"Road Glidin' Don" <d.langkd@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:3be16c76-36e1-4f08-9b28-111bb9726175@z6g2000pre.googlegroups.com...
On Oct 30, 11:07 am, "Harold Gailey" <hgai...@comcast.net> wrote:

>Sounds like very good advice. Thanks Harold.

Thanks Don. I often try to add some safety tips where warranted.
Often (as in this case), less for the benefit of the OP, in this case
you, who have probably many more miles under
your belt than I, but for the benefit of new riders who haven't yet
had a bad experience that could have been avoided. Sometimes
dangerous situations aren't obvious. Again I'm glad to use your situation
to point out to others some things to think about.

Road Glidin' Don wrote:
> On Oct 30, 11:07 am, "Harold Gailey" <hgai...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> "Road Glidin' Don" <d.lan...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:bc59b216-7682-4de6-8b25-75fc56bba3e6@v22g2000pro.googlegroups.com...
>>
>>> It's my clutch. The lever's friction zone - the point in the hand
>>> lever's travel where the clutch goes from engaging to disengaging -
>>> seems to be moving further and further out on my Road Glide. Soon it
>>> appears the lever will be completely released and the clutch will slip
>>> under load.
>>> I've made adjustments at the clutch and cable to no significant
>>> avail. At first I thought maybe that's caused by the friction plates
>>> thinning out - perhaps not be out of the realm of possibility on a
>>> bike with 120K miles. But I was just measuring the thicknesses of the
>>> friction plates last night and they're still well within spec....
>>> So I'm thinking now that this is actually caused by the clutch cable
>>> having stretched over time. Sounds reasonable? The adjuster is so
>>> rusted that I'm thinking of replacing it this winter anyway.
>> If it is that stretched, you are approaching the most dangerous of
>> situations. The time when the cable is due to brake at any moment. The
>> reason this is so scary really depends on whether you keep your bike in
>> gear at a light or always find neutral. If you keep it in gear and rely upon
>> your clutch cable to keep you out of fast moving crosstraffic, well you
>> can probably imagine what happens if the cable gives out. On an average
>> bike, the motor probably stalls after the bike lunges forward a foot or so.
>> Probably no problem except maybe to a pedestrian crossing in front of you.
>> However if your motor idles high, your still warming it up with higher than
>> usual
>> revs or your on a downhill slope, you may launch out into that fast moving
>> crosstraffic. Unless you have lightning fast reflexes, you could find
>> yourself
>> in a serious situation. Cables are cheap enough. Try a new one out and see
>> if that fixes it or if its the clutch push rod wearing out on you or some
>> other
>> trickiness including the clutch hub nut backing out on you.
>
> Sounds like very good advice. Thanks Harold.

There is a procedure for adjusting the clutch in the manual, this is to
ensure you get the balls in the right position in the ramps.

LOOSEN the clutch cable adjustment completely first, the set the push
rod. After that set the cable slack at the lever with the cable adjuster.

If you are following that procedure and noticing a change in the clutch
action (and if your discs are not shot), there is on most models a thick
steel disc deal with a spring separator that may have lost it's spring.
This disc provides some feel to the clutch expanding the point where it
begins to engage to full engagement. I usually chuck them and put in an
extra friction and steel disc. Depends on what you like. It makes the
clutch grab quicker more of an on/off feel without the springy disc.

