When im stuck in traffic my clutch cable adjustment gets bigger until i dont have a clutch and cant get into neutral. Have changed the cable thinking it was the outer sheath. Any ideas as getting stuck in traffic is a real pain.
First they all do this to a certain degree even my Centauro!
I had my Centauro serviced when it got as bad as you say yours is and they said I should go after the person that last worked on my transmission because he only put in 8 of the required 10 clutch plate springs. I said it came that way from the factory since I bought it as new in 2002 right out of the crate!
Still cost me $600.
Since then I have found out that the adjustment it self (the one you can make at the handlebar or down at the transmission end of the cable) is not all their is too it.
Guzziology in chapter 9 under clutch adjustment sez: normal clutch wear can on most models, eventually back the clutch arm up against something solid so that even with a properly adjusted cable the clutch is subject to excessive wear and slippage. Many a happy customer that thought a new clutch was needed has left our shop after a simple adjustment of the arm's position.
This sounds like what you are experiencing. Take pictures when you have this corrected, use a ruler to give perspective to the adjustment and share your results with us. All I have is the text as an example!,,,
Same problem, solved by replacing thin roller bearing thrust washer, which had disintegrated but though thin makes a big difference when adjusting the gearbox clutch lever , eventually reoccurred so suspect worn clutch due to extensive daily town riding. Pain though, especially as its an engine out job, not too bad once youve done it once! good luck all
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Is the cable moving? Is it hydraulic clutch? If it's a cable and you can see it moving and you can take off on the motorcycle when your clutch isn't the problem, if it's stuck in gear try moving the motorcycle with the motor off and not using the clutch and force it forward and backward possibly loosening something in the transmission. You should fill the tires grabbing the pavement and hopefully that will loosen up the stuck position, otherwise you would have to take the inspection plate off and try to pry it with a screwdriver.
Remove round cover on primary cover. Loosen lock nut around screw in center of clutch plate. Back off adjusting screw. Tighten screw until it JUST touches. Back off 1/4 turn. Hold in place while tightening lock nut.
Adjust clutch cable adjuster until there's 1/16-1/8" free play at hand lever.
The guy talking about the kind of oil to put in your Harley is brain dead. Dont listen to him an ruin your bike. Best thing to do is call a Harley dealership an talk to them about the kind of oil to use. Im not going to give you my two cents worth but dont ruin your Harley listing to that dummy he knos nothing. Never put car oil in a HARLEY
The clutch is dragging or the primary has too much oil in it. In either case, the transmission is almost impossible to get into neutral with the engine running.
To properly adjust the stock clutch, find the cable adjuster in the middle of the cable. Loosen the locknut and turn the adjust barrel all the way in giving as much slack in the cable as possible. Remove the derby cover on the primary cover. Loosen the locknut on the adjuster screw in the center of the clutch assembly. Turn the adjuster screw inwards until you feel a resistance. Do not force the screw. If necessary, back the screw off and adjust inwards several times to get the "feel" of what you're doing. Turn it inward just till you feel the resistance. Then back the screw back out 1/2 turn. Lock the locknut down and reinstall the derby cover. Go back to the cable adjuster and turn it outward until you have about 1/8 inch of freeplay at the lever.
Overfilling the primary will also make the clutch drag. The oil is up between the clutch plates and it acts like the transmission fluid in the torque converter of an automatic transmission in an automobile. If you look at the clutch assembly with the derby cover off, you'll see that the outer clutch shell is made of bright aluminum. Just inside that, the clutch spring is a darker colored steel. With the bike standing straight up, fill the primary with oil just up to the lowest point of that spring, no higher.
Warped steel clutch plates can also cause the problem you're having.
You either need to adjust your clutch, you have too much oil in your primary, or your throwout bearing has failed.
To adjust the clutch, follow the clutch cable until you find the rubber bellows near the down tubes of the frame. Slide the bellow up or down to gain access to the adjuster. Loosen the lock nut and adjust the adjuster inwards making the cable as short as possible.
