Shovel clutches are touchy. I ran a soft clutch (1968-up) once and went right back to a mouse trap. Fuck soft clutches. If you want one that doesn't drag or slip...you have to know how to check for defects in all the clutch-related parts...and adjust that bitch "exactly" like the book tells you.
If you've got a shit clutch lever on the handlebars...it won't adjust. If you have a cheap-ass clutch cable that stretches...it won't adjust. If you put 16" apes on your ride and use an extended clutch cable...it won't adjust right unless the cable is really thick...like the cables on a road paver.
Both the primary and rear chain have to be adjusted correctly. The fingers in the clutch hub can't have any grooves in them. The steel discs can't be warped. The fiber discs not only have to be cleaned with solvent thoroughly...but sanded flat on a piece of 100 grit sandpaper until all the shiny is gone.
The nuts on the pressure plate have to be set exactly as the manual says. The clutch rod on the top of the tranny has to be set exactly the right distance from the top of the "cow pie". You can't just "wing it" on this thing and hope it'll work. It won't.
Clean everything...again...make sure you have the right amount of steel discs and the right type fiber discs are there, ('68 and up are different (thinner)) then do it exactly like the manual says.
If you don't like the way that comes out you can replace the fiber discs with Kevlar discs, close off the primary and make it a wet-clutch system using ATF fluid. Actually, that change works better than a dry clutch!
I've got to head back out of town to take care of business...but I'll check back here in a few days to see how you're doing.
By: 47Knuckle-Dragger on: 7-11-2007
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