Topic: 1st tire issues now the clutch

[gaustin]

I spent all yesterday reading this forum trying to decide what type and size tires would fit on my k4, well in the end I decide to stick with a 130/90/18 rear and 110/90/19 front.

Then today the adventure of getting the bike to the cycle shop began.  It had to be 95 degrees out side and about 3 miles from the shop the rear tire deflates all the way down.  I limp it into a auto repair shop and use their air compressor to put enough in hopefully to get the final 3 miles... well it got me a mile.  So here I am sweating like I'm sitting in the middle of the sun trying to roll this tank with a flat rear tire...      It wasn't working very well.

I decide to use the motor to hopefully crawl (on the sidewalk) all the way to the shop.  It was working to up until about 100 yards from the shop when the clutch just gives out.  Now when I release the clutch nothing happens no matter which gear. 

I did finally get it to the shop and they put the new rubber on it, looks Sweet!!  Thanks again 2 this forum. 

Question is did I fry my clutch?  and if I did are they hard to replace?     

I'm starting to really love my CB   

[Tom Stark]

Sorry for your troubles.  If it makes you feel any better, I have actually had worse days, (usually on vacation miles from home!). 
Given what you have said, (and I am assuming that you were slipping the clutch on the sidewalk), yes it sounds like a fried clutch.  Still, never hurts to do some simple checks.  Does the clutch cable have some freeplay?  If it does not, loosen it up so it does.  If it does have freeplay, remove the chrome cover by the kick starter.  Under that cover you will see a cable attached to an arm.  In the center of that arm, is a slot head screw with a lock nut around it.  You sould be able to move that screw in and out, just a few thousandths fairly easily.  If you can't, loosen the lock nut and turn the slot head coundter clockwise to loosen it.  When it is nice and loose, turn it back in until you just feel it hit the clutch drum.  At this point, back it our 1/4 turn, and tighten the lock nut without moving the screw.  Now you should be able to push and pull it in and out just a little bit.  If you already have the freeplay there, then you are probably going to need a clutch.  That can be VERY expensive depending where you go.  If you go to https://www.partsnmore.com/cat_index.php?model=cb750_sohc&category=chassis you will find all sorts of parts for your 750.  The clutch discs will run around $35 or $40 bucks from there.  I called a local place, and they said they can only get them from the dealer for $20 each, (you need 7 of them!), so the vintage parts is the way to go.  They do not offer the steels, just the friction discs.  If your steels are bad too, there is another place that sells them reasonably, I just would have to hunt for it.  It is not a bad job, just get a manual for the bike, (available from the link above also), and take your time and use the right tools.  I would suggest you buy an impact driver to loosen up the phillips head screws on the clutch cover.  This is about a $15 item that you hit with a hammer and it loosens, or tightens, the screws.  This will help keep you from stripping out the heads of all those screws. 
Tom

[gaustin]

Thank you for the detailed post.

 Luckily when I first was rebuilding this bike I had taken off the screws for the Clutch cover so they were relativly easy to unscrew.  I wouldn't believe that adjusting the clutch would have fixed it but it did!  I really appreciate the help.  I actually own two manuals for the bike but once again I thought I'd screwed it up so royally that I was looking at the daunting task of rebuilding the clutch not just adjustment.

Thanks again.

[Tom Stark]

Man that's cool!  Glad it worked out.  I figured you would be replacing the clutch too, BUT, you always need to check out everything, and this time you lucked out!  Always nice when things don't go to crap as badly as you thought they would! 
Best wishes and God bless
Tom