Iron clutch/trans

[hayleyl]

Hello Mutt - have you another set of (or new set) of stock drive & clutch plates? Maybe beg , borrow or pinch a set from somewhere to try. I think it's simply a process of elimination. Sportster Paul is right, clutches that have seen too much heat and have slightly distorted the drive rings are near impossible to adjust. In your original post you say a guy bought his newly built sportster in - maybe the guy needs to speak to whoever did the 'new build'. Cheers Hayley.

[Mutt]

The motor didn't get rebuilt, only the chassis, all of the clutch plates appear to be brand new . I will ask the owner about the plates.

[sportsterpaul]

Dude, we feel for you-- all of us have had a miserable experience like this with the bikes we love.

If the big bearing in the back of the clutch basket is loose or trashed, the primary chain will tilt the basket under load and the clutch will drag. So not only the trap-door bearing, but the clutch bearing is important. It might be time to find a junk primary and cut the top open, so you can see what is happening when you pull the lever.

I once used my '79 to tow a 1948 Dodge with seized rear brakes across the parking lot in my shop. The landlord was going to the tow the Dodge. I got it moved, but I broke 2 steels, and dented the trapdoor bearing, and the little bearing the release mechanism presses on also got ruined. I fixed those obvious things but the clutch still dragged. That is when I learned to plop each steel on a piece of glass. If it rocks or makes a hollow sound when you tap on the steel, its not flat. When you plop a flat one down, it makes a dull thunk you soon recognize.

So, the things have to not move-- not the clutch basket, not the clutch hub and gear. And plates have to be flat, and the bearing good. The mechanism has to push in far enough and the center springs have to be rotated and messed with until the plate gets pushed in evenly. Its not enough that there are the two factory springs, you rotate those springs relative to each other until they apply even pressure to the plate. Its all a lot of hassle, and makes you long for the old dry clutch.

There is always one outlier like your job that makes life miserable, but you will have a story for the campfire, and beer, lots of beer.

[Mutt]

I'll do those 3 checks next and post the results


Mutt

[Mutt]

Ok. Plates are flat. Neither bearing has no more slop than a new one. The big bearing is about a same size fit in to the clutch basket. You have to tap it into place and install snap ring, but the bearing does slide between the basket and the snap ring I'm guessing .010" or so. So with the very minimal bearing slop, bearing sliding in the basket and minimal slop between bearing i.d. and clutch gear, I'm getting this much slop

https://youtu.be/06AlRiuvOtE

[sportsterpaul]

Any luck with this-- I looked at the video and it does seem like a lot of movement for a wet clutch. Great video BTW, I wish everyone would do something so helpful. When the basket rocks, can you see if it is movement inside the clutch bearing or is it the bearing rocking in the bore of the clutch basket? This has bugged me ever since you posted the video. I don't feel confident enough to say that it is bad, I sure wish I had a wet clutch bike apart so I can compare for you. I was hoping some rock star like Dr Dick would chime in, and just flat-out say whether that is normal or if it should be a lot more stable.

The wet clutch does not put the bearing dead in line with the chain, so large loads will try to egg out the bearing bores. This can happen with the trap door bearing in both clutch systems, wet or dry. The worse deal is that you have loose bores in both places, the basket and the trap door. All I can suggest is to really put up some bright lights, and rock that basket like in the video and see what is moving relative to what.

Like I said, my instinct is to say there is too much movement in the basket and that explains your drag problem, but I would hate to see you buy a used basket or trap door, only to learn it was the release mechanism or something else. Wish I could be more help. If you are in a populated area, you might go to a bike shop and ask if they have any spare baskets you could try for a day. Most mechanics will feel your pain and loan you what you need.

I feel for you dude, this is your summer from hell. BTW< nice Hummer in the other YouTube videos you posted. You are in the right place, this website was started by a Hummer fanatic.