Topic: Clutch Adjustment Screw Stuck

[saxamaphone]

Hi all, I was riding my CB550K1 the last couple days after having been trying to get the bike going for the last while.  It's running well now but when it gets hot after riding for 15mins, the clutch starts acting strangely.  It becomes hard to shift at all and hard to put in neutral.  I've been reading some threads on this and have started to try and fix it. 

It looks like my clutch cable is out almost the all the way at the grip end so I'll pick up a new cable.  I have no idea how old it is anyway.

When I tried to adjust the clutch as the manual says, I found that even with the lock nut loosened, the adjusment screw won't move in either direction.  The PO has already broken a bit off of it so I'm not reefing on it but enough that it should move.  I've tried PB blaster on it but no luck.

I'm unable to lift the lever/lifter by hand at all either.  The dots are lined up between the case and the lever.



When the bike is idling there is some knocking but it goes away with the clutch pulled in.

When the bike is idling in neutral, is it normal that when I bump the kick starter by accident it grinds gears?  The kick barely moves and it grinds against something.

Anyone have similar experiences?  I always hate not knowing how things are supposed to be but this all seems wrong to me.

[Tews19]

These bikes are know to have the clutch rattle. Like yours most rattle and it lessens in sound once engaged. Nothing to worry about.


When you say you bump the kick starter on accident and it grinds..... is this while it is running? If so, I believe thats normal. Just don't do it.


Did you try to adjust all aspects prior to adjusting the clutch screw?

[saxamaphone]

Glad to hear that's normal about the kick starter thing.  It would just be if I bumped it back a bit with my foot.

I followed the manual when adjusting the clutch but the first thing it says is to turn the adjustment screw to align the dots on the lever and case.  My screw won't budge.  I loosened the cable at the grip and by the case but no change. 

I guess I'll take the cover off and check it out.

[dave500]

if the dots are close enough thatll be ok,use both ends of the cable to fine adjust it,you wont be able to operate that short arm with just your fingers,if you cant adjust the new cable to get a full release without slipping youll need to open the clutch up and replace the friction discs,deglaze the steels if you get that far into it,bumping the kicker when its running wont really hurt anything,its just the over run ratchet in action.

[saxamaphone]

Cheers Dave.  Just picked up a new cable from Honda.  Great dealers here.  They have an incredible collection of old Hondas.

The clutch adjustment screw is finished I think.  Once I had loosened the clutch cable I could push and pull the adjustment screw in and out, which would raise and lower the lever.  I couldn't turn it left or right however.

I began to take the clutch cover off and of course the very last phillips screw won't budge...

I'm replacing the old bolts with allen heads.  Does anyone know off hand if it's ok to use 6x30 screws instead of the 6x32 the parts list calls for?  The shop I go to says they only come in 6x30  or 6x35.

[reddyvv]

If you don't have an impact screwdriver buy one. It's a must-have for the screws on these old beasts. One good whack will loosen it up.

[dave500]

with a nice flat ended steel punch give that last screw a thump or two,that might shock it enough to come out with your normal screwdriver,be sure the cross slots are clear,dig the crud out of them for a decent bite,that adjustment screw dosent come off the inside actuating lever,its thread is peened over,you might be able to free it up though and clean up the end slot,short of replace that lever,watch how the over centre cam and spring is assembled inside before you operate its action,it will go past its normal engagement point and flip over and have to be re set,,youll see once you have the cover off,its easy.

[saxamaphone]

Thanks again for your help Dave.  I eventually was able to drill out that stuck case screw, although it took trying it and leaving it a few times in frustration.

Then I had to deal with the stuck clutch adjustment screw which also had most the business end broken off.  Let it soak for a couple days and that helped.

I have a fairly dumb question but I'd just like to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong.

I'm not sure where to attach the breaker/points wires that run under the right crankcase cover.  The one I'm not sure about is the one that lines up like it's supposed to go over the dowel but it doesn't fit.  I'm pretty that's where it came off of when I took the cover off but I'm not sure how it goes back.  The other two fit easily in line with the case screws.

I couldn't get my camera to focus on the wire rather than the clutch but hopefully it's clear.

[tomkimberly]

That bracket should be mounted on the outside of the case I think, and not under it.

Tom

[saxamaphone]

Of course.  Thanks Tom.  For some reason I remembered it being farther in.

Cheers.

[mono]

well, i was going to recommend starting small, since that adjustment screw can be tricky, but you're already neck-deep hahahaa

anyways, to answer some previous questions:
- I've found on my 550 that using actual motorcycle oil (mineral-spirit based) helped my hard shifting/neutral while warm issue.
- I can't move the  lever on the clutch case by hand either.
- yes, new cable is a good idea - helped mine a lot as far as staying adjusted better.

[saxamaphone]

Thanks for the advice mono.  I've been playing with clutch adjustments the last couple days, then riding.  Can't seem to get it perfect.  In order to line up the dot on the lever to the dot on the case the screw is pretty much all the way out.  Sometimes it jerks when put in 1st and other times it sounds like it's grinding a bit.  Neutral still a drag to get into.

My neutral light is also always on, bright in neutral and dimmer when in gear.  I took off the cover to get at the neutral switch and cleaned it up but once clean, it made no difference. 

When I was doing that, I tried moving the rear tire while the bike was in gear and found that the tire will only move in neutral and 5th gear.  The rest of it feels like its banging up against something (clutch plate I guess) when you move it.

Is this sticky plates?  I took them out covered them in oil but maybe I didn't soak them like I've seen people do on the forum.

[tomkimberly]

My neutral light is also always on, bright in neutral and dimmer when in gear.  I took off the cover to get at the neutral switch and cleaned it up but once clean, it made no difference. 

Does your bike have a switch in the clutch handle bracket? If so, a bad zenor diode would explain the neutral indicator light.

Tom

[mono]

Thanks for the advice mono.  I've been playing with clutch adjustments the last couple days, then riding.  Can't seem to get it perfect.  In order to line up the dot on the lever to the dot on the case the screw is pretty much all the way out.  Sometimes it jerks when put in 1st and other times it sounds like it's grinding a bit.  Neutral still a drag to get into.

My neutral light is also always on, bright in neutral and dimmer when in gear.  I took off the cover to get at the neutral switch and cleaned it up but once clean, it made no difference. 

When I was doing that, I tried moving the rear tire while the bike was in gear and found that the tire will only move in neutral and 5th gear.  The rest of it feels like its banging up against something (clutch plate I guess) when you move it.

Is this sticky plates?  I took them out covered them in oil but maybe I didn't soak them like I've seen people do on the forum.

- your bike should only roll freely in N and possibly a higher gear.  it won't move while in gear because the clutch is engaged.  this is a good thing.

- are you sure the "faint" N light you're seeing isn't bleed-through from another light?  there's really no dimmer option for "almost in N"

- if it jerks when you put it in 1st (I'm assuming you're doing that with the clutch lever pulled in), that means you need to adjust your clutch cable more (lift the lever higher), because the clutch is dragging.

you'll get there!