Clutch Late Engagement

[surveywaters]

I have a 2005 Vulcan Nomad 1600 with 66k. It has a new Barnett clutch and spring. The basket is not grooved. The clutch lever engages very late and isn't completely disengaging. I have disassembled the clutch and verified that everything is correctly installed. I've also thoroughly bled the brakes. Any suggestions?

[DragonLady58]

Usually, if your clutch is slipping some, fresh fiber discs are enough to put it back to like new action.
Yea, make sure everything is good and clean, last disc is correctly offset. Clean and drain system good, put new seals/gaskets in your MS and the pushrod cylinder. Just make sure to drain and clean all that old fluid out of your hose, make sure your brake line isn't getting soft. If you went with just the band spankin' new fiber disc's, and your clutch is high up on the handle, steels are in good shape....you will probably need some adjusting....
As a last resort, if after all your cleaning and work, your handle is still high, pulling the lever in all the way.....(that barnett spring is pretty stout!), you might have to lightly burnish several fibers to get her to land where it needs to be, or use a couple of slightly thinner disc's to get her to land at the right stack up height (look in your repair book).
Thats how you adjust your height, or, play magical MS pushrod lengths....but I would not do that unless your a certified mechanic and really know what your doing....
Make double sure your clutch pushrod is in the right way also....


If its just barely trying to creep forward when you pull in the handle all the way....if your in neutral, work your clutch lever in and out several times, then try putting her in gear. If that doesn't help, roll your front tire up against a concrete wall or the tire of your car/truck, rev her up some, slip the clutch some like your gonna push the car or wall. Might have to do this several times....As your fibers wear a little, it'll get you to were its not dragging.


MAS, RedJay, recumbentbob and/or some of our other wrenches will be along shortly to impart their knowledge upon ya....

[surveywaters]

Thanks for the reply. Let me clarify: I am a very experiened, but not certified, mechanic. A shop installed the clutch about 5k ago. The bike belongs to a friend, an older gentleman, who asked me to take a look. When the lever is pulled, it is very light until the last 3/4" of pull and then it is very stiff. This does not fully release the clutch. I bled everything real good which made no difference. This led me to open the clutch because I suspected the washers to be improperly installed, they were fine though. I'll check the push rod next. I hate just throwing parts at it, but I realize it could be a soft spot in the hose. No leaks or pressure loss in the hydraulics.

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[DragonLady58]

Me myself, I have i set of new disc's when I work on the clutch, but I also have some new leftover disc's for a set of thick disc's and medium disc's.
That way, I can substitute one or two clutch plates, and get it exactly where I need them to be.
A also had one of the Cam Co's build me a special clutch pushrod that is adjustable....so if I get it close, I can fine tune there the let out point is, but its often a pain. Every once in a while I have to adjust the pushrod....not very often....

[surveywaters]

Thanks, I make an adjustable rod and see if that works.

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[Jllm02199]

Originally Posted by surveywaters

I have a 2005 Vulcan Nomad 1600 with 66k. It has a new Barnett clutch and spring. The basket is not grooved. The clutch lever engages very late and isn't completely disengaging. I have disassembled the clutch and verified that everything is correctly installed. I've also thoroughly bled the brakes. Any suggestions?

I'd say you have to many clutch plates or they are too thick.


I think you can buy thinner plates.

[surveywaters]

Originally Posted by Jllm02199

I'd say you have to many clutch plates or they are too thick.


I think you can buy thinner plates.

I appreciate the input, but the count is proper. Still looking for tips, short of making an adjustable push rod I'm at a dead end.

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[DragonLady58]

Find yourself a large granite plate or a large piece of glass.
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Just use a little finesse and don't screw things up.....

[surveywaters]

I'm not a certified motorcycle mechanic, but I am a machinist. I just hate altering anything drastic. It feels like a work around for an underlying problem. I would hate to fix the symptom rather than cure the cause.

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[DragonLady58]

Your not a certified bike mechanic, but I am. I'm also a machinist and welder.
Your clutch pack is suppossed to be so thick to so think....
Do it however you like to get your clutch the way you want it. Its all on your repair manual....

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by surveywaters

I have a 2005 Vulcan Nomad 1600 with 66k. It has a new Barnett clutch and spring. The basket is not grooved. The clutch lever engages very late and isn't completely disengaging. I have disassembled the clutch and verified that everything is correctly installed. I've also thoroughly bled the brakes. Any suggestions?

How would bleeding the brakes affect the clutch?

[surveywaters]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

How would bleeding the brakes affect the clutch?

Silly mistake, clearly meant clutch not brake.

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[MAS Tequila]

Two things:

1: Are you absolutely, positively certain that the three limiter springs are in correctly ()(

2: Are you absolutely, positively certain that you put the last clutch plate in the offset location

For it to act like that something has to be out of place.