tzimmerm]

I noticed a slight slippage after installing the pamco and adjusting my valves, about two weeks ago? I think. It was usually only in 5th, and it was intermittent. Over this last weekend thiugh, I noticed it several times when accelerating hard, and now that I’m aware of it, I have tried “testing” it and making it slip, and I have found that it will consistintly slip when accelerating hard, after 3-4 seconds of full throttle. This bugs me though because the majority of my miles are interstate commuting, and I need to have that power for merging and passing.

 

[weekendrider]

Traveling the same speed (not rpm) does it slip worse in 4th or 5th. And if you roll back on the throttle while slipping do you get full engagement?

 

[tzimmerm]

I’ll have to do more deliberate experiments like this to see. I deliberately made it slip I think about 3-4 times this afternoon, but that was in 5th. I think it slipped in 4th once this weekend though.

 

[tzimmerm]

RH (advance side) cam seal is already leaking again. Hoping to have a couple hours this evening to open up the valves a little and inspect this new leaky seal.

 

[59Tebo]

Yup. If you can,"baby" it for the rest of the riding season, and do a clutch overhaul over the winter. It's 40 years old. I started slipping when I turned forty! Some new parts later, and I'm still slipping! But your clutch will feel better after an overhaul. You can also have a look at some of those seals that are chronic leakers. Try not to push it too hard. Good luck.

 

[5twins]

Usually the problem is the original clutch springs, they've gone soft by now. Aftermarket slightly stiffer springs (10 to 15%) are readily available and cheap, and are usually stiffer enough to cure the problem. If you shop around, you can find even stiffer ones. I think the Ferodo springs are rated at 27% stiffer.

https://www.amazon.com/EBC-Brakes-C...1534374155&sr=1-5&keywords=ebc+clutch+springs

https://www.amazon.com/EBC-Brakes-C...1534374155&sr=1-6&keywords=ebc+clutch+springs

As you can see, EBC offers 2 different sets for the 650. The CSK2 set is speced for the '74-'79 7 plate clutches. The CSK14 is speced for the '80-on 6 plate clutches. Either will work in all those years but it's possible the 14's may be a hair stiffer because I think the springs they're replacing were.

 

[gggGary]

Got these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LGW3CQ in Madness (also the 8 plate ippytatoo conversion) no more slipping. You will notice a harder pull.