CB77 Clutch will not disengage

[jason]

Hello Everyone,
Newbie to the forum - I have a ‘63 CB77, & the clutch will Not disengage. To detail as briefly as possible- the clutch pack does Not release, either by using the clutch lever, or physically pushing the rod with my finger ( RH kick cover removed & rod movement of @ 3/16” ). With the bike running shifting into gear from neutral kills the engine. I’ve tried my best to look at every post with similar problems, so many apologies if I missed one.
This bike was restored ‘frame-up’ in ‘96, had 600 miles put on, sat garaged for approx. 10 years, and has now come to me. Using Bill Silvers repair guide, I have verified the following:
- 5 disc clutch pack, steels are NOT warped, No rust (2.88mm A plate, 1.64mm B plates). New 3.65mm friction discs installed by me, oiling everything appropriately, deleting the clutch plate stopper rings. ** The problem existed prior to me replacing the friction discs which was why I had pulled the clutch pack thinking the plates may have been stuck**
-Clutch spring height 1.265”. I ordered a new set of springs off Ebay however they are taller @ 1.46”. These are a Barnett product pn# 501-66-04010. Thoughts on these? Unfortunately at the moment I do not have the proper gear to determine spring tension. With the clutch pack installed, the springs are tightened correctly as ‘tight’ (as specified by many on the forum)
- Clutch pushrod length is correct @ 9.625”. Clutch lifter/spring position & operation OK, including ball bearing with appropriate greasing. Clutch cable operation & tension is appropriate to the Silver guide & forum.
Many thanks in advance for any assistance!!

[LOUD MOUSE]

Did you adjust the large part with the slot in it?. .........lm

Hello Everyone,
Newbie to the forum - I have a ‘63 CB77, & the clutch will Not disengage. To detail as briefly as possible- the clutch pack does Not release, either by using the clutch lever, or physically pushing the rod with my finger ( RH kick cover removed & rod movement of @ 3/16” ). With the bike running shifting into gear from neutral kills the engine. I’ve tried my best to look at every post with similar problems, so many apologies if I missed one.
This bike was restored ‘frame-up’ in ‘96, had 600 miles put on, sat garaged for approx. 10 years, and has now come to me. Using Bill Silvers repair guide, I have verified the following:
- 5 disc clutch pack, steels are NOT warped, No rust (2.88mm A plate, 1.64mm B plates). New 3.65mm friction discs installed by me, oiling everything appropriately, deleting the clutch plate stopper rings. ** The problem existed prior to me replacing the friction discs which was why I had pulled the clutch pack thinking the plates may have been stuck**
-Clutch spring height 1.265”. I ordered a new set of springs off Ebay however they are taller @ 1.46”. These are a Barnett product pn# 501-66-04010. Thoughts on these? Unfortunately at the moment I do not have the proper gear to determine spring tension. With the clutch pack installed, the springs are tightened correctly as ‘tight’ (as specified by many on the forum)
- Clutch pushrod length is correct @ 9.625”. Clutch lifter/spring position & operation OK, including ball bearing with appropriate greasing. Clutch cable operation & tension is appropriate to the Silver guide & forum.
Many thanks in advance for any assistance!!

[jason]

Hey LM,
If you are talking about the slot on the kickstart cover, I will make sure I have that adjusted correctly & get back to you. Thanks - Jason

[LOUD MOUSE]

That I am.
Are you aware of how to adjust it?. ....lm

Hey LM,
If you are talking about the slot on the kickstart cover, I will make sure I have that adjusted correctly & get back to you. Thanks - Jason

[jason]

I believe so - the directions I have are this: Loosen 10mm bolt, turn clutch adjuster R-L-R, then move back ( left ) 1/8", tighten bolt. Use cable adjusters to adjust lever to approx. 1/4" freeplay.
Until now I had not focused on this as I was stuck on the idea that I should be able to see the plates disengage while pushing on the rod with my finger... :) It may be this weekend before I can post the result for you. Thanks again. -Jason

[rzgkane]

The experts can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think there is any way in hell you can disengage the clutch with your "finger" just by pushing on the rod that spans from the thread to the clutch. There's some major spring tension going on there.

I believe so - the directions I have are this: Loosen 10mm bolt, turn clutch adjuster R-L-R, then move back ( left ) 1/8", tighten bolt. Use cable adjusters to adjust lever to approx. 1/4" freeplay.
Until now I had not focused on this as I was stuck on the idea that I should be able to see the plates disengage while pushing on the rod with my finger... :) It may be this weekend before I can post the result for you. Thanks again. -Jason

[jason]

LM - Success with the clutch adjuster, thank you very much for the direction. I became so brain fried troubleshooting... I still need to do some fine tuning but I now understand what I should focus on.

Rzgkane - you are absolutely correct. Please understand this is a new experience for me, and as a result I have a much better grasp on the physics of the whole thing. Thank you both again for your assistance and comment.

- Jason