1. I can pull the clutch rod with locking nut by hand in and out about 1/8" or more. Is this normal?
2. I notice alot of play in both 90 degree tubes that enter the control. Is this normal
1. Reverse engineering goes like this. I want all the sack out of the cable. No matter my arm that pushes the push rod, I want full extension so at the push side, the push rod is deep inside the clutch basket.
To gain this distance, I may have a thumb wheel at the hand lever perch. No matter how you look at it, hide the threads. Send them home deep into the perch assembly. If you have just a cable with a crack nut and this cable now is the adjuster at the perch, the lever is clean up there now, no thumb wheel; it still says hide the threads into the cable housing. Spin the lock nut up the threads and send it home = Universal.
1. The cable is now at its most slack. This is where you can pull the clutch lever in half way [or more] before you feel the push rod moves the pressure plate. Not only that, you can tell which direction to turn the clutch adjust screw. The more the lever moves away from the grip, the closer your adjust screw is to the push rod. This is the correct direction.
But since the slack is present, you want to more feel that 'no gorilla' moves on the adjust screw but more a feather move. More like you have an ant in between the screw and rod. Once you kiss that [notice how less touch you have the more distance away from even touching the] rod, you back out an 1/4th of a turn.
This is where we have enough heat growth so we are not having the rod, or friction plates expand. We do not want to push on the spring pressure at that pressure plate and lose grip.
Our next step after we lock that down and hold that screw from turning, we can move it out a fraction more, because that bite down on the jam nut, will walk some of the threads; you are done. With that said, take out all the slack out of the cable or those tubes you describe.
At the lever to perch, set your slack at an 1/8th of an inch. There is your slack at the push rod cut in half. You now hardly pull the lever in to shift. This is almost a hair trigger. If you think about it, there is no adjustment on a liquid style lever. There is a constant push on the push rod or else it would seize without having some sort of oil splash on it.
If it rides in a roller bearing cage or a needle bearing pack, it still says, 0 slack at the perch. Your fingers now do the walking. No shiny spot on the back of the lever and a divot in the grip. This is a hair trigger setup; for the more bold.
X2. You are not helping Sven. I have a thumb wheel on my Triumphs but the Big Dogs don't have one up by the clutch lever. What bike(s) do you have? Answer the question and leave out the extra Crap!
