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clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 1:37 pm
by slyngej
Hi
My clutchcable have broken twice in the last couple of months. I cant find any info on the tension and adjustment of the clutch lever arm. Does anyone know how tight/the cable and lever arm must be on a 75/5 model?? See picture

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 5:41 pm
by barryh
201mm

Adjust to 201mm using the handle bar clutch lever cable adjuster then set 2 - 3mm free play at the handle bar lever by adjusting the bolt on the clutch actuating lever at the rear of the gearbox. Where you make the adjustments may sound counter intuitive but this is the correct method.

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 6:03 pm
by slyngej
I've had it for 8 inches, also with the suggested freeplay, so thats already done, and ive adjusted it using the handle lever screw. It brakes at the handle bar lever. Im suspecting it was too little with 8 inches due to the high tension on the cable?

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 6:25 pm
by melville
Is the ferrule lubricated where it runs in the lever? If it's dry, it will force a bend in the cable right at the lever every time you use the clutch.

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 6:39 pm
by Kurt in S.A.
It's 201 mm from the backside of the boss on the transmission to the front side of the barrel on the cable. So the figure above is correct on the right side, but a little short on the left side.

Kurt in S.A.

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:52 am
by SteveD
It could be bad luck with 2 crap cables, however the more likely scenario is the nipple holder, seen here..
Image
..is catching on something, isn't adequately lubricated in it's recess or the nipple needs more attention to how it seats within the nipple holder...or all of the above.

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 2:55 am
by Duane Ausherman
There are so many factors in clutch cable adjustment that no "rule" can work in every case, or even many cases.
1. The difference in length of the sheath to cable.
2. The wear in the holes in the clutch arm that hangs down.
3. The friction plate wear, as well as the backing plate and diaphragm plate.
4. The wear on the tip of the adjustment bolt.
5. The wear on the tip of the clutch rod.
6. The wear of the hole in the Diaphragm.
The list goes on and on.

The only way to adjust a clutch is to know to give it the correct amount of free play. If everything is perfect, original OEM and new, that number will probably be close. Back when they were only a few years old, we found these issues. Consider what has happened in the last 40 years.

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:20 am
by Major Softie
As a few others have mentioned or alluded to: it's unlikely that the cable is breaking because of the tension.

Is it fraying and breaking at the end where it fits into the lever? if so, they it's probably related to the nipple holder and/or lubrication at that point. If it's not bending back and forth and breaking at that point, my next question would be how high is the effort to pull the lever? If there's something wrong with the clutch, then the high effort could lead to early breakage.

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:11 am
by jimmyg
Where is it breaking? At the hand lever or at the throwout lever?

Re: clutch lever adjustment

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:53 am
by bbelk
I have one of these things on both of my bikes. It cuts tension in half on the clutch cable and my left hand. Have had no cable issues since installing them eight years ago.

Image

The page is still up, I have no idea regarding availability.

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