Mousetrap adjustment

[Hauula Pan]

Well I finally got the primary on and the clutch pack installed and ran into a problem with the mousetrap. After setting the clutch springs at 31/32" and the release lever at 4-1/4" and setting the bell crank on the mousetrap at 1/8" over center and the cable to about 1/4" play (I know the book says 1/2" but I can only get a little over 1/4) I pulled the lever and began to tighten the spring. OK here is the problem I tightened it all the way and the trap will not stay and keep the lever depressed. I am wondering if the problem could be either too strong of springs at the clutch pack, or too weak of spring at the mousetrap??? Also the thing is a bear to pull. I'd appreciate any ideas, thanks.

[Panacea]

What do you mean by "I tightened it all the way and the trap will not stay and keep the lever depressed"? It's not supposed to keep the lever depressed, just help overcome some of the clutch spring tension...Mike

[awander]

The manual says to "tighten clutch booster spring tension lower adjusting nut until hand lever remains depressed."

I bet that is what the OP is referring to.

The next step is to "slowly loosen lower adjusting nut enough to allow hand lever to return to fully extended position".

[Panacea]

Did it work before? What has been changed?...Mike

[Hauula Pan]

The bike has been apart for several years and just about everything is newly reconditioned or reproduction. I began going through everything and found a couple of the clutch plates were sticking on the spool fingers and cleaned them up and realigned the fingers so they would slide easier, then went back through the adjustments, while tightening the booster spring the bottom loop pulled out of the spring, so I'm thinking that was most of my problem. I asked around and found a spring to borrow while I order a new one, so I'll put it on & see if I can get things to work better. It worked the last time the bike was together but that was about 8 years ago. For reasons beyond my control it has been completely apart in boxes for the past 8 years. Its finally back together, freshly rebuilt motor & trans. everything done be me in the garage, the motor fired right up yesterday so I'm hoping once I get the clutch working right that all will be well again.