Topic: Clutch cable broke 15 miles from home (need advise)

[andy8190]

So i was riding my 1974 cb550k just a min ago trying to find a route to work without getting on the interstate and about 15 or so miles from home my clutch cable broke. I have had my clutch go out in a truck i own about 40 miles from home before and managed to make it home without the clutch and using the rpms to shift through gears. So i thought i could do this and get home on the motorcycle. Well i got home by doing it and avoided as many red light as i could because the hardest part was getting into 1st gear. I didnt grind the gears hardly at all on the way back maybe two or three times, but even those times were minimal. I did however notice when i first started the trip back i was going about 30mph and it felt like the clutch was slipping down into a lower gear. This sensation happened twice at the beginning but other than that did not. Does this mean i prolly messed up my clutch or transmission (do these bikes even have a "transmission"). I really hope i didnt do any real damage. Any advice would be appreciated. I am just worried that when i get a new cable i will be riding about 60 or so and something will go out from this and i will go crashing down. What do you guys think?

[mystic_1]

Sure, these bikes have a transmission, i.e. gearbox.

Sounds to me like you may have glazed your clutch plates up a bit, which makes them a bit prone to slipping.  I'd pull the clutch pack out, inspect, and scuff down the friction discs with some light sandpaper.  See where that gets you.

mystic_1

[andy8190]

oh no  that is venturing into territory i dont feel comfortable with. So if i glazed them up why did it happen in the first say 1/2 mile of the trip back home and never again? If i do take the clutch apart do i need any special tools to do all this because all i have is general stuff?

and also when i get a new clutch cable and i ride what am i looking for feeling wise to see if that is really what happened, because i dont want to take the clutch apart until a last resort.

[TwoTired]

Put on the new clutch cable and take it for a ride.

Have you made the adjustment at the bottom of the clutch cover yet?

Take the clutch out only after the new cable and clutch pivot adjustment, if necessary.

Cheers,

[andy8190]

twotired,
i did adjust the clutch some and it seemed to go into neutral easier, not super easy, but easy enough for me. I dont have a new cable and will order one today so i have to wait for it to come in the mail. I modified my last post asking about what i will be looking for when riding it again to see if that happened. The pivot arm is where the cable attaches at the bottom correct?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

I read good advice on here, when you get the new one see if you can get a decent used one cheap. Then put it inside the headlight bucket!

[andy8190]

thats a good idea. but i cam across this thread that said look for a solderless nipple that you can screw onto the end. i wouldnt mind paying for a pro motion cable just as a back up. That sucked today

[markjenn]

If you really want to be prepared, route a new clutch cable right next to the old one with zip ties.  Of course, once you do this, you'll never break a clutch cable for the rest of your life. 

I doubt you did anything that will have long-term consequences.  Put the new one on, go ride, and assess.  It will probably behave just fine.

- Mark

[andy8190]

haha i would say thats definitely being prepared right there.

[TwoTired]

twotired,
i did adjust the clutch some and it seemed to go into neutral easier, not super easy, but easy enough for me. I dont have a new cable and will order one today so i have to wait for it to come in the mail. I modified my last post asking about what i will be looking for when riding it again to see if that happened. The pivot arm is where the cable attaches at the bottom correct?

Check out the shop manual pg 109 and pg 115.  Fig 320 shows the clutch actuator adjuster jam nut and screw slot engagement adjuster.  Fig 335 shows what is going on inside.  These adjustments are to be made before the cable adjustments are done.  This effects the clutch engagement point, and the ease of lever movement.

Didn't we go over this before?  Or, was that another poster?

Cheers,

[andy8190]

yes that was me and i did read up on adjusting it at the arm, i just wanted to make sure that was the correct terminology for the clutch arm down there. I had the clutch adjusted fine it seemed until the cable broke. What i meant by getting into something i was not quite comfortable with i mean taking the clutch apart and messing with the plates. And what i meant about what am i looking for when i ride it next i meant to tell whether or not the plates are glazed.
Sorry if there was confusion.

[mystic_1]

If you put the new cable on and still get some clutch slippage, next step is to recheck adjustments and/or deglaze the plates.

If not slippage, no worries.

mystic_1

[andy8190]

ok, will the slippage feel the same as that feeling today (going about 30 and then it felt like it downshifted) and then went back to normal?

[martino1972]

your slippage was probably from the old cable not totally releasing the clutch......first try with new cable and proper adjustment ,I'm sure it will be fine....