Clutch Drag Causes.

V

Vince

Hero member
I am having a clutch drag issue with my Atlas, it requires zero freeplay on the cable and even then it creeps forward a bit and really doesn't like selecting neutral when stopped. I am thinking of warped discs or maybe a shortened pushrod. The bike has only done 26,000ks but being an off-road bike it might have copped some hard slipping at some point. Anything else I should look for?
 
I doubt that many Atlas have seen much off road use.
If it's anything like the 500 clutch, it' needs to be spot on. Go through the whole thing starting with cable lube and routing.
Then, there's an adjuster screw on the lifting mechanism behind the sprocket cover. Make sure that the lifting arm is square to the rod.
Then you'll need to check the two rods, and the ball in between, and lastly, the clutch itself.
Warped discs of course, but also burrs on the hub.

What oil are you using?
Paul
 
Hi Vince, If you remove the primary cover and operate the clutch , take note of how the drum moves. If it doesn't move evenly there is your problem. Then its a question of replacing rods, springs, plates possibly etc.
 
I hope there is room in the clutch actuation geometry to allow a slightly longer lower lever to lighten the bar lever pull, but I have a sneaking suspicion the design might be maxed out. BTW the pull it's got isn't horrible, what is a pain is needing every millimetre of lever pull to get neutral. It needs zero bar lever free play and I don't like running it like that. That will add heat which then becomes a sum zero game.
 
Hi Vince.

If you are needing every mm of hand lever travel at the moment, then adding a longer slave lever will make things even worse. You will lessen hand lever effort, but also lessen clutch plate separation. I think you know that, but just thought it was worth a mention.

Sounds to me like something is worn or misplaced and so the clutch mechanism is not operating in its intended range.
 
push rods worn at any of the four ends, or thrust bar, maybe no lined friction material left.
CLEM
 
Haggis said:
Hi Vince.

If you are needing every mm of hand lever travel at the moment, then adding a longer slave lever will make things even worse. You will lessen hand lever effort, but also lessen clutch plate separation. I think you know that, but just thought it was worth a mention.

Sounds to me like something is worn or misplaced and so the clutch mechanism is not operating in its intended range.
Click to expand...
There isn't a "slave" lever.
Paul
 
there is but not as we know it Spock, it the lever on top of the gearcase/clutch housing about 50mm long, make it longer for easier pull, but as Haggis says, less parting of the plates
CLEM
or have I losy the plot again, playing with 500's and the Atlas was decades ago.
 
The lower lever is below the crankcase on the right bottom edge and the cable pull is rear towards the front. Much different to my 180 triple. There looks to be room to extend that lever approx 15mm, but just like that mod on 180s, there is a possibility of getting neutral even harder. The first port of call I think is a look-see at the clutch condition. BTW how finicky are 500 twins with clutch adjustment and ease of getting neutral from new?
 
Vince said:
The lower lever is below the crankcase on the right bottom edge and the cable pull is rear towards the front. Much different to my 180 triple. There looks to be room to extend that lever approx 15mm, but just like that mod on 180s, there is a possibility of getting neutral even harder. The first port of call I think is a look-see at the clutch condition. BTW how finicky are 500 twins with clutch adjustment and ease of getting neutral from new?
Click to expand...
Terrible
 
Before I start - not friggin jokes about clocks.
I'd look closely at the angle of the lever at the gearbox end. In the road twins and triples it's important that the lever operate as closely to on o'clock and 11 o'clock (or 2 and 10 ... ) looking from the rear. This means the movement of the lever is transferring the maximum travel to the pushrod for the maximum available travel of the handlebar lever, and thus the maximum separation of the plates. When I first set up the Q it was starting at close 12 (ie lever vertical) and it meant I had insufficient travel. Brand new factory friction and metal plates - even thought the rods were exactly the right length.

Without wanting fashion a longer rod I added 1mm washers under the lever perch at the gearbox (that the lever pivots from and holds the ball), which moved the lever back to around 1o'clock. Works fine (and with extended lever).

I'm not hopeful you're going to have any success with yours Vince if you can't alter that angle of attack.
 
I had an issue years ago with my 3c after having slip issues I got Eades to fit a new set of Surflex plates. My bike had an extended lever and after them fitting that new clutch the lever started hitting the case before the clutch disengaged fully. The imbecile who did the work said it would take time to self-adjust, really? So I took it home and started looking at it. To me, the fix was a slightly longer rod so I made one out of Stainless, happy me I had fixed it. For 30 minutes anyway, that's how long that Stainless rod lasted before it had Mutted on one end and wasn't long enough to work. I got the correct news here from The Forum, the rods take huge point loads and need to be Case Hardened Tool Steel and even one millimetre to short stops their function. My 3c works great with my expended lever, nice and light but I still easily getting Neutral. I am hoping it's the same with the Atlas but its looks like its clutch action has a narrow window to work in.
 
piranha-bro2 said:
Before I start - not friggin jokes about clocks.
I'd look closely at the angle of the lever at the gearbox end. In the road twins and triples it's important that the lever operate as closely to on o'clock and 11 o'clock (or 2 and 10 ... ) looking from the rear. This means the movement of the lever is transferring the maximum travel to the pushrod for the maximum available travel of the handlebar lever, and thus the maximum separation of the plates. When I first set up the Q it was starting at close 12 (ie lever vertical) and it meant I had insufficient travel. Brand new factory friction and metal plates - even thought the rods were exactly the right length.

Without wanting fashion a longer rod I added 1mm washers under the lever perch at the gearbox (that the lever pivots from and holds the ball), which moved the lever back to around 1o'clock. Works fine (and with extended lever).

I'm not hopeful you're going to have any success with yours Vince if you can't alter that angle of attack.
Click to expand...
I think that all you can do is use the adjuster screw as I mentioned earlier.
Paul
 
What I really need to do is lay the bike on its side and have a bloody good look under the engine at the lower lever, I haven't seen what's happening down there. Laying my body beside it doesn't help to see the whole shebang down there, the lower frame rails block your view. So I will lay it over and take a pic, I haven't felt any lower lever adjusters at all.

Quote, Then, there's an adjuster screw on the lifting mechanism behind the sprocket cover. Make sure that the lifting arm is square to the rod.

That's why I love this place, Thanks Paul great info. I have had that countershaft cover off before looking at replacing or at least cleaning the chain and sprockets but I hadn't noticed when that cover is off you can see 100mm of the lower clutch arm and ITS ADJUSTING SCREW right there in plain sight. I will have a fiddle with that adjuster tomorrow and see if it improves the geometry of the arm.
 
If your lever on the 3C was hitting the case it means it was operating from 12 to 10 o’clock. No way that would work. Check the angle of the Atlas lever during operation.
 
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