On Oct 30, 1:25*pm, Ryder Rick <rickb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Road Glidin' Don wrote:
> > On Oct 30, 11:07 am, "Harold Gailey" <hgai...@comcast.net> wrote:
> >> "Road Glidin' Don" <d.lan...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:bc59b216-7682-4de6-8b25-75fc56bba3e6@v22g2000pro.googlegroups.com...
>
> >>> It's my clutch. *The lever's friction zone - the point in the hand
> >>> lever's travel where the clutch goes from engaging to disengaging -
> >>> seems to be moving further and further out on my Road Glide. *Soon it
> >>> appears the lever will be completely released and the clutch will slip
> >>> under load.
> >>> I've made adjustments at the clutch and cable to no significant
> >>> avail. *At first I thought maybe that's caused by the friction plates
> >>> thinning out - perhaps not be out of the realm of possibility on a
> >>> bike with 120K miles. *But I was just measuring the thicknesses of the
> >>> friction plates last night and they're still well within spec....
> >>> So I'm thinking now that this is actually caused by the clutch cable
> >>> having stretched over time. *Sounds reasonable? *The adjuster is so
> >>> rusted that I'm thinking of replacing it this winter anyway.
> >> If it is that stretched, you are approaching the most dangerous of
> >> situations. The time when the cable is due to brake at any moment. The
> >> reason this is so scary really depends on whether you keep your bike in
> >> gear at a light or always find neutral. If you keep it in gear and rely upon
> >> your clutch cable to keep you out of fast moving crosstraffic, well you
> >> can probably imagine what happens if the cable gives out. On an average
> >> bike, the motor probably stalls after the bike lunges forward a foot or so.
> >> Probably no problem except maybe to a pedestrian crossing in front of you.
> >> However if your motor idles high, your still warming it up with higherthan
> >> usual
> >> revs or your on a downhill slope, you may launch out into that fast moving
> >> crosstraffic. Unless you have lightning fast reflexes, you could find
> >> yourself
> >> in a serious situation. Cables are cheap enough. Try a new one out andsee
> >> if that fixes it or if its the clutch push rod wearing out on you or some
> >> other
> >> trickiness including the clutch hub nut backing out on you.
>
> > Sounds like very good advice. *Thanks Harold.
>
> There is a procedure for adjusting the clutch in the manual, this is to
> ensure you get the balls in the right position in the ramps.
>
> LOOSEN the clutch cable adjustment completely first, the set the push
> rod. After that set the cable slack at the lever with the cable adjuster.

Yeah, that's what I've been doing. 1/2 to 3/4 turn out, after
bottoming-out the adjuster, then adjust the slack in the cable after.

> If you are following that procedure and noticing a change in the clutch
> action (and if your discs are not shot), there is on most models a thick
> steel disc deal with a spring separator that may have lost it's spring.
> This disc provides some feel to the clutch expanding the point where it
> begins to engage to full engagement. I usually chuck them and put in an
> extra friction and steel disc. Depends on what you like. It makes the
> clutch grab quicker more of an on/off feel without the springy disc.

I'm not sure I quite follow you there because the only spring I'm
aware of is the diaphram spring in my clutch. But perhaps that's
what's lost it's springiness. Hadn't considered that...

And, as I think of it some more, I guess it couldn't be the cable
lengthening, because I can still adjust it so that I get the 1/8" free-
play at the clutch lever.

