Clutch adjustment screw almost all the way in...

[Pina]

My clutch cable was really loose to the point that the barrel adjuster was almost out of thread, so I decided to adjust it. I got it where I like and the clutch is working as it should however the adjusting screw is almost all the way in. I've seen pictures of others adjustment screws and they all stick out of the adjusting nut a bit.

do I need a new assembly? clutch cable? I didn't take the worm drive assembly off. I did remove the case and cleaned out all the crud that had built up over the years.

 

[5twins]

There's supposed to be a 5/16" ball between that adjuster screw and the pushrod. Yours probably fell out when you removed the cover for cleaning and you didn't notice. This is very common.

 

[Pina]

There's supposed to be a 5/16" ball between that adjuster screw and the pushrod. Yours probably fell out when you removed the cover for cleaning and you didn't notice. This is very common.

Ugh... Ok so what's the fix here? New ball, can we get those?

 

[Jim]

Google sez they're out there. Buck and a quarter at Home Depot....

 

[Pina]

Google sez they're out there. Buck and a quarter at Home Depot....


View attachment 210663

Thanks, Is there a specific way to put this back in? so it doesn't fall out while installing?

 

[nj1639]

Pack it with grease .

 

[Jim]

The original is crimped in. Sometimes those crimps work loose and allow it to fall out. Smear some thick grease in there and press the ball into the grease. That'll hold it well enough.

 

[Pina]

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The original is crimped in. Sometimes those crimps work loose and allow it to fall out. Smear some thick grease in there and press the ball into the grease. That'll hold it well enough.

thanks!

 

[Jim]

While you're in there....
Good time to unscrew the worm part and clean and lube it. Disconnect the spring and cable, make note of the clocking and rotate clockwise to remove it. Clean everything up, fresh grease on both parts and reverse to put it back together. I do that for every spring wakeup.

 

[Jim]

One more thing... be sure and back the adjuster off before you put the cover back on. With it like it sits, you might break something trying to force it back on with the extra reach of the ball bearing.

 

[5twins]

Yes, even though this is a metric bike, for some reason Yamaha chose to use an inch size ball here (5/16"). They're very common and you may even find one at your local hardware store .....

Since the ball in the worm is crimped in place, it's considered part of the assembly and not shown in the drawing above. This pic shows the crimps that wear away and where the ball should be (where the red grease is). To determine for sure whether it's missing, remove the adjuster screw completely. You'll be able to look right through the worm if the ball is gone .....

 

[Pina]

Yes, even though this is a metric bike, for some reason Yamaha chose to use an inch size ball here (5/16"). They're very common and you may even find one at your local hardware store .....

View attachment 210667

Since the ball in the worm is crimped in place, it's considered part of the assembly and not shown in the drawing above. This pic shows the crimps that wear away and where the ball should be (where the red grease is). To determine for sure whether it's missing, remove the adjuster screw completely. You'll be able to look right through the worm if the ball is gone .....

View attachment 210668

yeah its gone. I picked one at my local hardware store and I'm going to replace it after work. Thanks for the advice! One more question, how would you clean this area?

 

[Mailman]

One more question, how would you clean this area?

I use kerosene, just slide a pan under the motor and use throw away paint brushes. The kerosene can even be reused.

 

[Pina]

ok I got the ball in and the adjuster is looking as it should. New problem...

I cant shift past neutral. Any ideas of what might be causing this?

 

[Pina]

disregard. I read on another thread that you cant shift with out the rear wheel moving. I manually rotated the wheel and I was able to shift.

Thanks all!

 

[5twins]

Yes, I use kerosene as well, and I try to get under that cover and clean it up at least once a season. Do that and it won't get nearly as bad as you've found. Mine all looked like that when I got them too, lol. But now, what with the yearly cleaning, I'm usually presented with something like this, consisting mostly of one big stripe from chain lube fling-off .....

During this annual "Spring cleaning", the clutch cable gets oiled, it's exposed section greased, the exposed section of clutch pushrod gets greased along with the section of the shift shaft that passes through the cover, and the worm is cleaned and repacked with fresh grease .....

 

[Pina]

Yes, I use kerosene as well, and I try to get under that cover and clean it up at least once a season. Do that and it won't get nearly as bad as you've found. Mine all looked like that when I got them too, lol. But now, what with the yearly cleaning, I'm usually presented with something like this, consisting mostly of one big stripe from chain lube fling-off .....

View attachment 210685

During this annual "Spring cleaning", the clutch cable gets oiled, it's exposed section greased, the exposed section of clutch pushrod gets greased along with the section of the shift shaft that passes through the cover, and the worm is cleaned and repacked with fresh grease .....

View attachment 210687

View attachment 210698

Thanks for the reply. I've had this bike for 3 weeks, finally got to ride it this past weekend. Its definately a labor of love getting this thing back into shape. I appreciate all your help.

 

[5twins]

Yes, they all need a good going through, even the ones that look to be in pretty good shape. They're 40+ year old bikes after all. But do all that and you'll be rewarded with a very nice, dependable bike. Do lots of the little low cost mods and upgrades outlined on the site here and you'll have yourself a nice, reliable "classic".