ba clutch adjustment

[Steve.Smith]

I am trying to sort out the 1939 VG I bought a couple of years ago. The clutch cable needed replacing as it was past its sell by date and didn't seem correct for the bike. A new cable was purchased from Draganfly. It was a good bit shorter on the inner cable than the one removed and when fitted to the cable adjuster on the gearbox casing, it would not reach the clutch operating arm. The cable adjuster fitted originally had the hex end bored to take the cable end ferrule, so the adjuster screwed in from the inboard end. Is this correct? Can anyone tell me what I should have? Draganfly are presently out of stock of the clutch cable adjuster. Many thanks,
Steve

[will_curry]

That sounds like the correct adjuster to me. There is also a degree of adjustment in the
actuator that the clutch arm - the bit that the inner cable connects to - acts on when the
handlebar lever is pulled to free the clutch. Ideally the clutch arm should be at right angles
to the cable with the clutch free. It's also well worthwhile getting hold of the rubber boot
which goes over the clutch arm. Not only does it keep some of the road muck out of the
works it also helps keep things together should the clutch cable break.

How have you routed the clutch cable? The obvious way under the tank and down the saddle
tube gives quite an acute bend very close to the adjuster on the gearbox and the cable can
become 'sticky' very quickly. My preferred route is to lead the cable down the front downtube
and along the top of the primary chaincase. It will need cable ties to hold it to the downtube.
I find this route starts smoother and stays smoother for much longer than the obvious route.

You should have a cork clutch and you should be aware that the clutch springs from Draganfly
are somewhat heavier than necessary for the cork clutch.

[Steve.Smith]

Thanks for the reply Will.
I have had a quick look at the bike this morning and I am now assuming that the home made cable adjuster is not correct. When the clutch pusher mechanism is hard against the casing there is about 3" to the rear of the threaded boss on the gearbox casing. The threaded adjuster when screwed right in has the cable stop about 1/4" back from the threaded boss. I think I am using about 3/4" of inner cable at the handlebar lever. This uses up all the inner cable and a little bit more. If the threaded cable adjuster was bored deeper this would bring the inner further out towards the clutch operating lever. Am I on the right track? I am only along the road from you in Bo'ness.
Thanks, Steve

[Roger Gwynn]

You can easily check the dimensions of the clutch cable against those given on your invoice as 6460-33 Cable 48 1/4″ – 52 1/4″, to make sure that you been sent the right one.

The correct adjuster has the recess for the cable ferule at the threaded end, not the hex end so the adjuster goes in from the right side of the lug. I have always thought this odd as the recess is in the weaker end of the adjuster but it does make adjustment easier. Start by adjusting the push rod rod that, as Will says, the arm is at no more than 50 degrees to the cable with the clutch pulled in. You may have to adjust it a bit to get the cable on but turning the adjuster round will help a lot. There are many factors that will affect your problem, incorrect handlebar lever, wrong push rod length, etc.

https://draganfly.co.uk/shop/72168/cabl ... /#6460D-37

[Steve.Smith]

Thanks Roger, that makes more sense and is inline with what I was thinking. The cable that was fitted had a brass ferule that fitted into the homemade cable adjuster which screwed back towards the centre of the bike to adjust. This gave the cable a torturous route. I will make a new adjuster as I am not sure when Draganfly will have them back in stock. I have a lathe so it won't be much of an issue. I will fit the cable to the handlebar lever and see where the recess in the adjuster needs to go. Again many thanks.

Will, I mixed you up with someone else so I am not just up the road from you!!

[will_curry]

I did wonder a little whether there was another one of me somewhat further north
than the wilderness I live in between Bedford and Luton.

There is a good picture of what the clutch adjuster looks like here:

viewtopic.php?t=14161