On Oct 30, 5:37*pm, "Road Glidin' Don" <d.lan...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Oct 30, 1:25*pm, Ryder Rick <rickb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Road Glidin' Don wrote:
> > > On Oct 30, 11:07 am, "Harold Gailey" <hgai...@comcast.net> wrote:
> > >> "Road Glidin' Don" <d.lan...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:bc59b216-7682-4de6-8b25-75fc56bba3e6@v22g2000pro.googlegroups.com...
>
> > >>> It's my clutch. *The lever's friction zone - the point in the hand
> > >>> lever's travel where the clutch goes from engaging to disengaging -
> > >>> seems to be moving further and further out on my Road Glide. *Soon it
> > >>> appears the lever will be completely released and the clutch will slip
> > >>> under load.
> > >>> I've made adjustments at the clutch and cable to no significant
> > >>> avail. *At first I thought maybe that's caused by the friction plates
> > >>> thinning out - perhaps not be out of the realm of possibility on a
> > >>> bike with 120K miles. *But I was just measuring the thicknesses of the
> > >>> friction plates last night and they're still well within spec....
> > >>> So I'm thinking now that this is actually caused by the clutch cable
> > >>> having stretched over time. *Sounds reasonable? *The adjuster is so
> > >>> rusted that I'm thinking of replacing it this winter anyway.
> > >> If it is that stretched, you are approaching the most dangerous of
> > >> situations. The time when the cable is due to brake at any moment. The
> > >> reason this is so scary really depends on whether you keep your bikein
> > >> gear at a light or always find neutral. If you keep it in gear and rely upon
> > >> your clutch cable to keep you out of fast moving crosstraffic, well you
> > >> can probably imagine what happens if the cable gives out. On an average
> > >> bike, the motor probably stalls after the bike lunges forward a footor so.
> > >> Probably no problem except maybe to a pedestrian crossing in front of you.
> > >> However if your motor idles high, your still warming it up with higher than
> > >> usual
> > >> revs or your on a downhill slope, you may launch out into that fast moving
> > >> crosstraffic. Unless you have lightning fast reflexes, you could find
> > >> yourself
> > >> in a serious situation. Cables are cheap enough. Try a new one out and see
> > >> if that fixes it or if its the clutch push rod wearing out on you orsome
> > >> other
> > >> trickiness including the clutch hub nut backing out on you.
>
> > > Sounds like very good advice. *Thanks Harold.
>
> > There is a procedure for adjusting the clutch in the manual, this is to
> > ensure you get the balls in the right position in the ramps.
>
> > LOOSEN the clutch cable adjustment completely first, the set the push
> > rod. After that set the cable slack at the lever with the cable adjuster.
>
> Yeah, that's what I've been doing. *1/2 to 3/4 turn out, after
> bottoming-out the adjuster, then adjust the slack in the cable after.
>
> > If you are following that procedure and noticing a change in the clutch
> > action (and if your discs are not shot), there is on most models a thick
> > steel disc deal with a spring separator that may have lost it's spring.
> > This disc provides some feel to the clutch expanding the point where it
> > begins to engage to full engagement. I usually chuck them and put in an
> > extra friction and steel disc. Depends on what you like. It makes the
> > clutch grab quicker more of an on/off feel without the springy disc.
>
> I'm not sure I quite follow you there because the only spring I'm
> aware of is the diaphram spring in my clutch. *But perhaps that's
> what's lost it's springiness. *Hadn't considered that...
>
> And, as I think of it some more, I guess it couldn't be the cable
> lengthening, because I can still adjust it so that I get the 1/8" free-
> play at the clutch lever.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Do yourself a favor and replace the cable while you're lookin' at it,
Don. Safer, and Peace of Mind.
--Sarge, Fla

On Oct 30, 4:32*pm, Sarge <sargeh...@cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> On Oct 30, 5:37*pm, "Road Glidin' Don" <d.lan...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
<snip>
> > I'm not sure I quite follow you there because the only spring I'm
> > aware of is the diaphram spring in my clutch. *But perhaps that's
> > what's lost it's springiness. *Hadn't considered that...
>
> > And, as I think of it some more, I guess it couldn't be the cable
> > lengthening, because I can still adjust it so that I get the 1/8" free-
> > play at the clutch lever.
>
> Do yourself a favor and replace the cable while you're lookin' at it,
> Don. Safer, and Peace of Mind.

True enough. Even though I've tried to keep it oiled over the years,
the adjuster in it is pretty well shot anyhow.

And I just passed up some good deals on them at the swap last
weekend... Darn.

