Clutch Lever Free Play Question

[Rich_M]

This is probably elementary but I recently adjusted my clutch. I did the following:

1. Torqued the clutch hub shoulder bolts to 30 in-lb​
2. Adjusted the adjustment screw till gently seated and backed it off 1/2 turn.​
3. Locked it down with the lock nut while holding the adjustment screw in place with an allen key.​

I did all this with the clutch lever slacked out. Now when I adjust it, I can see the lever tightening up, but it won’t go tight enough to actually engage the clutch. I must have missed something, but I don’t know where I went wrong. I have braided steel cables. Any ideas?

 

[HMAN]

Try 1/4 turn...or less. You'll find the sweet spot.

 

[knothead]

1/4 of a turn and no more than that

 

[Rich_M]

Still on the struggle bus. My clutch handle is 100% flop now. The first pic (the one with less threads showing) is prior to my other thread about snapping the adjuster screw. Before I messed with anything. This second one is after taking plate off and removing the snapped bolt and replacing the screw. That looks like a pretty big diff to me. Is it possible I damaged the diaphragm spring? I really can’t even get any tension on the clutch handle, even with the cable adjusted all the way out. I wanted to check the community before I ordered new parts. I am also thinking of bending the lock tabs back out and rechecking the torque on the shoulder bolts, even though I was pretty darn careful to make sure they were torqued to 30 in-lbs. I’m hoping that this is a “dummy, you’re doing it wrong”-situation. Thanks for all your help you guys have been great.

 

[Rich_M]

One additional thing. My initial test ride had a fairly normal feel, but friction zone was the clutch all way out. Then I adjusted it again and it was “walking” with the clutch in. Then I was doing a 3rd adjustment and I loosened the cable all the way out to where the two parts of the cable adjuster basically separated. I threaded them back together, but I haven’t been able to get tension in the handle since.

 

[Chong]

I would be checking tightness of the nut that clamps the clutch basket to the trans shaft. The one behind the pressure plate .. Could be loose letting the clutch move laterally and canceling adjustments made. I've had three things occur on the clutch. Cast eyelet up at the lever fail on the cable. Outter cable housing failure (may have been caused by not tubing a new cable) and that nut being loose .. Its LH thread , red loctite, 80 ft lbs . Some go higher on the 05 and up which not everyone recommends.