CNW Easy Pull Clutch Kit?

As a result of this thread I purchased a new Venhill FL clutch cable and a 3mm steel clutch plate from RGM to replace an OEM 2mm plate. The clutch pull was quite hard and unacceptable to me. I had thought of buying the cNw ez pull kit ($200+), but I have transformed the clutch pull with a new cable and a clutch plate. It is now 2 fingers! The hardest part was having to pay RGM $22 shipping for an $11 part.
 
lazyeye6 said:
As a result of this thread I purchased a new Venhill FL clutch cable and a 3mm steel clutch plate from RGM to replace an OEM 2mm plate. The clutch pull was quite hard and unacceptable to me. I had thought of buying the cNw ez pull kit ($200+), but I have transformed the clutch pull with a new cable and a clutch plate. It is now 2 fingers! The hardest part was having to pay RGM $22 shipping for an $11 part.
Click to expand...

I did exactly the same earlier in the week, and I'm hoping to install them tomorrow 👍
 
lazyeye6 said:
As a result of this thread I purchased a new Venhill FL clutch cable and a 3mm steel clutch plate from RGM to replace an OEM 2mm plate. The clutch pull was quite hard and unacceptable to me. I had thought of buying the cNw ez pull kit ($200+), but I have transformed the clutch pull with a new cable and a clutch plate. It is now 2 fingers! The hardest part was having to pay RGM $22 shipping for an $11 part.
Click to expand...
Good to hear. I too have recieved an RGM order. Didn't know what thickness plate to order, so got both the 3mm and 4mm plates to try out. Yes, the "Easy Pull" kit seems to sell a full set of Barnett plates which may have some benefit to lightening lever feel, but most of the benefit appears to be from stack height tweaks of the plate thickness.
 
My mk3 is also a bit stiff. Does altering the stack height reduce the amount of thread showing through the clutch on the adjuster/actuator spindle thingy? I'm already a bit short on that thread.
 
Mart UK said:
Does altering the stack height reduce the amount of thread showing through the clutch on the adjuster/actuator spindle thingy? I'm already a bit short on that thread.
Click to expand...

Yes, it probably will but if there's already barely enough thread for the locknut then something is perhaps not as it should be either in the lifter mechanism or the pushrod/adjuster is worn/too short.
Edit: My Mk3's adjuster with 3mm plate.
CNW Easy Pull Clutch Kit?
 
Last edited:
L.A.B. said:
Yes, it probably will but if there's already barely enough thread for the locknut then something is perhaps not as it should be either in the lifter mechanism or the pushrod/adjuster is worn/too short.
Edit: My Mk3's adjuster with 3mm plate.
CNW Easy Pull Clutch Kit?
Click to expand...
Perhaps the spacer behind the clutch is on the wrong way round?
 
Seems like an easy solution has been overlooked- and thats just simply replace the clutch cable with a Barnett Easy Pull cable that is teflon lined. Bought one under recommendation from my local Norton shop- and it made a day and night difference over the old standard type cable. I was shocked at what a difference it made. My wife rides the Norton more than me, and she was constantly complaining about the hard pull clutch (and her daily ride is an ironhead so she's no wimp) and a simple changeover solved it.
 
trappnman said:
Seems like an easy solution has been overlooked- and thats just simply replace the clutch cable with a Barnett Easy Pull cable that is teflon lined.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say it's been overlooked as there have been several references to Venhill Featherlight Teflon lined clutch cables over the past few years and a lined cable should lighten the clutch action, however, 'tuning' the stack height can improve it even further.

Motorcycle Clutch Cables

Replacement motorcycle clutch cables by Venhill. Most makes and models covered - road & dirt. Made-to-measure service available from our UK factory.
www.venhill.co.uk www.venhill.co.uk
 
I had a Venhill clutch cable and felt it did not do miracles on lever force needed. Ultimately the cable failed at the lever nipple after a couple of seasons. The reason seemed to be the nipple was not rotating smoothly within the lever perch hole and would judder. The oem cable I noted had a nylon sleeve around the nipple and rotated smoothly under load. I think Venhill has an option for such sleeves on their website.
 
Tornado said:
The oem cable I noted had a nylon sleeve around the nipple and rotated smoothly under load. I think Venhill has an option for such sleeves on their website.
Click to expand...