"Ryder Rick" <rickb794@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:JSnOk.1480$225.392@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> Road Glidin' Don wrote:
>> On Oct 30, 11:07 am, "Harold Gailey" <hgai...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>> "Road Glidin' Don" <d.lan...@gmail.com> wrote in
>>> messagenews:bc59b216-7682-4de6-8b25-75fc56bba3e6@v22g2000pro.googlegroups.com...
>>>
>>>> It's my clutch. The lever's friction zone - the point in the hand
>>>> lever's travel where the clutch goes from engaging to disengaging -
>>>> seems to be moving further and further out on my Road Glide. Soon it
>>>> appears the lever will be completely released and the clutch will slip
>>>> under load.
>>>> I've made adjustments at the clutch and cable to no significant
>>>> avail. At first I thought maybe that's caused by the friction plates
>>>> thinning out - perhaps not be out of the realm of possibility on a
>>>> bike with 120K miles. But I was just measuring the thicknesses of the
>>>> friction plates last night and they're still well within spec....
>>>> So I'm thinking now that this is actually caused by the clutch cable
>>>> having stretched over time. Sounds reasonable? The adjuster is so
>>>> rusted that I'm thinking of replacing it this winter anyway.
>>> If it is that stretched, you are approaching the most dangerous of
>>> situations. The time when the cable is due to brake at any moment. The
>>> reason this is so scary really depends on whether you keep your bike in
>>> gear at a light or always find neutral. If you keep it in gear and rely
>>> upon
>>> your clutch cable to keep you out of fast moving crosstraffic, well you
>>> can probably imagine what happens if the cable gives out. On an average
>>> bike, the motor probably stalls after the bike lunges forward a foot or
>>> so.
>>> Probably no problem except maybe to a pedestrian crossing in front of
>>> you.
>>> However if your motor idles high, your still warming it up with higher
>>> than
>>> usual
>>> revs or your on a downhill slope, you may launch out into that fast
>>> moving
>>> crosstraffic. Unless you have lightning fast reflexes, you could find
>>> yourself
>>> in a serious situation. Cables are cheap enough. Try a new one out and
>>> see
>>> if that fixes it or if its the clutch push rod wearing out on you or
>>> some
>>> other
>>> trickiness including the clutch hub nut backing out on you.
>>
>> Sounds like very good advice. Thanks Harold.
>
> There is a procedure for adjusting the clutch in the manual, this is to
> ensure you get the balls in the right position in the ramps.
>
> LOOSEN the clutch cable adjustment completely first, the set the push rod.
> After that set the cable slack at the lever with the cable adjuster.
>
> If you are following that procedure and noticing a change in the clutch
> action (and if your discs are not shot), there is on most models a thick
> steel disc deal with a spring separator that may have lost it's spring.
> This disc provides some feel to the clutch expanding the point where it
> begins to engage to full engagement. I usually chuck them and put in an
> extra friction and steel disc. Depends on what you like. It makes the
> clutch grab quicker more of an on/off feel without the springy disc.

While you're in there, pull out the push rod and look at the ends to be sure
it didn't get short on ya.

On Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:56:05 -0400, "Kim Neubert" <kneubert@gmail.com>
wrote:

>"Ryder Rick" <rickb794@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:JSnOk.1480$225.392@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
>
>> If you are following that procedure and noticing a change in the clutch
>> action (and if your discs are not shot), there is on most models a thick
>> steel disc deal with a spring separator that may have lost it's spring.
>> This disc provides some feel to the clutch expanding the point where it
>> begins to engage to full engagement. I usually chuck them and put in an
>> extra friction and steel disc. Depends on what you like. It makes the
>> clutch grab quicker more of an on/off feel without the springy disc.
>
>While you're in there, pull out the push rod and look at the ends to be sure
>it didn't get short on ya.

Sure sounds like a good time to do it. I suppose it wouldn't take
much to make the difference I'm detecting.