Now, remove the derby cover on the outer primary cover. In the center of the clutch assembly you'll see an adjuster screw and locknut. Loosen the locknut and turn the adjuster clockwise until you feel a resistance. You don't want to force the adjuster screw as you'll start to release the clutch, go in just until you feel resistance. You may wish to do this several times until you get the feel for it. Once you feel the resistance, back out 1/2 to 1 full turn and lock the locknut. Reinstall the derby cover.
Now, go back to the cable adjuster and adjust the adjuster outward, making the cable longer, until you get about an 1/8" freeplay at the clutch lever. Lock the locknut and reposition the bellows. This should allow your clutch to release.
If you have too much oil in your primary, it will cause your clutch to drag and make it impossible to find neutral with the engine running. The oil level should be no higher than the bottom of the clutch spring with the bike standing straight up.
If you're experiencing difficulty shifting through the rest of the gears, You may have lost a throw out bearing. To replace the throwout bearing, you'll have to pull the chrome clutch release cover off the right side of the transmission.
Let's try adjusting your clutch. Follow the clutch cable down until you find the rubber bellows. Slid the bellows up and you'll see the cable adjuster. Loosen the lock nut and adjust the cable as short as it will go.
Now, remove the derby cover. In the center of the clutch assembly you'll see an adjuster screw and a lock nut. Loosen the lock nut and turn the adjuster screw inwards until you feel pressure against the screw. Don't force the screw as you will start to release the clutch. Once you've went in until you feel resistance, back out 1/2 to 1 full turn. Lock the lock nut down.
Now at the cable adjuster, adjust the cable out until you have about an 1/8" freeplay at the lever. Lock the lock nut. Now, test the clutch to see if it's dragging. Pull in the clutch, put the tranny in first gear, hit the start button. If the bike tries to creep forward, the cluch is dragging and you need to tighted the cable just a bit. If the bike does not try to pull forward and you can find neutral with the engine running, your clutch is working like it should.
If this does not solve your problem, the shifter pawl in the transmission may need to be adjusted. This requires special tools and an educated touch. This job would be better left to a professional.
your clutch might not be bad, did you recently chance your oil. if you used a synthetic oil that could be bad. bikes with wet clutches(non harley) cant usually use sythetic oils there to slippery and can burn up your clutch. adjust your cable so theres a 1/4" of play in your lever and leave it. if you change out the clutch dont use anything but the oem replacement plates just upgrade the springs to a heavy duty, this is a better and cheaper way to go. ebc is great stuff and ive never had a problem using there products. dont waste your money with kevlar clutches or anything other than oem, just an example my gsxr 1000 had 163 hp at the wheel using a stock clutch and never had a problem after putting 10,000 miles on it. also just a tip if your sitting at a light or at a stop get in the habbit of putting it in neutral and letting out the clutch this cuts down on spring wear and could ad some life to your clutch. hope this helps, ride safe and always wear your gear even in the no helmet states.
see if there is a saftey switch on the kick stand that is probally your problem also chek the clutch cable adjustment put in gear pull the clutch and try to push it if its hard or locks up you need to adjust your clutch cable
if you have not sorted out the T3 clutch problem by now I suggest you drop the swinging arm and take a look at the clutch operating arm and check that its got the right amount of free play also check the spring which sits halfway up the clutch arm and make sure its got some free movement also check the condition of the thrust bearing and the clutch operating arm adjuster screw, if you feel the need to remove the clutch operating arm from the gearbox end cover the arm is fixed to a lug and then held on by a pivot pin with a R clip or whatever, if this pivot pin wont move do not hit it with a hammer you will only break the lug and then have to get it welded back on ,soak it in penetrating oil and apply gentle heat, but again no hammer! it might be worth buying new thrust bearing , spring, etc before the start the job.I have had my T3 for 27 years and your problem appears new to me I can only think that unless your clutch friction plate is really warpped it can only be the adjustment at the clutch arm end. the spring etc could be working ok at rest but under pressure ? ,,,
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