Clutch and Push Rod

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

Here are some pics on clutch assembly Web Page Name

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

5twins; 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 push rods. Excess play develops.

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

RG; 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.

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

Pictorial of push rod replacement from Mikes XS Web Page Name Scroll down page

Discussion on Push rod and Actuator problems Web Page Name

xsjohn's push rod mods.
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……..

Q; 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 spinning the rod...... keeps the ball centered and the rod from wandering.....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....

Q; 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? 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 end 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.........

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

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

Tips on clutch slip. Clutch slip cure

Wayne Kennedy was having some clutch slip problems on his staggered crank XS650 and this is what he did to cure it:- I put new genuine clutch plates in the 650 but when I was doing so I measured some other steel plates I had and was surprised that there was two different thicknesses between them. One set was about 1.35mm and the other 1.6mm. (no they weren't worn) The early 6 plate had thicker steels, as I had put in a later 7 plate to try and stop slipping with the torque. I put the thicker steels in which saved me shimming up the springs, and also left out the rubber rings between the plates. Low and behold, no clutch slip and it is easier to get neutral when the motor is hot. A quick solution to anyone that has a hotter motor and having clutch slip.

Dave Bath also suggests it's a good idea to bevel the edges of the clutch friction plate fingers with a file (just enough to take the sharp edge off ) to reduce to possibility of these catching on irregularities in the slots of the clutch basket which is one of the causes of clutch drag. I've just done it to my new clutch and it seems to work. (Terry Gliddon)

Tony Warner also informs me that the XS650 has two different length clutch actuating arms situated inside the left engine cover, where the clutch cable attaches, so if you have a heavy clutch you may benefit from using the longer arm from an XS1 if you can find one.

While you are in there it is advisable to check the back of the clutch basket to see if you have any broken springs.

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Yamaha xs650