Smoking clutch

[msteuer]

Description: Problem is when I sit in neutral the "smoke" from the primary is obvious.

I've got a pan with a sidecar. New five stud clutch hub and friction discs with less then 500mi. on them. All the clutch discs were checked on a surface plate for warpage. The adj. is I.A.W. the book & I believe the oiler is adjusted correctly. The bike shifts & runs smoothly. Problem is when I sit in neutral the "smoke" from the primary is obvious. I suspect oil soaked discs but there is no tell tale smell. Any other suggestions while I have it apart for a cleaning?

[Big_Bear]

I had the same problem on my 58 pan. After clutch disassembly I washed the discs and plates in "white" gas and roughed up the sufaces with a fine sandpaper then blew them dry with compressed air. Afterwards I no longer and any troubles. Hope this helps ;D

[Cotten]

I used to warp steel plates with blue spots with my stroked '65 with hack.
After exhaustive cleanings, a total replacement still spun and burn the steel plates, until I went back to a 4-plate "police" clutch.
I dunno why, but they accept a hack much better.

[VintageTwin]

yep...I run a 4 (one's a half-plate) disc po-lice clutch and 3 Barnett smooth (rattleballess) drive plates and I TRY to burn it up by running with my rocker pedal half engaged (parade style); when I'm pulling into a parking lot full of people. You know...the motor's idling, and I'm smooth-lopeing along, with the clutch half engaged. Maybe not good for the motor, but the crowd loves it. Anyway, those are some tough clutches.

[msteuer]

Thanks to those who got back to me on this. I failed to mention in my first post that I am running the 5 plate setup. I will order the earlier setup as suggested. I believe that setup goes under the P/N 37850-41(three fibre discs). Is the fourth disc (half plate) P/N37950-41? With the reduction of one steel plate and one fibre plate do I have to worry about the stud nuts bottoming out when I make the final adj.

[Cotten]

The fiber plates are thicker to take up the difference, and the spring-release half-plate may very well be the whole saving grace itself.
The book spec on compressed spring length (oh ,yeah, different springs,... don't worry about it) is just a relative starting point. It is more important that the pressure plate works in and out squarely. If it doesn't, then I just tighten or loosen the appropriate stud that makes it so.

[kell]

I am a pan newbie with a clutch question. Mine has an exposed belt primary and dry clutch (obviously). Have the bike only a couple of months. The problem is that when the bike sits for a day the clutch plates stick together, and I can't just pull away normal-like; have to get a running start before engaging, because if I try to shift into first standing still the stuck clutch plates make it lurch and die. The seller claims it has Barnett plates. I did open the clutch the first time it got stuck; they look new. The question: is there a simple trick that will prevent the plates from sticking together... like putting chalk on them or sanding them lightly. It seems like it's just the outer plates that stick.

[dirtpandan58]

Try cleaning your clutch pates with brake parts cleaner. I run a dry clutch with a belt too,but sometimes have to take it apart and clean the plates.Doesn't take much oil to make them stick. Could have a leaky clutch hub nut seal.

[Ente]

Hi guys.
Just a thought...
You got the same friction-plates irrespective of you drive the clutch wet or dry. I drive my clutch dry, but lubricate the chain from time to time so the friction-plates became half-wet... but hav'nt notice any problem. (5-fingers) Of cource I burned the original-plates once during a slowrace and after thar replace them with kevlar, but beside that... no problem. I also have used some heavy adhesive grease made for lubricate wires for lifts. And guys... that is really gooey.. but the clutch will relase and not smoke.. Am I just lucky ? Suppose so.. Smile

[weezeo]

Hey Kell as far as the "have to get it moving to go" I think I would try the offset 1 nut 1/2 turn on the hub (kinda hard with 5 finger) always worked for me, along with sanding/roughin up fiber plates.... I run the 3 finger hub no 1/2 plate, open primary, (belt of course) with 4 fiber & 3 steel. I run one adj. nut slightly off then other 2 for the slightly TEXTthingyed effect. And never had the sticking problem, I personally don't lke the 5 finger hubs Also have used the 1/2 plate setup long ago and couldn't get a "just rite" adj. My Putt is a 56 but all feedback here does work just a matter of getting the rite combo to end up with a smooth 2 - 3 finger pull good luck HombreTEXT

[kell]

I know now why the clutch sticks. Rust on the steel plates in damp weather makes them stick to the fiber plates. I prevent that by strapping down the clutch pedal (it's a suicide-style) when parked overnight so there's no pressure on the plates to make them stick together. Not good for the clutch springs I suppose.
Seems according to some of the posts I could just grease the plates.

[49oldschool]

I see alot of different post's on how to set up 3 and 5 stud clutches, anybody have any experience with Sifton's diaphram clutch setup for the old girl's.

[dirtpandan58]

49 old school,
I thought about putting the diaphram clutch set up on my pan but was told that they run noisy. The guy said they sound like the old style clutch when they're ingadged abd quiet when disengaged. Just the opposite of the old clutches. But they do make kits to bolt right up. Another guy is running one and he likes it alot. Didn't say anything about the noise,just said it was smooooth, smoooth, smooth.
Kell,
I think the rust may be a factor the furst time you use your clutch,but after you break them loose they should be ok. I used to break them loose by putting it in gear and rocking the bike with the clutch pulled in ( with engine off).

Dirt

[53rigidrider]

This is interesting!
I have a three finger clutch setup.
I recently changed out the old plates for new, and the darn thing "buzzes" and engages with a jerk. It seems to smooth out after a couple of miles, but I don't trust the clutch when pulling into traffic.
My friend thinks I should drill out the plate holes that they might be sticking, but there's no binding in it's operation when I pull the derby.
Anyone else ever heard of this? I never had it in any of my other bikes through the years.
Thanks in advance. ???

[49oldschool]

Thanks for the info DirtPan, I think I'm going to give one a shot. This is my first kick only AND jockey shift Harley so I can use all the smooth clutch action I can get, no need sitting in the middle of traffic trying to re-start ( since that's usually when the old girl decides to get tempermental and requires several more kicks than usual to start.) If you know what I mean? Thanks again and safe riding!