Ok, these are the replacement parts....way better than what was there!
After numerous emails to lm and a phone conversation with him, we are still stumped as to why my old clutch center had that second 'relief' cut. It looks factory made, but why it was needed is beyond me at the moment.
Aside from that, one question remains: what's that hole (approx. 1/4") in the clutch center for?
Wilf
curious clutch config. on Ugly BettyInteresting issue, Wilf. My first guess would be that the shaft is not positioned properly and hence does not protrude thru the case far enough. Not intimately familiar with these so not sure if it could be a shimming error or some other internal error that has the shaft too far to the right. Could it be your shifting problem was not clutch related, but tranny assembly related?
If LM has never seen a clutch center with the hub relieved like that, my guess is somebody machined it because they did not want to take the engine apart again. Anything done properly in a lathe will look like factory work once it ages a bit. Looking at the parts diagram, the only thing I see that could move the shaft to the right would be the bearing placement in the case or a shim placed between the bearing and the flange on the shaft. Not sure if you can misposition the bearing. But a shim in the wrong place could do it. This may seem like a dumb question, but did you try pushing the shaft to the left from the right side? Another thought that popped into my aleged mind is the spline is not cut long enough and that is preventing the center from sliding on all the way. Not trying to rain on your parade or give you heart burn, Wilf. But non-uniformity always sends up a red flag for me. I'd want to know why that shaft is not mating up properly with the center. If the spline is short, that's a minor issue. Knowing the Japanese, I would not expect them to alter the center because the shaft spline was not to spec. But then again, Honda might have had different philosophies back then. regards, Rob Thanks for your thoughts, Rob. I am with you 100% about non-conformity throwing up huge red flags. That's why I was really patient with this problem and sought expert advice.
I thought about the shaft being too far to the right, and Ed and I talked about that. The bearings butt against the shaft castings and are also grooved for mating with the case. I didn't want to open up the bottom end to see if there was something funny in there, and without being able to see the entire shaft, I decided not to try tapping the right hand end for fear of breaking something that worked fairly well. I'm pretty sure my dragging clutch and tough shifting was due to the totally wrong assortment of clutch plates and discs. The least intrusive approach was too machine the replacement center by 25 thou. It was done on my old center so I figured there wasn't much risk of real damage. But you're right--there must be a reason for it having been like that. In this case, it will remain a mystery unless someone knows something about it or until something makes me want to get into the transmission. I kinda like "forensic motorcycle restoration" because sometimes the clues as to why things are the way they are don't become apparent until something else goes funny. I'm looking forward to putting oil in the engine and testing it out on the next warm, dry day. Wilf Black Beauty and I have waited many months now, but our patience was rewarded last week with a warm and dry enough day to take a short 'clutch test' ride. And I am pleased to report that lm's and rrietman's clutch parts and all the advice provided by forum members have resulted in a huge improvement!
If I'm riding smart, I can now find Neutral when I want it, and there are no clutch slipping issues. This weekend's forecast invites another ride and the opportunity to fine-tune the clutch adjustment. My thanks to all who have helped me with this. Wilf
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