Losing clutch power

[ETXWoody]

Recently I had my bike worked on. I had to replace the belt. Once I got it back I noticed a whinning soundwhen starting the bike (then it would stop) however would whin sometimes when shifting. Then it happened the clutch started getting weak then nothing. Removing the clutch cover there were metal shaving... readjusting the bolt and clutch cable the power was back BUT would then go back to nothing after a trip around the block. Been searching this issue for days now and haven't found much. Any and all advise would be awesome. Thanks.

07 Street Glide

 

[NGOT8R]

I suggest removing the primary cover, clutch spring, pressure plate, clutch fiber plates and steel plates and inspect them, along with the clutch basket. If the steels are badly discolored, they may be warped. You can check them for warpage by placing them on a glass table top and pressing on them (with one finger), in the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions. If the clutch has high mileage on it, the friction plates may be too thin and not providing adequate grip, which will cause slippage. Lastly, the clutch basket could also be worn and there will be grooves in it where the teeth from the steel plates have eaten into them. This could possibly be the source of your metal shavings. I have replaced plenty of clutches in the past and encountered all of the above at some point. Replace the fibers and steels if the clutch hub looks good and you will more than likely have fixed the problem. Good luck.

 

[ETXWoody]

Right on I'll try that thanks.

 

[ETXWoody]

Removed the plates and new ones came in.. it seems to me the friction plates and steel plates are similar like theres nothing wrong with the orgianl plates. I have heard that the HD pressure plate isnt made very good. Would you think it'll be the pressure plate that is causing my clutch to go dead after being set?

 

[NGOT8R]

Removed the plates and new ones came in.. it seems to me the friction plates and steel plates are similar like theres nothing wrong with the orgianl plates. I have heard that the HD pressure plate isnt made very good. Would you think it'll be the pressure plate that is causing my clutch to go dead after being set?

In most instances, you won't be able to tell if the material on the friction plates has thinned out by looking at them. As for the steels, they are much easier to diagnose by checking for excessive discoloring and warpage. The way most racers (I reference racers because they can go through clutches like candy), check their friction plates is by measuring them with a digital slide caliper. If you don't have one, Harbor Freigt, Home Depot and even Lowes sells them for a very reasonable price. Measure the thickness of the new ones and (write that number down somewhere for future reference) and do the same for the old ones, that way you will know what is normal and what's not in the future. Does your pressure plate appear to be warped (check it using the same method as the the steels), or cracked anywhere? I have also heard the same thing about the HD pressure plates. I installed a billet one in mine along with the VPC. Here is a link to the digital slide caliper for reference purposes.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_6ujicxbx15_b

 

[ETXWoody]

I measured both set and they both read very close to one another (like .2 differance). The pressure plate doesnt seem to be warped. No off color or anything. Theres a perfect circle around the front of the plate where it seems to be rubbing that is all. Got me thinking a lot and what should the rod inside the be doing when I slide it inside the basket? Heck I'll take any and all ideas you got... I'm getting bothered by this cause I can't find out what the problem is to even fix it and we are having awesome weather right now.
Thanks again man.

 

[NGOT8R]

The clutch pushrod just slides in until it seats. It's job is to disengage the clutch when the lever is pulled in. Let me ask you another important question: Did you take the clutch out and inspect it before posting this thread? I'm asking because I wonder if you installed the cone washer incorrectly? The cone end is supposed to face the motor. If not, then the clutch will not function properly. Do you have a service manual for your bike? If not, maybe you can find and e-version online or make a thread on here to see if someone has a link to one. If you're sure the internals are installed right, make sure you adjust clutch lever free-play using this how to adjust harley cable clutch method. If none of this fixes the problem then I'm not sure what it could be, as the clutch really is a very simple design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQSIT5EvExw

 

[y22c]

Can't be .2 difference.

Ken

 

[ETXWoody]

Alright so finally got all my plates in... I see that when I removed the old plates there was a more narrow plate than the rest... does this cause an issue when putting the plates and much back into the clutch basket?

 

[NGOT8R]

No, the small fiber won't be an issue. The damper spring seat goes in first, followed by the damper spring (looks like a thin ring cone) and thin fiber. Note: The cone or narrow end of the damper spring faces the engine. Next alternate installing steel and then fiber until you install them, with the last one being a fiber. Install the pressure plate, clutch spring, clutch spring plate, six bolts and torque them to factory specs.