Harley Clutch Adjustment on a Softail or Dyna
Bob LaRosaDescription
Harley-Davidson Clutch Adjustment
Bob teaches you Harley-Davidson clutch adjustment and primary chain on your Harley Softail or Dyna model. Be sure to achieve free play on the clutch cable to verify that you have proper Harley-Davidson clutch adjustment on the clutch cable pack, and check for the proper specs in your service manual for adjusting the primary chain (if your model has the adjustment window). Bob finishes proper Harley-Davidson clutch adjustment by mentioning that when you are doing this type of repair, only factory service gaskets should be used.
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This is gonna be clutch with Josh Smith. You need to take it, remove it from the plastic holder on the frame, what you wanna do is get a little bit of lubricant we prefer WD 40 down this rubber boot. It's not only makes removal of the boot easier, but keeps the threads on the two lock nuts which Mark will expose in a minute lubricated, you don't have a tendency to have them break off in your hand. I want you to also note that the front fender on the motorcycle is covered at this point. Anytime you're working above, around or near any painted surfaces, we prefer to keep them covered. He's cracking in the 9/16 and a half inch nut loose. Render the 9/16 nut all the way to the top of the thread, then render the half inch industrial adjuster screw all the way to the top of the thread. At this point, you're gonna find that the lever has excessive free play in it. Push the lever all the way to the bars and leave it there. Now you wanna walk up, you're gonna loosen your 11/16 slack nut, correct. You're also gonna thread that out to the end of the thread. It leaves you room to work. You're gonna go in, you're gonna install the 730 seconds Allen back it all the way out, back it and push it all the way in until you see deflection in the diaphragm spring. At that point, come back off until you feel no tension. When you feel no tension, you wanna come off a full turn. Render the outside 11/16 nut back into the contact plate and lock it down with the 11/16 socket. Always point the ratchet downhill, again, you're dealing with soft Chrome surfaces. You don't want them scarred. Once that nut is locked down, you'll return to the adjuster mechanism. You'll take the lower half inch adjuster mechanism, take up all the free play in it. At this point, you wanna engage and disengage the hand lever a minimum of three times. While holding out on the clutch cable, this will show that the clutch is functioning properly. If you feel you've done it correctly, render the hat, the 9/16 slack nut back down onto the half inch mechanism. Lock them down firmly. No more lubrication will be needed at this time because the inside of the rubber boot should have retained enough. Slide the boot back down over the adjusting mechanism, install it back into the black plastic clip on the frame. It is just a plastic clip, don't muscle it. What we're gonna do here is check clutch cable free play. This is to verify that you have proper adjustment on the clutch pack. What you wanna do is hold tension outward on the cable, rock the lever inward and outward gently should have approximately 1/16 free play. Depending on rider preference, it can be a little more, it can be a little less. That is gonna dictate where the clutch will grab on the motorcycles operation. In the next step we'll go through primary chain adjustment. The indicator points to the primary adjuster shoe, the indicator now points to the 9/16 lock nut which will hold tension on the primary chain. You wanna feel that chain tension your spec will be in your service manual. Critical part of this adjustment is that the battery negative cable is not only loosened but removed from the battery. This is a drive system, bodily injury can occur, during a misfire of the starting system. This is basic Harley Davidson primary drive. With the cover removed, you can see your primary chain, your primary adjuster shoe, clutch basket, starter ring gear, diaphragm spring, you're already familiar with the clutch adjuster nut. When I remove the spring diaphragm plate, and I'm gonna remove the center adjuster. Laid out on the bench like this here, you can see it's actually a three piece assembly. The adjuster plate that you're familiar with, the center push rod which would run through the main shaft of the transmission. The end push rod, which has an oil slinger and a throw-out bearing. The oil slinger is necessary due to keeping well lubrication on throw-out bearing. The throw-out bearing is actuated by a conventional ball and ramp system. This ball and ramp is installed in your transmission end cover. Your clutch cable would insert here. As you pull your clutch cable, the ball and ramp would actuate. This actuation process pushes the throw-out bearing, and in turn the long push rod and your clutch adjuster plate. By pushing the adjuster plate outward, you physically flex the spring diaphragm. With this diaphragm flexed outward, your clutch would be disengaged. When you release your clutch lever, the diaphragm would return to a normal position and engage the clutch plate. This is what makes up the common 99 and newer, Harley Davidson clutch. It'll start with a fiber and end with a small dry fiber. In between each and everyone, there will be what's known as a steel drive plate. This particular clutch runs in a bath of oil. I'm gonna stand these on end, so you get a nice clean view of the sides. The engagement dogs as they're known, run to the outside of the clutch basket. The actual drives engaged to the clutch hub. When they're all connected they give you forward motion. Back towards the primary chain area, when you do primary adjustment this is the 9/16 nut you're loosening. As you're doing your primary chain adjustment, this shoe will move upward to tension the chain or can be allowed to slack in to pick up a little more free play in the chain. This spec for free play on the chain, is to be done at the loose spot and to be done cold to factory specifications found in the service manual. This is what's known as a Harley Davidson compensating sprocket assembly. This is the shaft extension splined internally and externally. This comes directly off the crankshaft of the Twin Cam engine. When installed, this allows the slider cam assembly to take up the torque of the engine. Without this particular item, the likelihood of any of this drive system staying together long would be slim. And the last thing I wanted to touch base on, this is Harley Davidson's primary gasket. It's an aluminum material with a silicone coating.
This doesn't cover newer softtails like the Low Rider ST. There is no longer a double nut on the clutch cable. The video also does not cover the clutch adjustment in the primary, only the slack on the cable.
Installed a longer cable and ape hangers. Tried everything to get slack to hook the lever but barely any free play. Any suggestions?
This is more like it thank you
Awesome. Thanks for the help.
How do you measure the chain deflection? According to the manual with a cold motor you should have 5/8-7/8 deflection. Thanks for the help.