clutch issues!!!

[54panman]

hey yall, i got my bike running again real good but an having some clutch probs. i have a 3" open and was running a mouse trap. the guys at the local shop said to get rid of the trap assem. and run an elimantor kit cause its easier and i have a 5 finger clutch!!! so i did problem is i still can get it to release after several adjustments, there is pressure, the adjuster srceaw moves in and out, but i put it in gear grab the lever and and push foward and its locked !!!! i had read some where that it needs to be a 3/4 disc set up not a 4/5 disc... and 3 springs are better not 5 and so on im alittle confused. i was just reading another post that is praising a 10 spring primo setup???? thanks for the help

[54panman]

no comment or advice???? i'v searched the internet as well as search this site!!!

[fourthgear]

Five finger clutch ? Or five stud clutch hub w/ five pressure plate nuts.There is a measurement on how far the spring collar is from the pressure plate 31/32 . If you went to a mouse trap eliminator , are you using the short clutch arm or long arm (OEM type booster arm ) You say the clutch locks up in the disengaged mode ? If so , its sounds like its binding up in there , if adj. properly.
I have the five stud/nuts clutch hub in both of my Pans and they work fine and also std. amount of plates & friction disc's, 4/5.

[54panman]

hey fourthgear its???? a 5 stud/5spring???? i havent cracked it open yet i was reall hoping not to. its using the stock arm, there was about 1.5-2" travel which should have work fine, have looked at another bike with a foot clucth the same set up but mine goes to a lever not a pedal (i had more travel) but i pull the lever put it in gear and it moves roll it about 4" then it acts like im not pull the clutch!!! i was thinking there wasnt enough pull but i had someone sit on the bike in gear and try rolling it and i put a cheater bar over the end of the clucth arm and moved all the way forward ?? 5"-6"?? and it does the same thing!

[fourthgear]

So your basically saying the clutch won't engage to move the bike ? You used a cheater bar for what ? If you are starting the bike with the kick starter , your clutch is engaging. Its strange that you can start the motor and put it in gear and not move . Do you have a compensator on the sprocket shaft /motor sprocket ? Some thing is not right some where. Pull the cover off the primary (if it has one ) and see whats going on in there when the motor is started and when operating the clutch.
There are ten springs in the pressure plate assem.

[54panman]

no thats backwards the clutch wont disengage!!! i start it and put it in gear it jumps and stalls with or with out pulling the lever. i used a cheater bar to pull the tranny clutch lever as far forward as possible to see if it just wasnt moving enuff with the cable, and the clutch still did not disengage!!!!

[Panacea]

First, get a panhead manual. Inside you will find a lot of usefull information, like how to set up the clutch. It sounds to me like you need to loosen the adjuster lock nut (it's on the adjuster screw dead center front side of the clutch) Then screw the adjuster bolt in till it pushes the big arm on top of the tranny back to where it's about an inch from hitting the oil tank tab. Then tighten up the lock nut. Now check your cable and adjust the lenght till you have about an eight inch when you grab the cable near the hand lever and pull it. Now this would fix your problem if it was an adjustment issue, but I think you got rid of the mousetrap and forgot to get the mousetrap eliminator bracket and the short clutch arm that you need if you dont want the mousetrap. Or yor clutch plates could be all rusted together, if that is the case you could remove them and try to clean them up. Let us Know what you find! Mike

[Robert Luland]

54 - Lets go down the road of the Harley clutch and how it pertains to the BAD ASS belt drive also known as leave me stranded every other Sunday. Been there done that !

Let us understand the bad ass belt drive in a Harley frame - whether rigid or swing arm - unless you grind off a little bit of the ratchet top to clear the center post, the belt will not fit properly. I don't care whether it's a 1.5" or 3" belt, there is no indifference. The manufacturers of these belts go to Goodyear, etc. to get them, they do not manufacture them. Unfortunately, for the world of Harley, if you go to the next standard size up it is too loose. This will bind your clutch, ruin the bearings, ruin the main shaft bearing and allow your transmission to dump disgusting goooo all over your motorcycle. Futhermore, the situation gets worse, these belts shrink in size as they get hot not expand as one would think. 54- You are going to have to pull the clutch basket apart and follow everything that Harley tells you in the manual about adjusting it properly. If you're going to run a belt, it's either grind the transmission top or be miserable. This is the only thing I can think of that could bind the clutch other than the fact that you have it mis-adjusted....Good ruck, BOB

[caschnd1]

54 - Lets go down the road of the Harley clutch and how it pertains to the BAD ASS belt drive also known as leave me stranded every other Sunday. Been there done that !

