Vh500 clutch

[will_curry]

There shouldn't be any balls or rollers . . .

The kickstart should stay in the outer case complete with spring still wound up.

Don't go mental with the big spanners on the mainshaft nut. It hasn't much depth
and neither has the thread on the mainshaft. It's easy to strip the thread - if you're
lucky in the nut, if not, on the mainshaft. This is NOT easy to repair, at all.

[Alan G]

Thanks all, the gearbox number is G90 J49. Hopefully all will be well tomorrow.

[simon.holyfield]

One more thought before you get back in there - if either the clutch nut or the main shaft nut are loose, it's perfectly possible for the shims either side of the chain wheel bearing to come out of place...

[Alan G]

I've removed six nuts, gently tapping with a rubber mallet and nothing is shifting. Am I missing something?

[simon.holyfield]

You need to remove the gear indicator...

Sorry, I should have told you that yesterday!

[Alan G]

Thanks. We are in.

Nut appears tight, can't put a spanner on it without fabricating something to hold the clutch end from turning; but the longitudinal movement is from movement of the whole shaft, see video (sorry for quality, really hard to take video with one hand in the freezing cold).

I get the impression from this thread that this is not normal? Obviously there is the spring loaded movement that allows the kick start ratchet to work, but the shaft moves in addition to that.

Also found this article which is worth a read. This suggests using a washer to reduce the float on the main shaft - which is what I plan to do.
https://ariel-square-four.blogspot.com/ ... n-box.html

[simon.holyfield]

That doesn't look like the right main shaft nut to me, and it certainly shouldn't be moving like that.

The picture below is not particularly brilliant but if you zoom right in you can see how the main shaft (this is the BA on my Square Four) protrudes beyond the nut.

What I would do now is gingerly remove that, and get on the phone to AOMCC gearbox spares and see if we have a new one.

Did you check the clutch centre nut?

[Alan G]

Not sure I understand... If I have a full nut on there, instead of a slimmer one - what difference could that make? I am suspecting the threads have been damaged, and the larger nut is giving greater purchase - so is a good thing....?

I haven't put a lot of force on a spanner to check they are tight - but sufficient to know neither end is loose. I need to fabricate a 'locking tool' to keep the shaft from turning in fear of damaging delicate threads.

The article I referenced suggested a shim/washer to go over the end of the shaft and push the kick starter ratchet mechanism in, and holding the shaft out to remove some of the float. That makes sense to me if the float is temperature affected affecting my clutch adjustment issue.

[simon.holyfield]

Not sure I understand... If I have a full nut on there, instead of a slimmer one - what difference could that make? I am suspecting the threads have been damaged, and the larger nut is giving greater purchase - so is a good thing....?

I haven't put a lot of force on a spanner to check they are tight - but sufficient to know neither end is loose. I need to fabricate a 'locking tool' to keep the shaft from turning in fear of damaging delicate threads.

The article I referenced suggested a shim/washer to go over the end of the shaft and push the kick starter ratchet mechanism in, and holding the shaft out to remove some of the float. That makes sense to me if the float is temperature affected affecting my clutch adjustment issue.

Does the nut you have pull down onto the mainshaft shoulder?

If so, and they are both tight, I think we're looking at missing shims on the clutch chain wheel bearing. There are two ground washers or shims that fit either side of the brass ring with the 12 needle rollers in it, within the chain wheel.

[Alan G]

That makes sense. But defeated by the cold today. Will get back to it hopefully tomirrow.

I presume to get to those shims I am dismantling from the clutch side - Is it as simple as removing the nut, then pulling off the clutch basket and that exposes the chain gear. Chain off, sproket off, install shiny new shims and re assemble?