Road Glidin' Don wrote:
> On Oct 30, 1:25 pm, Ryder Rick <rickb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Road Glidin' Don wrote:
>>> On Oct 30, 11:07 am, "Harold Gailey" <hgai...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>> "Road Glidin' Don" <d.lan...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:bc59b216-7682-4de6-8b25-75fc56bba3e6@v22g2000pro.googlegroups.com...
>>>>> It's my clutch. The lever's friction zone - the point in the hand
>>>>> lever's travel where the clutch goes from engaging to disengaging -
>>>>> seems to be moving further and further out on my Road Glide. Soon it
>>>>> appears the lever will be completely released and the clutch will slip
>>>>> under load.
>>>>> I've made adjustments at the clutch and cable to no significant
>>>>> avail. At first I thought maybe that's caused by the friction plates
>>>>> thinning out - perhaps not be out of the realm of possibility on a
>>>>> bike with 120K miles. But I was just measuring the thicknesses of the
>>>>> friction plates last night and they're still well within spec....
>>>>> So I'm thinking now that this is actually caused by the clutch cable
>>>>> having stretched over time. Sounds reasonable? The adjuster is so
>>>>> rusted that I'm thinking of replacing it this winter anyway.
>>>> If it is that stretched, you are approaching the most dangerous of
>>>> situations. The time when the cable is due to brake at any moment. The
>>>> reason this is so scary really depends on whether you keep your bike in
>>>> gear at a light or always find neutral. If you keep it in gear and rely upon
>>>> your clutch cable to keep you out of fast moving crosstraffic, well you
>>>> can probably imagine what happens if the cable gives out. On an average
>>>> bike, the motor probably stalls after the bike lunges forward a foot or so.
>>>> Probably no problem except maybe to a pedestrian crossing in front of you.
>>>> However if your motor idles high, your still warming it up with higher than
>>>> usual
>>>> revs or your on a downhill slope, you may launch out into that fast moving
>>>> crosstraffic. Unless you have lightning fast reflexes, you could find
>>>> yourself
>>>> in a serious situation. Cables are cheap enough. Try a new one out and see
>>>> if that fixes it or if its the clutch push rod wearing out on you or some
>>>> other
>>>> trickiness including the clutch hub nut backing out on you.
>>> Sounds like very good advice. Thanks Harold.
>> There is a procedure for adjusting the clutch in the manual, this is to
>> ensure you get the balls in the right position in the ramps.
>>
>> LOOSEN the clutch cable adjustment completely first, the set the push
>> rod. After that set the cable slack at the lever with the cable adjuster.
>
> Yeah, that's what I've been doing. 1/2 to 3/4 turn out, after
> bottoming-out the adjuster, then adjust the slack in the cable after.
>
>> If you are following that procedure and noticing a change in the clutch
>> action (and if your discs are not shot), there is on most models a thick
>> steel disc deal with a spring separator that may have lost it's spring.
>> This disc provides some feel to the clutch expanding the point where it
>> begins to engage to full engagement. I usually chuck them and put in an
>> extra friction and steel disc. Depends on what you like. It makes the
>> clutch grab quicker more of an on/off feel without the springy disc.
>
> I'm not sure I quite follow you there because the only spring I'm
> aware of is the diaphram spring in my clutch. But perhaps that's
> what's lost it's springiness. Hadn't considered that...
>
> And, as I think of it some more, I guess it couldn't be the cable
> lengthening, because I can still adjust it so that I get the 1/8" free-
> play at the clutch lever.
>
>

One of the clutch disc's is 2 steels riveted together with a wavey
spring in between that is the disc I am talking about.

On Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:50:30 GMT, Ryder Rick <rickb794@gmail.com>
wrote:

>>> If you are following that procedure and noticing a change in the clutch
>>> action (and if your discs are not shot), there is on most models a thick
>>> steel disc deal with a spring separator that may have lost it's spring.
>>> This disc provides some feel to the clutch expanding the point where it
>>> begins to engage to full engagement. I usually chuck them and put in an
>>> extra friction and steel disc. Depends on what you like. It makes the
>>> clutch grab quicker more of an on/off feel without the springy disc.
>>
>> I'm not sure I quite follow you there because the only spring I'm
>> aware of is the diaphram spring in my clutch. But perhaps that's
>> what's lost it's springiness. Hadn't considered that...
>>
>> And, as I think of it some more, I guess it couldn't be the cable
>> lengthening, because I can still adjust it so that I get the 1/8" free-
>> play at the clutch lever.
>
>One of the clutch disc's is 2 steels riveted together with a wavey
>spring in between that is the disc I am talking about.

I see. It might be that your clutch is a little different than mine
then. In addition to the diaphram spring on the left side of the
clutch pack, there's one other spring on the right side of the pack,
against the hub.

I was just taking a look at that one last night. It's sort of a
bevelled cone shaped spacer for exerting pressure on the friction
plates from the inside out.

Visually, it's hard to say whether the 2 springs have lost their
springiness, so I suppose past experience with the lifetimes of those
parts could be an important guide.

If anyone has found that replacing either or both of those springs has
fixed the problem I described, that would be helpful to know.