However, their standard Commando Featherlight cables for alloy levers normally have nylon sleeves.
andover-norton.co.uk

Motorcycle parts and spares for Norton motorbikes - Genuine Andover Norton Spare Parts - Andover Norton Motorcycles Parts - Original Andover Norton Parts

Motorcycle parts and spares for Andover Norton motorbikes: Andover Norton manufactures and supplies all Genuine Factory Spare Parts for Norton motorcycles built before 2002.
andover-norton.co.uk
The nylon sleeves are not suitable for pressed steel (pre-'71) levers.
 
L.A.B. said:
However, their standard Commando Featherlight cables for alloy levers normally have nylon sleeves.
andover-norton.co.uk

Motorcycle parts and spares for Norton motorbikes - Genuine Andover Norton Spare Parts - Andover Norton Motorcycles Parts - Original Andover Norton Parts

Motorcycle parts and spares for Andover Norton motorbikes: Andover Norton manufactures and supplies all Genuine Factory Spare Parts for Norton motorcycles built before 2002.
andover-norton.co.uk
The nylon sleeves are not suitable for pressed steel (pre-'71) levers.
Click to expand...
Hmm, mine did not have it and when I went to solder the original nipple back on to it (it did not get lost when cable failed), I thought to place the oem nipple sleeve on, but that made it unable to fit the lever hole. So ended up using oem nipple and sleeve on the venhill cable. Worked very well but didn't drop level pull much. This is in line with what Glen reported in post #17.
 
I adjusted the stack height today, and its made an enormous difference.

With the clutch spring compressor on, and the diaphragm bent much more than usual, I measured a 3mm gap between the outer edge of the diaphragm and the groove in the clutch outer body.

Swapped 2 x 2mm std steel plates with a 3mm and a 4mm RGM plate, and reassembled everything, now it only takes two fingers to pull the clutch lever to the bar. Amazing. This is still using the clutch cable I fitted in the 1970s, which is noticeably thinner than the new AN cable I bought but haven't fitted yet.

I will fit the new clutch cable, mainly because its bought and paid for, but it really doesn't seem to need it now
 
MichaelD said:
I adjusted the stack height today, and its made an enormous difference.

With the clutch spring compressor on, and the diaphragm bent much more than usual, I measured a 3mm gap between the outer edge of the diaphragm and the groove in the clutch outer body.

Swapped 2 x 2mm std steel plates with a 3mm and a 4mm RGM plate, and reassembled everything, now it only takes two fingers to pull the clutch lever to the bar. Amazing. This is still using the clutch cable I fitted in the 1970s, which is noticeably thinner than the new AN cable I bought but haven't fitted yet.

I will fit the new clutch cable, mainly because its bought and paid for, but it really doesn't seem to need it now
Click to expand...
Using the two RGM plates for 7mm overall seems like a lot. Any risk of losing clutch grip, creating slippage at higher torque demand?
 
Tornado said:
Using the two RGM plates for 7mm overall seems like a lot. Any risk of losing clutch grip, creating slippage at higher torque demand?
Click to expand...
I removed 2 x 2mm plates and replaced them with the two thicker RGM plates, so the number of friction surfaces is the same, so not sure why that would change the likelihood of slippage?

By increasing the stack height the point where the diaphragm spring exerts the most pressure should be at the point where the clutch engages, so there should be more pressure to keep the plates together.

But, that's just my thinking on the subject, at this point I don't have any experience of running with the rebuilt clutch, that could be a week or two away.
 
MichaelD said:
By increasing the stack height the point where the diaphragm spring exerts the most pressure should be at the point where the clutch engages, so there should be more pressure to keep the plates together.
Click to expand...

The diaphragm actually works the opposite way. Increasing the stack height reduces clamping pressure and vice versa and why the action now feels lighter.

It's possible the clutch will be ok with the 3mm increase in stack height if it was as low* as you measured but only a road test will answer
that.
*The accuracy of the measurement depends on how precisely the spring is adjusted to 'flat' using the spring compressor because any (concave or convex) 'dish' remaining in the spring between the pressure plate ring and the periphery of the spring will result in an inaccurate stack height measurement.
 
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MichaelD said:
I removed 2 x 2mm plates and replaced them with the two thicker RGM plates, so the number of friction surfaces is the same, so not sure why that would change the likelihood of slippage?

By increasing the stack height the point where the diaphragm spring exerts the most pressure should be at the point where the clutch engages, so there should be more pressure to keep the plates together.

But, that's just my thinking on the subject, at this point I don't have any experience of running with the rebuilt clutch, that could be a week or two away.
Click to expand...
OK, missed that. So only 3mm more added. That is about what others seem to be doing also. I guess amount of clutch holding can depend a lot on plate wear/material/chaincase fluid being used, clutch spring condition as well as stack height.
 

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