1200 Sportster clutch woes.

[Bigjawa]

Boy phones in a panic, clutch is slipping on the Harley, limps up to my house and I take the wee cover off the side and adjust it up so there's a wee bit of play at the lever.take it for a test drive and about 100 yards down the road, the lever has no play and it's slipping again, go to pull in and the thing keeps going and the lever is all floppy. Push it back and readjust. Same thing happens, it's like it goes from over adjustment to under adjustment.

Does anybody know how the hell these things work before I pull it to bits? TIA.

[JackyJoll]

Is there a nut on one or other end of the shaft, that could be coming loose?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Clutch centre nut is coming undone, at least that's what the same symptoms are on a motorcycle, tractors might be different

[Taipan]

Can be the adjuster bearing, or throw out bearing. Take derby cover off and see if adjutser screw moves about like a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl! If so replace the bearing, which isn't dear, about £20 iirc.

[Bigjawa]

Can be the adjuster bearing, or throw out bearing. Take derby cover off and see if adjutser screw moves about like a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl! If so replace the bearing, which isn't dear, about £20 iirc.

Tried that and it's fine, thinking that stupid spring plate in the middle of the clutch has came apart, had a look at the price of the extra plate kit, then add a gasket, the tool to compress the spring and new oil, it's getting expensive quickly.

[Taipan]

Can be the adjuster bearing, or throw out bearing. Take derby cover off and see if adjutser screw moves about like a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl! If so replace the bearing, which isn't dear, about £20 iirc.

Tried that and it's fine, thinking that stupid spring plate in the middle of the clutch has came apart, had a look at the price of the extra plate kit, then add a gasket, the tool to compress the spring and new oil, it's getting expensive quickly.

Aka the grenade plate! Pretty bullet proof motors normally, that issue aside.

[Bigjawa]

Can be the adjuster bearing, or throw out bearing. Take derby cover off and see if adjutser screw moves about like a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl! If so replace the bearing, which isn't dear, about £20 iirc.

Tried that and it's fine, thinking that stupid spring plate in the middle of the clutch has came apart, had a look at the price of the extra plate kit, then add a gasket, the tool to compress the spring and new oil, it's getting expensive quickly.

Aka the grenade plate! Pretty bullet proof motors normally, that issue aside.

Yeah, it's a (looks around furtively) nice plodder of an engine, I was actually looking at Buells the other night, wouldn't want one for an only bike, but I'd definitely have one for giggles.

Must be getting old.

[Taipan]

IIRC and now i'm thinking about it, i'm pretty sure a lot of people just added another OEM steel and friction plate to eliminate the sprung plate, which is obviously cheaper than a barnett kit.

I've just checked and I've been kicked out of the FB group as i sold mine, so cant check the posts, but it was a typical preventative "mod" I'm sure.

[Taipan]

Any news?

[Bigjawa]

Any news?

Nope, he hasn't got money for the the bits so it's parked up.