Clutch Will NOT disengage

And one last thing before I go through all the notes while with the bike: I did not remove the clutch rod when I serviced the bike. I left it in place, and therefore assume the ball bearing is still in place.
Again, I'll go through the notes, post what I find, and will post what I think happened.

As others have stated when the clutch adjuster is loosened the arm that the cable attaches to in the gearbox end can drop down out of position and give the symptoms you are describing.

MexicoMike said:

IF the clutch lever pull feels normal, I think the clutch plates have seized. Put the bike in 4th, firmly apply the front brake (or place the front wheel against a solid wall), pull the clutch lever all the way to the bar and try to "kickstart" the bike. That should break the plates loose. This is much easier on an electric start bike but...oh well. If the bike is on the center stand, you will have to lock the rear brake instead.

I've had clutches seize several times over the years with different bikes after sitting for a lengthy period. It's no big deal but I discovered that some oils "encourage" this behavior...even oils that you would expect to have the opposite effect.

Just recently my Honda CB400F would seize it's clutch plates after sitting overnight! Each day I had to break the plates loose - put the front wheel against a concrete garage wall, put bike in 5th, hold clutch in, press start. It began doing that after an oil change where I switched to "better" oil," full synthetic motorcycle oil of the recommended weight. I drained the syn oil and installed mineral oil of the same weight and the problem disappeared.

Click to expand...

I bought an early cb750 Honda that'd stood for years
The clutch just would not break loose
I had to strip it and pry the plates apart,I was amazed how stuck they were!

RobBB said:

And one last thing before I go through all the notes while with the bike: I did not remove the clutch rod when I serviced the bike. I left it in place, and therefore assume the ball bearing is still in place.
Again, I'll go through the notes, post what I find, and will post what I think happened.

Click to expand...

You don't have to remove the pushrod tube for the clutch operating level to slip out of place. The ball cannot get out of place - it's clutch operating level.

I bought an early cb750 Honda that'd stood for years

baz said:

The clutch just would not break loose
I had to strip it and pry the plates apart,I was amazed how stuck they were!

Click to expand...

Correct.

STUCK!

Not "seized".

Semantics, I know.

"I bought an early cb750 Honda that'd stood for years"

Yes, the thing that really surprised me when the clutch plates seized on my Honda CB400 is that it could happen overnight! I've never had seized clutch plates on my Comnmado (ATF in the primary) and it has sat in "storage" for up to two years, but, as I mentioned previously, I've had it happen on several other bikes (and cars).

baz said:

I bought an early cb750 Honda that'd stood for years
The clutch just would not break loose
I had to strip it and pry the plates apart,I was amazed how stuck they were!

Click to expand...

Hello Baz,
I had a moment with the JPN yesterday, and will go through the list of things on this thread to do this coming week.
Did put the bike's front tire against a wall and put in in gear, just to see how bad the locked plates were: The bike did not lurch, and it stayed put, untill I let out the clutch. It engaged pretty quickly and I was able to move bike in first gear on patio. But the shift was so hard, it would jump past neutral into second or third.
Just wanted to post this, and with the list in hand from your recommendation, ( 4th gear, clutch lever pulled in, kick it as if to start) and all the other notes, I will make time this week and then report back on the outcomes.
If nada, then I will put it on the lift and crack open the chain case again.

PS- I think just maybe, I know what changed after I opened the chain case to service the stator and cranks seal...
Before I opened the Primary chain case, all was fine in clutch land. And maybe heres why: When I pulled out the plates, all were soaked in oil, along with the basket. After I cleaned everything and reassembled, the clutch plates, spacers and clutch basket were all Bone DRY. I wonder if the plates and basket were so wet and lubricated prior to disassembly, that it was allowing them to operate 'freely' and not get hung up on any surface.

Anyone ever have a similar experience?

I'll know more when I look at the clutch basket and center gear for notching. But I'm ready for a parts order including a new clutch basket and new clutch plates if need be...

Will Post soon,
Rob

Rob, here's an outside chance; what did you use to clean the clutch plates and is it possible that what you used to clean them caused them to stick together when put back into position and clamped together by the diaphragm spring?

My first thought (same as others have already mentioned) was that the actuation arm in the gear box fell out of position. It's happened to every Norton owner ever who does their own maintenance at one time or another, myself included.

Best of luck in figuring it out.

Yes...whatever was used to clean the plates COULD have caused the problem. If it was water based then I'd say it was definitely the cleaning fluid. If not, then it MIGHT have been the cleaning fluid.