Let us understand the bad ass belt drive in a Harley frame - whether rigid or swing arm - unless you grind off a little bit of the ratchet top to clear the center post, the belt will not fit properly. I don't care whether it's a 1.5" or 3" belt, there is no indifference. The manufacturers of these belts go to Goodyear, etc. to get them, they do not manufacture them. Unfortunately, for the world of Harley, if you go to the next standard size up it is too loose. This will bind your clutch, ruin the bearings, ruin the main shaft bearing and allow your transmission to dump disgusting goooo all over your motorcycle. Futhermore, the situation gets worse, these belts shrink in size as they get hot not expand as one would think. 54- You are going to have to pull the clutch basket apart and follow everything that Harley tells you in the manual about adjusting it properly. If you're going to run a belt, it's either grind the transmission top or be miserable. This is the only thing I can think of that could bind the clutch other than the fact that you have it mis-adjusted....Good ruck, BOB

I've run belt drives for years and I've never had to grind on the transmission top to get them to work. In fact my current belt drive (a SuperMax SilentDrive) sets the transmission about 1.5" behind the seat post when the belt is tensioned properly. Furthermore, belts do not shrink when they get hot. The belt itself is barely affected by temperature changes. The pullies, on the other hand will expand slightly. Also the frame rails will grow very slightly in length as the heat from the motor warms them up. This is what accounts for the belt becoming tighter as the temp goes up.

-Craig

[fourthgear]

54panman
As said above , disassemble all clutch components and inspect & that includes the bearing on the kicker side (throw out bearing, on the transfer shaft that goes through the main shaft to the clutch and contacts the adj. nut on the clutch side ) Have you taken the primary cover off and observe clutch action. You could also have a transmission problem. Inspect the clutch assem. first , you have to ether eliminate it or find a problem before you proceed any where else , its easy to get at.
If you can start the motor by kicking with the kick starter , THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED ( some what ) and you have a problem some where else, clutch hub shaft key may be sheared off and grabbing enough to start ,but not move the bike, I have seen it happen. The fact that the motor stalls when put in gear is telling you some thing. If I start mine and put her in gear with out disengaging the clutch , at idle, she would stall.

Using a cheater bar and moving the arm as far as you did may have bent some thing too, disassemble and check spec's on all components.

I did not have to grind any thing on my belt drive install.

[Ohio-Rider]

When I running an open belt system my clutch plates would flash-rust together on me at least once a week. I got in the habit of pulling in the clutch before kicking it to see if the clutches were indeed dis-engaging. I got many small chirp marks on the driveway before learning to do this.

Since going to a closed belt primary I have yet to have the clutches flash rust on me. If your going to stay with an open belt system be sure your pointed in a safe direction before puttint it in gear.

[talldan]

worn bearing will alowe clutch plates to tilt slightly causeing the apperance
of good mech. operation but depending on several conditions once the shaft begins to rotate,also chain on counter sprocket to rear wheal pulling main shaft on worn trans bearing, through which the clutch hub depends to run true ....etc

readers digest version -worn trans bearings /warped clutch plates are possible cause

dealer mixed size of needle bearing got three oversized in set ,premature bearing life, also produced a clutch that was adjusted properly to the eye
but refused to release .

this might be a place to look on stock 49pan talldan

[54panman]

Hey 54 Panman,if you haven't figured it out, send me a fax # and ill send you a complete set of instructions for a mouse trap eliminator set up. It reads out like you don't have enough pull on the clutch release lever Also I run a Belt Drives Ltd. 1-1/2 in. closed primary in my 49 for the last 8 yrs. and have had NO problems. I'm in the So. Bay Area so were almost cousins

[54panman]

Hey Panman, they have me as a guest on this side, i'm 19kws49 on the other side. fax me at 408-271-0184. I'll send those instructions on the eliminator kit. e-mail chckrdflg@yahoo.com

[john HD]

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