Clutch will not disengage after cable replacement

[Anonymous]

Hi this is my first post, and I am very happy to find this forum!

Here is my tech prob....

I have a 1982 GS 400. Wonderful bike, 5000 original km's, no sh*t.
So, I had a frayed cable. Easy, replaced it. while I was replacing it, soem other bike riders were trying to be 'helpful' since I am female of course they think I am helpless)

Anyhow, replaced the cable, adjusted it, someone had messed with the clutch pushrod adjustment nut. I don't know if they moved it IN or OUT, but I tightened the nut back down closed it and drove off.

Bike was fine for that day. Took it on a long group ride, and started to get clutch SCREAM, here and there, under load. Clutch was getting quite sloppy at the lever, so I kept tightening it. Started to lose ability to disengage. Rode 200 kms, home, one block from my house in heavy stop-go traffic, the ability to disengage quit entirely. Rode home with careful shifting Impressed myself with performance under pressure, scared my husband:P

Popped cover off final drive, inspected cable at both ends. Adjusted the hell out of the cable, its sloppy and crappy and won't get any tighter. Tried adjusting the pushrod IN, no change. Tried adjusting it OUT (about 1cm each time) still no change. Bike bolts in first. Shifts super easy when off, and when at correct rpm shifts fine (no use of clutch)! Clutch still will not disengage at all, and starts to scream here and there.

I guess this is my question:
Can you tell me if adjusting the rod IN seperates the plates, or OUT?
The bike ran like a DREAM before some doofy boy played with the nut and rod - so I am sure it is due to a combo of the stretched cable and the monkeyed adjustment of the rod. I have a new cable, I am going to put that one in (dealer direct, the other came from a supply house so I am going to be sure I have the right one this time).


Any suggestions? I miss riding it, I've been too busy to tinker much and its been three weeks....

Thanks again guys, happy to be here
Fawn in Canada

[Anonymous]

okay..

Well I yanked it apart and played around with it a little more. My theory is the contact with the clutch rod is not mating because the adjustment nut is too far out. So I adjusted it in until I felt ( I think) contact with the rod. Centerstand, start, check gears, stopping rear wheel, and clutch seems to be disengaging ok. No more clutch scream. AND, in doing the adjustment of the nut, the cable tightened, or at least the feel of it tightened probably as a result of the slight resistance of the rod that was not mating before.

So, after dinner going to take it for a burn See how it goes, wish me luck

Thanks,
Fawn

[SqDancerLynn1]

The clutch is differnet on my 850. You should adjust the nut in until lightly seated then back off 1/2 turn. Then adjust the cable

[bradleymaynar]

It sounds like you you were tightening (in) versus loosening (out). The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you want to have most of the adjustment made at the engine end of the cable. I would think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that you'd want the lever end positioned so that you could make minor adjustments, ie, so that you can adjust free play on the clutch lever. I'm not sure what the specs are on free play.

Brad tt

BTW Welcome aboard!

[Anonymous]

thanks

Thanks, tightening it down to mate fixed it, but the noise came back once during the ride, and actually it even made it while waiting at a light...I think the sound is coming from either the tach drive or the tach itself, so I detached and lubed up the cable at tach end...I'll check into it further tomorrow. Bulb burned out too

Clutch is working great now.

Specs in my manual on another bike is 1/16" play, it feels good and works great now Thanks for answering tho, hope I get the sound issue sorted.

[bradleymaynar]

While I've never actually done this, I've heard that if you remove the cable (tach) and then pull out the innards/shaft and spray out the cable housing with WD40 or similar and clean the shaft it should clear up the problems. Hopefully someone can tell you a proper lube for the entire assembly. I'm clueless! :?

Brad tt

[Anonymous]

tach drive cable lube

if you can pull the cable out,clean it and the housing w/a decent solvent(brake parts cleaner)leaves minimal residue.use a graphite lube(powder)other lubes attract dirt.

[Anonymous]

thanks again

I have lubed up both ends of the cable. Seems bike bandit says the cable is discontinued so I hope it doesn't go. All is quiet now, so we'll see if it comes back. But I am really glad to find that site, I already bought new bolts for the rare hard to find stripped ones I have, plus a headlamp My local dealer hates to look up the microfiche for old parts for me :roll: