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Preface
Buddy - who has been competing in drag races for years - says to me, "You should come out and compete with your
Street Bob. It's fun!" and I think, "Yeah, why not?"
With my mostly-stock '07 bike and no racing experience, I'm not expecting to make the news but I figure
I should try to make it look good; which (to me) means practice some burn-outs. My test areas are the secondary roads which lead
which lead home from my folks' farm. First burn-out goes well. Big cloud of smoke, impressive! Next a burn-out/launch combination;
nice, long strip of rubber left on the road.
I probably should have finished there but, on another stretch of road, had to stop and do it again. This time, however,
things didn't go too smooth. Couldn't break that rear tire free. In retrospect, I wonder if maybe I hadn't taken all
my weight off the seat or something. Whatever the cause, the clutch didn't holding strong
enough to turn the tire. Instead, it slipped.
"Not good", I thought and decided that was enough. I looked back at Gladys (who, sitting on her Sporty, is
probably shaking her head at the nonsense), signalling we should carry on home. I put the bike in gear and
let out the clutch. And let out the clutch... And let out the clutch... Just at the end of the clutch lever's travel,
it finally grabbed enough to get the bike moving. Crap. This is definitely not good.
So, hobbling the rest of the way with a clutch that's barely engaging, I manage to get home, take the inspection
cover off and... Whew! What a stink! I think things got kinda hot in there, alright. So I replaced the primary oil
and readjusted the clutch.
After readjustment, it seemed to work not bad at all, so I thought maybe the clutch was going to be okay. But, as the riding
season went on, I started to notice it felt like it was slipping a little - especially when I really got on the throttle.
Late in the season by that time, I decided I would have to take a close look at it, come winter.
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|
Description of work
This page shows what I found. The friction pads weren't worn out - still having a 0.151" thickness (the minimum is 0.146"),
but everything looked kinda baked. And the steel plates between the friction disks were all blue-ish and black.
They definitely look like they got over-heated, which probably also means they're a bit distorted. That would explain
the weakness of the clutch. So the next step is pretty obvious: buy a new clutch pack, replace... and
try not to be so stupid next time.
|
|
Additional Notes, Secondary Drive Removal
This was my first chance to really tear into one of the newer primaries, so it was interesting. One thing surprised
me in the Service Manual: It had a strong warning to not use the stepped, gear-locking tool when unloosening the
clutch and compensating sprocket nuts, saying it could damage things. Instead, the book referred the reader to some
new Harley tool: a bar that would span from one set of gears to the other, locking the system that way. Well, I
don't have a tool like that!
As a result, thinking it couldn't hurt to try, I decided to make one myself. Made of wood. Actually, I didn't think a
wooden one would be strong enough to hold up against the torque (the compensating nut is at 155-165 ft.lbs), but I
thought it would at least be worth experimenting with, in order to get the length right in order to make one out of
steel later.
To my surprise the piece of wood worked! I'm not positive of the type of wood I used, but it was pretty
hard wood. I doubt one made of spruce would hold up. The length of wood I found ideal was
8 3⁄16". Not a bulky piece either, mine was 3⁄4" x 3⁄8" in cross-section. You can see it in a
couple of the photos below.
The second thing I realized later was that I didn't really need to take the clutch completely off in order to remove and
inspect the clutch pack. So why did I take the whole assembly out then? Never having removed one on the newer big twins,
let's just call it curiosity then.
|
|
Additional Notes, Reassembling Seconday
The clutch out and having determined I needed a new set of friction plates, the next step was to get the parts.
I was appalled at how much the dealerships in town wanted, so I asked someone in the States if he could ship me
something cheaper, which he did (thanks, Kickstart!). While I was at it, I obtained a set of tappets and a top-end
gasket kit for the Road Glide too (the savings on the clutch easily paid for them).
So now to button this job up. Did you read (above) how well that piece of wood worked for jamming the gears, to
loosen the compensating sprocket? Well, forget that approach when it comes to tightening the nut back on. All
that did was result in wood splinters. Wood is not up to withstanding the 160 ft-lbs of torque
being applied (which seems a much harder twist than it was tightening the larger bolt the Evo compensating
sprockets have, by the way).
|
|
Additional Notes, Clutch Complications
The replacement clutch I obtained is known as a "Police Clutch" and made for V-Twin Manufacturing (part #18-5053).
When putting it together I assumed I had to use the clutch damper spring and the clutch damper spring seat from
the old clutch (since it didn't come with the new kit). When doing so I failed to notice that those two parts did
not fit within the inside diameter of the first "narrow friction plate" (the one closest to the transmission).
The resulting stack ended up too thick as a result (as can be seen by some of the photos near the end of this
page). That meant taking it apart again, removing those two parts and reassembling a second time. The stack then
wound up being the right depth and, after testing, appeared to work fine. So that's something to be aware of, if
you should decide to use the Police Clutch.
Trouble-shooting this clutch problem was greatly aided by the fact I had taken photos during the disassembly
phase, by the way (which is why I hope pages like this might help others as well). Once it was clear the
clutch wasn't working, I referred to a photo with the old plates in the hub and could clearly see that the
new set had stacked substantially deeper. That then lead me to conclude the damper spring and its seat were
not necessary.
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|
|
|
Primary cover removed, ready to proceed.
|
Remove plate to get at clutch hub nut.
Loosen adjustment nut, remove spring clip, remove plate.
Chain tensioner already removed.
|
Piece of wood jamming gears for loosening nut.
Not having the tool specified by the Service Manual, I decided to
make one out of wood and see how it goes. Worked just fine!
Remember: The clutch hub nut being loosened here is reverse thread.
|
The piece of wood used to jam gears.
8 3⁄16" long, hard wood, 3⁄4" x 3⁄8" in cross-section.
|
Clutch hub nut removed.
|
Compensating sprocket bolt removed.
Note the different position of the jamming brace because,
unlike clutch, this is not a left-hand thread.
|
Compensating sprocket and clutch removed.
Note: This assembly did not really have to be removed, in order to
inspect/replace the clutch's plates.
|
The stuff that came out.
Cam plate behind compensating sprocket falls off.
|
Remove diaphram spring retainer plate.
|
Remove diaphram spring.
|
Remove plate covering friction plates.
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|
Removing top friction plate and then top steel plate.
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|
Steel plates, showing bluing from heat.
|
|
|
Close-up of friction plate and another steel plate.
Friction plate thickness was 0.151" (still well above minimum spec of 0.143")
|
|
|
Stack of plates shown together and the damper spring on right.
Note discolouration of many of the friction plates.
|
Another view of the stack of plates.
|
Friction plate thickness measurement.
|
Another view of discolouration.
|
|
Re-Assembly
|
The clutch pack I purchased - along with
some stuff for the Road Glide.
|
The old (HD) friction plate (top-left), compared
with the new set.
|
New friction plates submerged in primary
fluid for a half hour before assembly.
|
For HD clutch, damper spring seat would go in first.
Not needed for the Police Clutch I'm installing, however.
Inside diameter of this narrow friction plate to small to
accept either this or the damper spring within it!
|
For HD clutch, damper spring would go in
next - concave side up.
(like a bowl with open side up, not facing down)
Not needed for the Police Clutch I'm installing, however.
|
Now the "narrow" friction plate goes in first.
(there's only one of these and it's not as
narrow as the OEM one)
|
Next, the first steel plate goes in.
|
And then a friction plate - repeating until done.
|
Doesn't Work - So Disassembly Again!
|
Outer primary removed.
|
Pressure plate removed, showing depth of
plate stack using all 9 friction plates.
|
Another view of depth of plate stack.
Compare this with this picture original stack.
|
The damper spring and seat that were removed.
|
The clutch reassembled without spring and seat.
The thickness of the clutch pack is now correct.
|
Preface
Buddy - who has been competing in drag races for years - says to me, "You should come out and compete with your
Street Bob. It's fun!" and I think, "Yeah, why not?"
With my mostly-stock '07 bike and no racing experience, I'm not expecting to make the news but I figure
I should try to make it look good; which (to me) means practice some burn-outs. My test areas are the secondary roads which lead
which lead home from my folks' farm. First burn-out goes well. Big cloud of smoke, impressive! Next a burn-out/launch combination;
nice, long strip of rubber left on the road.
I probably should have finished there but, on another stretch of road, had to stop and do it again. This time, however,
things didn't go too smooth. Couldn't break that rear tire free. In retrospect, I wonder if maybe I hadn't taken all
my weight off the seat or something. Whatever the cause, the clutch didn't holding strong
enough to turn the tire. Instead, it slipped.
"Not good", I thought and decided that was enough. I looked back at Gladys (who, sitting on her Sporty, is
probably shaking her head at the nonsense), signalling we should carry on home. I put the bike in gear and
let out the clutch. And let out the clutch... And let out the clutch... Just at the end of the clutch lever's travel,
it finally grabbed enough to get the bike moving. Crap. This is definitely not good.
So, hobbling the rest of the way with a clutch that's barely engaging, I manage to get home, take the inspection
cover off and... Whew! What a stink! I think things got kinda hot in there, alright. So I replaced the primary oil
and readjusted the clutch.
After readjustment, it seemed to work not bad at all, so I thought maybe the clutch was going to be okay. But, as the riding
season went on, I started to notice it felt like it was slipping a little - especially when I really got on the throttle.
Late in the season by that time, I decided I would have to take a close look at it, come winter.
|
|
Description of work
This page shows what I found. The friction pads weren't worn out - still having a 0.151" thickness (the minimum is 0.146"),
but everything looked kinda baked. And the steel plates between the friction disks were all blue-ish and black.
They definitely look like they got over-heated, which probably also means they're a bit distorted. That would explain
the weakness of the clutch. So the next step is pretty obvious: buy a new clutch pack, replace... and
try not to be so stupid next time.
|
|
Additional Notes, Secondary Drive Removal
This was my first chance to really tear into one of the newer primaries, so it was interesting. One thing surprised
me in the Service Manual: It had a strong warning to not use the stepped, gear-locking tool when unloosening the
clutch and compensating sprocket nuts, saying it could damage things. Instead, the book referred the reader to some
new Harley tool: a bar that would span from one set of gears to the other, locking the system that way. Well, I
don't have a tool like that!
As a result, thinking it couldn't hurt to try, I decided to make one myself. Made of wood. Actually, I didn't think a
wooden one would be strong enough to hold up against the torque (the compensating nut is at 155-165 ft.lbs), but I
thought it would at least be worth experimenting with, in order to get the length right in order to make one out of
steel later.
To my surprise the piece of wood worked! I'm not positive of the type of wood I used, but it was pretty
hard wood. I doubt one made of spruce would hold up. The length of wood I found ideal was
8 3⁄16". Not a bulky piece either, mine was 3⁄4" x 3⁄8" in cross-section. You can see it in a
couple of the photos below.
The second thing I realized later was that I didn't really need to take the clutch completely off in order to remove and
inspect the clutch pack. So why did I take the whole assembly out then? Never having removed one on the newer big twins,
let's just call it curiosity then.
|
|
Additional Notes, Reassembling Seconday
The clutch out and having determined I needed a new set of friction plates, the next step was to get the parts.
I was appalled at how much the dealerships in town wanted, so I asked someone in the States if he could ship me
something cheaper, which he did (thanks, Kickstart!). While I was at it, I obtained a set of tappets and a top-end
gasket kit for the Road Glide too (the savings on the clutch easily paid for them).
