Clutch play changes from cold to hot?

fxrs89

I can't figure this out, I replaced the worm gear on the LH cover, new clutch cable, new one piece rod, bushing and seal (and fixed the leak!).

I do the proper clutch adjustment with the setscrew on the wormgear, and it is good cold in the morning when I go to work, with the right free-play at the lever, After a ride home in the summer heat and it is nice and warm the free-play is waay off and I have to adjust the cable at the clutch lever/handlebar and take up all the slack to make it home in the afternoon. but now in the morning, it is too tight to get a nice release again when it is cold!

Clutch doesn't slip, but the adjustment changes when hot or cold?

Any Ideas?

yamaman

Yep, they do that! On a hot day when I race, just the start sometimes is enough to fry it.
I sometimes adjust it at the bars mid race! Though it changes gear ok without it, a clutch can be a handy tool when you need it!

So yeah, would be good to hear of a cure for that!

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

That's pretty much normal. Yamaha couldn't have placed the worm gear any farther away from the clutch if they tried. The alloy cases between the two expand more with heat than the steel pushrods. Excess play develops.

ost of us set things tight when cold, then a normal or acceptable amount of freeplay is present when hot. Back the worm gear screw out only about 1/8 turn instead of the 1/4 turn speced in the manual and adjust pretty much all the freeplay out of the hand lever. When adjusting the worm gear screw, pump the hand lever in and out just enough to take up the freeplay (don't pull it all the way in and disengage the clutch). This will "stack" all the pushrods and balls in the pushrod assembly together, taking up any slack and squeezing excess oil out from between them. You'll get a more accurate "feel" for the rod freeplay and adjustment this way.

Retiredgentleman

Best to just get a routine and know that there are 2 settings. I have mine set for a small amount of free play at the lever when engine is cold. Start up and ride for approx. 20 minutes and at the next stop the free play is now much bigger, so I adjust the cable sheath about 1 turn or more to go back to my original free play. At the start of the day you will have to re-adjust free play, thats just how they work.

metalredneck · Full Member Joined: Aug 04, 2008 Posts: 308

I leave a large bit of slack in her when I shut her down, and take it out as I ride.

pumps

I hear you can change it over to hydraulic and I'm sure if you do a search there is someone that tells how to do it...here I found it...did a little search dance to the 650rider search gods and they rewarded me. I might try it someday..

650rider.com/index.php...lic+clutch

TeeCat

I drove peeps here batty with this issue for a long time. But with careful cable routing, lubing, and adjusting as recommended above, I seem to have mitigated the bulk of my clutch drag. However, these clutches are idiosyncratic... that's just the reality of it. I do fantasize about hydraulic clutches, though. But I've not yet had the stones... still sorting out other little bits.

xsjohn

While we are on the subject of pull length…..ran a 80 clutch for a long time and had to pull the handle all the way to the bar for full clutch and neutral was hard to find………never changed anything on it just ran it………

Recently I went to a 79 clutch….cause I had one…….this time I indented the push rod ends and the screw in the push rod assembly so the rod would stay centered and not wander …spun the rods in a drill and used a dremmel to slightly indent the center of the end of the rods to prevent it from wandering and binding…easy....then on the steel plates I beveled the inside of the teeth on a wire wheel so both sides had no sharp edges…….one side is smooth due to the stamping……the other side is sharp……..real good clutch now for a change…..and easier to pull too……used 3 of mikes springs and 3 originals……hope this helps someone…….has me……..

xsjohn

xsjohn

Another dang double post so I erased it.........xsjohn

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

John, what did you use in the end of the Dremel to dimple those rods? A drill bit? Grinding stone? High speed cutter? I may try that next time I have things apart. Wire wheel to the teeth on the steel plates, too, I like that idea.

xsjohn

Used a dremmel with a stone that kind went to a point........that process is easy with the drill spinnig the rod...... keeps the ball centered and the rod from wantering.....didn't do the rod nearest the clutch or the clutch throw out.......they are centered because inside the transmission shaft it narrows right near the clutch that centers the rod and ball and throwout.....

xsjohn

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

I've switched to the long, 1 piece rod so I'm thinking I only need to do the worm gear end and the worm gear adjusting screw?

xsjohn

I did what was decribed above to the long rod......I can see why the short rod wobbles......the hole in the center of the shaft narrowing on the clutch side and then the bearing on the worm side.......bigger in the center of the shaft where the second ball meets the shorter rod......

Not sure if the longer rod or what I did to the rod or the newer clutch or wire wheeling the plates but my clutch is perfect now....first 1/4" of pull and it releases.....had to get use to the clutch all over again..........neutral it there now too.....

....xsjohn

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

So I should do both ends of the long rod and the adjusting screw? Can that ball in the worm gear move side to side and come off the center of the screw? I thought it fit in the worm gear pretty snug.

xsjohn

I just did the worm side ....just checked my spare trans shaft and it is not tapered at the clutch side...same size allthe way through...but the throwout fits tight so both ends of the rod can be done to further stabilize the rod.......my bad......

The edges of the indent need to ride on the ball to center it with the rod....so the center of the endent needs to be a bit deeper than the curvature of the ball....if that makes any since.....seems I made my indents about 1mm deep.......

I always polish the throw out head.....and put a bit of grease on it and a bit of grease down the hole.........(this is not a sex joke but it is making me horney)

Ball .311 thou
Rod .313
Throw out .317
Hole through shaft .321

xsjohn

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650