Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fix

jeffmack · May 1, 2014

Hey guys, I'm stuck 130 miles from home with a clutch slipping so badly I can't get up a hill or do more than 40 on a flat. Started this a.m. And now half way home it's unridable. Taking off from a stop requires sever pushes of me feet then it slips immediatly into a slow noisy grinding acceleration. Anything I can do on the road side? Oil lever is below check hole in primary? If no ride side fix ASAP I'll be spending the night roadside as I'm in the middle of nowhere. But I do have my pipe and a bottle of red. Any ideas would be appriciated

Onder · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Only to make sure the clutch cable is entirely free at the bar lever and at the clutch adjuster, you
take off the inspection plug and have a look at the adjuster behind it.
Let is cool down before setting off. Maybe you can just take it 30 mph all the way home.

pete.v · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

What do you have for tool?
What is the cable play like at the handlebar level.
Can you remove the primary plug over the clutch adjuster and do you have what it takes to loosen and tighten the nut holding the adjuster screw in place?
If you can get eyes in there does the clutch hub seem particularly sloppy?
Can you remove the inspection cover on the gearbox?
Does the clutch arm that the cable end is connected to in there have play or is it tight?

jeffmack · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

I can get plugs off. Cable in gear box is tight. How shoukd I adjust cluck for this condition?

pete.v · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

jeffmack said:
I can get plugs off. Cable in gear box is tight. How shoukd I adjust cluck for this condition?

cable in gearbox should have a little play.

Loosen the nut on the clutch and turn the screw out till you feel it turn freely.

jeffmack · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Screw in the primary?

pete.v · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

jeffmack said:
Screw in the primary?

Yes. The nut hold the center screw in place. Can you loosen it. Plug wrench?

jeffmack · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Bummer. No such wrench with me on the road.

pete.v · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Screw driver? Chances are it maybe loose enough to turn. It could be how it got tight in the first place.

jeffmack · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Thank you for help. I can't budge the screw. Looks like a night under the stars and the wife with a trailer by noon. Bummer

pete.v · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

jeffmack said:
Thank you for help. I can't budge the screw. Looks like a night under the stars and the wife with a trailer by noon. Bummer

Clutch locating circlip may have sheared.
Good luck to you. Let us know how you make out and the nature of your event.

jeffmack · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Will do. Thanks. Glad I have my sleeping bag fir this trip. Will update when I get her home

Torontonian · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Network help list. Tools. Trailer.

DogT · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

At least it's quit raining.

Hobot · May 1, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

My kind of fates too always wondering how this one will turn out. Suspect clutch center nut or nut on TS of main shaft backed off so plates' clamp pressure can't be applied.

kerinorton · May 2, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

the opposite happened to me on a long ride once. I adjusted the clutch in the primary but latter did it again. Removed the clutch assy and found some f-----g nut case had used a copper washer behind the nut clamping the clutch hub to the main-shaft. Obtained and machined a h.t. washer and refit that. Happened again .This time the nut on the g/box end of the main-shaft had come loose and was now looking like a worn out bush. Result was a complete strip and clean using new bearings and a new Loctited main-shaft nut. End of problems. [ ps this was my latest aquisition, a 74 850 ] . The 750 is still original except for superblends which I put in about 5 years ago.
go for it.

Saber13 · May 2, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

Anywhere close to Alabama, say within 150 miles of Enterprise/Dothan?

Time Warp · May 2, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

pete.v said:
pete.v said:

Does the clutch arm that the cable end is connected to in there have play or is it tight?

Click to expand...

jeffmack said:

Cable in gear box is tight. How shoukd I adjust cluck for this condition?

Click to expand...

This one.
Hopefully he removed the clutch cable and that sorted things,bump start and ride home.
Makes for interesting on the spot route decisions once you get back to civilisation (traffic lights)

Hobot · May 2, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

I've been able to barely make it home on broken clutch cable on both Commando and Suzuki so kind of keeping time track of em now but carry a a spare clutch cable and both levers in my SuVee and had to use spare cable one and spare levers too many times to remember the count but last new clutch level gotten last fall in the Autumn. Wise long term Cdo riders run a spare clutch cable along route wtih the active one.

pete.v · May 2, 2014

Re: Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fi

hobot said:
My kind of fates too always wondering how this one will turn out. Suspect clutch center nut or nut on TS of main shaft backed off so plates' clamp pressure can't be applied.

Clutch center nut possibly.

I have had the locking ring for the clutch release arm body come loose before and symtoms are that the clutch won't release.

I remember shearing a circlip behind the clutch. That was an "all the sudden" thing.

He said the issue started in the am and got worse as the day went on. Seem like that may be a center nut thing.

He also mention no oil coming out the oil level hole. If it got hot he might loose the clutch?

Looking for an update. Hope he didn't get eaten or hijacked.

Stuck on the road. ASAP clutch help if you know of a fix

.......back to the 70's.