| Author | Message | ||
     Bigbuell |
I just hit my 1000 mile service on my 06XB. Changed my own oil both in the primary drive and clutch side. Now I need to adjust my clutch cable. I really don't think it needs its, but there is a little play in the clutch cable. How much should there be. Mine has about 1/4in play. | ||
| Col_klink |
Ah ha! Did this one myself the other day on my 06 XB12SS, after looking it up in the shop manual. What you do is try and pull the cable sleeve out of the clutch lever housing. You should be able to see 1.6 - 3.2mm (1/16 to 1/8 inch) of cable between the end of the sleeve and the housing. Any more or less and you should adjust. The adjuster is a standard turnbuckle/lock-nut arrangement on the RHS at the front of the motor. You slide the rubber cover up and do your business. Dead easy. Klink | ||
| Bigbuell |
Thanks Col klink, that's what I needed. | ||
| Humblebueller |
Just for the record, that is just the clutch cable adjustment. There is a few more steps to adjust the clutch. | ||
| Beachbuell |
The adjust you speak of is good for minor, on the fly adjustments. But, when servicing your bike the main or heart adjustment is in the clutch basket itself. A true adjustment is done by first loosening the cable adjust to full slack, then remove the clutch/derby cover on the primary, turn the adjustment nut full in till lightly seated and back it off 1 to 1.5 turns, lock it down, then do the rest of the adjusting in the cable itself. | ||
| Lovematt |
That is quite a difference from my '03...my service manual says to back off 1/4 turn? Is it really that different for the '06 models? | ||
| Beachbuell |
That is possible LoveMatt. I may be thinking of a Big Twin clutch adjustment. I'd have to look it up tomorrow. | ||
| Bigbuell |
Hey Beachbuell do you have the right info for the 06 models. I just want to make sure that I do the right adjustment for my clutch. Both cable and clutch basket. Thanks | ||
| Beachbuell |
No, not right now. I won't be able to look it up till tomorrow, to know for sure. Sorry for confusing ya. If someone has a service manual, maybe they can chime in before then. | ||
| Col_klink |
Quoting from the 2006 factory shop manual: "If clutch slips under load, or drags when released, first check control cable adjustment. If cable adjustment is within specifications [Klink: see previous post] adjust clutch mechanism as described..." I reckon this means if it works OK just leave it and concentrate on the cable. However, if ya want to know you the technique, it is as Beachbuell says EXCEPT you turn clockwise 1/4 to 1/2 turns after "lightly bottoming" the adjusting screw. After that you have to pull the clutch lever back to the bar and release it three times to "set the ball and ramp mechanism". Then you adjust the cable as I posted before. Klink | ||
| Jackbequick |
And I think you should back the cable length/lever freeplay adjuster off (make the lever floppy) before you adjust the clutch adjusting screw. If you don't do that it affects the location and feel of "lightly bottoming" the screw. Jack | ||
| Bigbuell |
OK, confused here. So whats new! Anyway, this is what it sounds like to me, loosen up the clutch cable, take the side cover off to the trans, take the screw and turn it in clockwise and bottom out the set screw "lightly", then this is where I'm confused, do I back it off "counterclockwise" 1/4 to 1/2 a half turn or do I screw it in "clockwise" this amount. Then after that is done adjust the cable like Col_klink says to do. Let me know. Thanks | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
i believe it is turn it counter-clockwise till it feels like it starts to get snug, then clockwise 1/4 - 1/2 turn. (muller users 1/8 - 1/4 turn) then adj. cable as stated. | ||
| Lovematt |
When it seats lightly...you want to back off 1/4 turn...then line up the flats on the screw with the nut/spring dealio...if they don't line up exactly it is recommended to "back off more" (away from seating it again) until the first point of lining up occurs. That slack would then be taken up by the cable adjustment. The full pull, release, snap out of the lever three times afterwards is very important...I didn't do this the first time and found the clutch looser than it should have been. Since then I have done this but adjusted the cable the same way and it has been good ever since. | ||
| Bigbuell |
OK, I'll try it tonight when I get home from work. Thanks my fellow Buellers. | ||
| Bigbuell |
OK, I did what you guys told me to do and it works better than before. But I did notice that the more that you loosen up the cable, the more the clutch basket had to be adjusted. Just and FYI. | ||
| Jackbequick |
You're right about the interplay between the two adjustments. But you still want to get the adjusting screw right first and do that with no load on the cable (lever floppy at the bar). The clutch adjusting screw is mounted in a bearing so that it can rotate freely. It is like a throw out bearing in a car clutch and it has to be that way so that the adjusting screw can turn with the clutch basket when the bike is stationary and in gear. That bearing is spinning freely but the screw puts no pulling load on it until you pull the clutch lever in to disengage the clutch. The point of the clutch adjusting screw adjustment is to pull the adjusting nut down into the recess (by turning the screw CCW) until it just makes contact with the bottom of the recess. Backing it off (clockwise) 1/8th turn is so there is no load on the bearing when the clutch is engaged (lever released). The locking nut keeps the adjustment from changing. If you overtighten the adjusting screw it loads the bearing and with continued tightening will eventually free up the clutch plates as if you were pulling the clutch lever. It would be like riding around with the lever pulled in part way, and if overtightened enough, the clutch will slip. If you back the adjusting screw off too far, you will lose some of the amount of "throw" on the arm on the ball and ramp mechanism. Loosing some of the throw there reduces the clearance between the clutch plates in the disengaged position, the driving and driven plates drag on each other, gears will clash, and the bike may try to pull forward when it is put into gear from a stop. So the point of doing the adjusting screw adjustment first and with the cable loosened is to ensure that there is no load on the bearing and that the full range of movement is available on the lever for disengagement. The final adjustment, the 1/16" gap when you pull the cable end away from the clutch lever perch, is to ensure that clutch cable is not pulling on the actuator arm as that would, in turn, put a load on the adjusting screw bearing. The cable end is sort of hard to grasp and I did not get my clutch action right until I realized that I had to grip it as hard as I could with my fingertips and pull it out with as much force as I could. I also put 1/2" and 9/16" wrenches in my pocket and adjusted the cable length again after the bike was well warmed up. The adjusting screw adjustment also compensates for the accumulated wear in the clutch plates. After some time and use, you'll generally find it is looser than you had it set. Jack | ||
| Bigbuell |
Thanks for the info Jackbequick. I hope that I did mine right. I was just a little concerned when I made my clutch floppy and as I went to tighten up the clutch basket the clutch cable was pulled back and the floppy was gone. But it seems to work better now. |
