Geeezzz Mick - be sure to have a video camera going at your meeting with this dickhead.
I finally got inside of Lucille's LH engine case cover to adjust and lubricate the clutch actuator worm. The problem I had is that the locknut on the clutch adjuster screw under that little round chrome cover had tightened-up and I couldn't loosen it from the outside. As a result, I had taken up all of the adjustment on the handlebar adjuster - and I was nearly out of adjustment range there. The clutch actually worked fine and I could always find neutral quite easily - but I couldn't adjust it any further due to the locked-up locknut. Apparently a number of other people have had this locknut tighten up over time as well - so I'm not alone in this problem.
I took the whole thing apart and cleaned and re-greased it, plus, following the lead of many others, I took the opportunity to drill a second clevis mounting hole on the lever arm. The hole in my stock actuator lever arm was about 1.8" from the centreline of the actuator - so I chose to drill a new hole at the 1.4" point. I have now been out for a ride and the clutch works fine - but the lever pull is definitely heavier. I might move the clevis back out to the stock position and see how it works now that everything is lubricated and the cable is properly adjusted.
One key thing I did was to polish the end face of the metal part of the actuator worm - the surface on which the locknut bears. I found that this surface was quite rough and I suspect that this roughness contributed to the seizure of the clutch adjustment locknut. Anyhow, I polished it with some 320 grit Emory cloth (see photo) and removed the pitting and roughness. The surface is now quite smooth and clean and I hope it works better and I can retain the adjustment range as well.
View attachment 104853
While I was in there, I cleaned the alternator slip rings and had a look at the region of the countershaft sprocket. Well, sure enough, there was a fair bit of oil around and the big 36mm nut was
loose. I could actually turn it
by-hand. Good grief - that thing is supposed be torqued to about 85 ft-lb - and it had backed-off and was only being retained by the big bent-over washer. I looked carefully and I'm pretty sure that the clutch push rod seal is OK - but we'll see over the next little while. Anyhow, its all sorted out for now.
On my test ride, I noted that I am now getting a fairly heavy backfire through the RH exhaust when I decellerate. During the past week or so, I have done a fair bit of work on the bike, in addition to today's clutch actuator work, including:
- replaced the chrome oil supply tube because the old one was badly corroded;
- a valve adjustment;
- installed a PAMCO ignition system, including the E-Advancer timing advance unit.
Hmmmm...after all this work, the bike starts instantly and idles and revs-up really well - but how about this new backfire? The engine is noticeably quieter - which is very nice - but I think I might have an exhaust valve adjusted with too small a clearance - and that may be causing the backfire.
I just got back from a ride so I'll have to wait until the bike cools down to adjust the valve clearance.
Otherwise, Lucille is nearly where I want her for this season.
Pete
