clutch too much free play
- Thread starter FazerWest
- Start date
S
SkyOrDie
First, sorry for the late addition or resurrection of an old thread. I'm just not on here every day... or week.
I can't get a mental image of how the free-play adjustment will "truly" affect the friction point on the clutch. Of course, the friction point will track along with the free-play gap, but you can't set the free-play to spec and the friction point at the same time. If I'm wrong, I can't take your word for it. I'm an atheist, too. I need a mechanical explanation.
To me, the cable pulls a lever on the engine. The free-play only takes out the excess slack. The lever is now ready to put tension on the clutch springs via a push rod. The additional movement required to push the springs enough to disengage the clutch, is a function of plate thickness. The cable is out of the picture.
-Stan
Chevyfazer
New Member
The adjustment doesn't physically change the friction point of the clutch it's self, they are referring to the point at witch the clutch begins to engage while releasing the lever, so the clutch friction point it's self is not effected by adjusting the free play, but where you reach it on the lever is, so both of y'all are right
Exactly . And that is why it needs to stay in the correct free play spec. As I said earlier, too much or too little and the clutch is either always engaging causing slip, or it will not fully engage when pulling the lever causing grinding shifts.
I think its just something you have to get used to.
Sky, that is almost right. Once the pressure plate is fully down on the plates with no pushrod contact, that's your starting point. That point will be different as the plates wear,but from there the distance the rod has to move to lift the pressure plate is just the same. Now this can get goofed up cause of the geometry of the short lever that pushes the push rod, but the pushrod/lower lever setting is also adjustable....where you are in effect changing the length of the pushrod.
wHen you squeeze the hand lever, you take up the cable slack and the clearances at the lower lever-pushrod-pressure plate but your hand doesn't know how much of each, so the simple cable adjust at the hand lever usually works.
If you look down at the small lever at the lower end of the cable you see a mark on the lever an a mark on the case that holds the lever. If you move the lever with your finger you will feel the point where the lever/pushrod start to bear against the clutch springs. That is the point where the marks should line up. If this is far off, the wrong part of the little cam will be on the pushrod and might not release properly. That's why you can adjust the pushrod...not usually necessary but can be done on the right side of the engine...some disassembly required. This is where plate thickness affects it...how the pushrod moves and pushrod clearance, not how far you move the pressure plate to release.
wHen you squeeze the hand lever, you take up the cable slack and the clearances at the lower lever-pushrod-pressure plate but your hand doesn't know how much of each, so the simple cable adjust at the hand lever usually works.
If you look down at the small lever at the lower end of the cable you see a mark on the lever an a mark on the case that holds the lever. If you move the lever with your finger you will feel the point where the lever/pushrod start to bear against the clutch springs. That is the point where the marks should line up. If this is far off, the wrong part of the little cam will be on the pushrod and might not release properly. That's why you can adjust the pushrod...not usually necessary but can be done on the right side of the engine...some disassembly required. This is where plate thickness affects it...how the pushrod moves and pushrod clearance, not how far you move the pressure plate to release.
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youve all been so helpful thank you but adjusting the lever did seem to help a LOT there were times when i was riding after adjusting it that i knew had i not adjusted it i would have killed the bike now i can hear/feel it in time, unlike before and can give the bike more gas yay!!!
this is what my clutch looks like, several angles....
lever pulled all the way out
lever pulled in where i can feel it start to engage the clutch
the gap when its pulled in at the last picture
I would guess that the cable is being pinched somewhere. I've noticed though, that the clutch actuator, at the engine, has a tit that lines up with an arrow on the engine casing. I don't have the service manual, but I'm guessing that's where things should be "at rest."I just got back from along ride and had noticed that Ive lost all free play, no matter how far turned it. Does any one know why this would happen, and is it bad? I ride hard keeping revs around 7-10.
If you let let go of the clutch, and those two line up, then I'm guessing the clutch is at least being fully released. If the cable is not pinched or kinked, then I'd guess that you're turning the adjustment wheel the wrong way.
I know none of that is positive, but it might be a good starting place, to troubleshoot your problem. :thumbup:
Thank you so much I had to adjust it inwards yes, i think it has about a nickel worth of space which is what people said is ideal
The clutch on these bikes is actually kind of weird mine in first gear with the clutch in if i try to push it i can feel it dragging and if i put it in neutral it no longer drags almost like the clutch never completely disengages
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
I think you're right. I've had the bike on the paddock stand in first gear. I put it in neutral, and the tire still spun. I could stop it with my hand. But given a little push, it'd start spinning again.
All bikes do that.