So now to button this job up. Did you read (above) how well that piece of wood worked for jamming the gears, to
loosen the compensating sprocket? Well, forget that approach when it comes to tightening the nut back on. All
that did was result in wood splinters. Wood is not up to withstanding the 160 ft-lbs of torque
being applied (which seems a much harder twist than it was tightening the larger bolt the Evo compensating
sprockets have, by the way).
|
|
Additional Notes, Clutch Complications
The replacement clutch I obtained is known as a "Police Clutch" and made for V-Twin Manufacturing (part #18-5053).
When putting it together I assumed I had to use the clutch damper spring and the clutch damper spring seat from
the old clutch (since it didn't come with the new kit). When doing so I failed to notice that those two parts did
not fit within the inside diameter of the first "narrow friction plate" (the one closest to the transmission).
The resulting stack ended up too thick as a result (as can be seen by some of the photos near the end of this
page). That meant taking it apart again, removing those two parts and reassembling a second time. The stack then
wound up being the right depth and, after testing, appeared to work fine. So that's something to be aware of, if
you should decide to use the Police Clutch.
Trouble-shooting this clutch problem was greatly aided by the fact I had taken photos during the disassembly
phase, by the way (which is why I hope pages like this might help others as well). Once it was clear the
clutch wasn't working, I referred to a photo with the old plates in the hub and could clearly see that the
new set had stacked substantially deeper. That then lead me to conclude the damper spring and its seat were
not necessary.
|
|
|
|
|
Primary cover removed, ready to proceed.
|
Remove plate to get at clutch hub nut.
Loosen adjustment nut, remove spring clip, remove plate.
Chain tensioner already removed.
|
Piece of wood jamming gears for loosening nut.
Not having the tool specified by the Service Manual, I decided to
make one out of wood and see how it goes. Worked just fine!
Remember: The clutch hub nut being loosened here is reverse thread.
|
The piece of wood used to jam gears.
8 3⁄16" long, hard wood, 3⁄4" x 3⁄8" in cross-section.
|
Clutch hub nut removed.
|
Compensating sprocket bolt removed.
Note the different position of the jamming brace because,
unlike clutch, this is not a left-hand thread.
|
Compensating sprocket and clutch removed.
Note: This assembly did not really have to be removed, in order to
inspect/replace the clutch's plates.
|
The stuff that came out.
Cam plate behind compensating sprocket falls off.
|
Remove diaphram spring retainer plate.
|
Remove diaphram spring.
|
Remove plate covering friction plates.
|
|
|
|
Removing top friction plate and then top steel plate.
|
|
|
|
Steel plates, showing bluing from heat.
|
|
|
|
Close-up of friction plate and another steel plate.
Friction plate thickness was 0.151" (still well above minimum spec of 0.143")
|
|
|
|
Stack of plates shown together and the damper spring on right.
Note discolouration of many of the friction plates.
|
Another view of the stack of plates.
|
Friction plate thickness measurement.
|
Another view of discolouration.
|
|
Re-Assembly
|
The clutch pack I purchased - along with
some stuff for the Road Glide.
|
The old (HD) friction plate (top-left), compared
with the new set.
|
New friction plates submerged in primary
fluid for a half hour before assembly.
|
For HD clutch, damper spring seat would go in first.
Not needed for the Police Clutch I'm installing, however.
Inside diameter of this narrow friction plate to small to
accept either this or the damper spring within it!
|
For HD clutch, damper spring would go in
next - concave side up.
(like a bowl with open side up, not facing down)
Not needed for the Police Clutch I'm installing, however.
|
Now the "narrow" friction plate goes in first.
(there's only one of these and it's not as
narrow as the OEM one)
|
Next, the first steel plate goes in.
|
And then a friction plate - repeating until done.
|
Doesn't Work - So Disassembly Again!
|
Outer primary removed.
|
Pressure plate removed, showing depth of
plate stack using all 9 friction plates.
|
Another view of depth of plate stack.
Compare this with this picture original stack.
|
The damper spring and seat that were removed.
|
The clutch reassembled without spring and seat.
The thickness of the clutch pack is now correct.
|
|
|