Topic: Stiff Clutch-Too much Oil?

[Derek B.]

Howdy Y'all!  I haven't been on the board for a long time, because my little 350F has been running GREAT!  I rebuilt the top end a year or so ago with lots of help from the board.  Purrs like a kitten now.  Anyhow...

I am running eurobars on my bike, and the clutch feel was pretty stiff, so I rerouted the factory clutch cable over the bars and idiot lights and then under the tank in the usual spot to take out the somewhat-extreme bend that the lower bars were putting in the NOS cable when routed as on the original bars.  I saw an immediate improvement in the ease of  clutch actuation.  I have noticed, however, that it takes more and more effort to pull the lever the longer the bike runs, to the point of making it very difficult to pull if I ride for a couple hours in town.  I didn't notice this problem until after I had changed my oil, and have noticed that, even though I carefully measured out the proper amount listed in my Factory Repair Manual, it reads high on the dipstick.  Does oil expand as it heats?  Could this be affecting my clutch somehow?  Just wanted to ask before I drain a little out...

Thanks in advace for any tips!

[ElCheapo]

Too much oil will never make a clutch hard to pull. Your stiff clutch is still to blame on your cable. Try lubing it or routing it again. It might be starting to go bad and this just happened to time with you changing the oil. Or you are just more aware of it now.

[Gordon]

And on a side note, you always add oil based on the dipstick reading. 

[Derek B.]

So, yes, it was the cable.  The routing is still good, and the cable is only 1000 miles/one year old or so.  I'm somewhat embarrassed that I posted before thinking, "did I ever lube that thing when I put it on?"  Is WD40 suitable for lubing cables?  I taped plastic bags to either end, one containing 1/4 cup or so of WD40, the other empty.  I flipped the cable upside-down until it looked like all the fluid had gone from one bag to the other, reinstalled, and my left hand is a lot happier now.  I figure I can do the same trick with all-purpose grease if need be, though it'll be more like using a pastry bag (like one uses to decorate a cake). The Champions Choice cable lube injector just looks like a $13.00 version of the same idea to me.  True?

Oh.  And I let about 2/3 of a cup (can you tell I live in the US and I cook a lot?)  of oil out of the engine and I'm right on the line on the dipstick now (resting in place, not screwed in)

[mcpuffett]

  glad it worked out for you,      mick

[Honda CBer]

WD40 is not suitable for long-term lube... it is very thin, and in fact, is as much a solvent as an oil... you have cleaned (probably quite well, even) the inside of the cable sheath, which explains the improvement in feel... wasnt the 40 on the other end kind of black and gross? now get some cable lube down there... you can use something like TRI-FLOW (from your local push bike store) or something a little longer-lasting, like petrochem (my choice)... the petrochem stuff (as well as several other brands) has its lubricant in solution--- given a little "dry time", the solvent evaporates, leaving a film that stays put and does not attract dirt...


dennis kirk sells it both in a kit with a cable lubing tool, and as lube only...

[Bob Wessner]

I agree with Honda CBer, WD-40 in a pinch maybe, but long-term not a good idea.

[grumburg]

A little grease on the cam inside the cover helps alot.