clutch cable assembly

[evil]

I have a '64 narrow case.
The clutch cable is attached at the hadle bar, but is dangleing at the engine.
My book does not say how to attach it.

Do I have to open the right hand case? And if I do will it look self explanatory when I open it?

Thanks,
Todd

P.S. Here is a link to pics of the bike on Flickr

[MotoMike]

Hi Evil

I think the narrow is the same as the wide case. Here is a link. go to the last page and you will see right near the end a few pictures I posted of my 450 where the clutch cable is visible. showing how it connects.

http://www.motoscrubs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3&p=1934#p1934

regards,
Mike

[Jon Pegler]

The narrowcase is similar to the widecase in principal, but the widecase is all outside the crankcase, whereas the narrowcase is not.
The narrowcase requires the gear selector box to be removed to attatch the clutch cable.
This is secured using a screw on , solderless nipple.
In the past, many owners cut a large V shaped segment out of the outer casing of the gear selector box outer cover to facilitate clutch cable changing/removal.
This is often noticable in old photos.
I would not suggest cutting cases about in that manner nowadays, so removal of the whole selector box is the best way to change and secure clutch cables on narrowcase singles.

[evil]

They are a little similar but not quite.

[JimF]

Wide cases engines put the clutch actuation arm outside the engine cases and easily accessible, narrowcase are not user friendly and the cluth cable terminates under the engine cover plate.

On narrowcase engines you take the cover plate off (watch the bolts carefully, as I recall they are different lengths) and terminate the clutch cable as it comes throuth the arm with a solderless nipple.

I personally don't care for the solderless connection, I prefer to get in there with a soldering gun and solder the termination on.

[DewCatTea-Bob]

By: Todd...
" Do I have to open the right hand case? "

____ Thanks to Jon & Jim I need not point-out the difference in n-c & w-c cable hook-up.
__ Yes the right-rear motor-case shifter-cover must be removed in order to hook-up the inner-cable of the clutch-cable !


" And if I do will it look self explanatory when I open it? "

____ Not too overly-so, (compared to Jap.bikes), I'm afraid,, but it really depends on your degree of mechanical-perception.
__ First you should stick the inner-cable in-through the hole for it, found in the top of the motor-case. _ (Be sure that the hole doesn't have a left-over ferrule-cap [from a previous outer-cable] stuck in that hole, before-hand though.)
After you have pulled-off the shifter-box/side-cover, you should notice a 'lever-arm' laying out & down... Lift it up & inward (while feeding the inner-cable through it's eye), until it's inny-button is pressed against the peg (which it's meant to push against), and then slide a new (or good used) cable-clamp onto the inner-cable up & against the back of the lever-arm's eye.
Now at this point, at least one important step is always overlooked by your average DUKE-mechanic want-to-be types ! ...
__ Before fully tightening the cable-clamp, make sure that the clutch handlebar-lever adjuster-screw is adjusted to just 1 or 2 threads from it's minimum-setting -(that's almost screwed together completely inward!).
Then the tricky-part is to hold the cable-clamp's main-body while tightening it's clamp-screw, while at the same time also pressing the lever-arm (against it's clutch activator-peg) while tugging on the inner-cable. _ All that needs to be done in order to make sure that you'll end-up with the clutch-cable being adjustable within a range that will work the clutch properly, without having to soon thereafter readjust that inaccessible cable-clamp again, (due to the limited range of inner/outer cable adjustability by the hand-lever screw-adjuster) !
I've found that with the use of two separate vice-grip hand-tools - (one vice-grip to hold the cable-clamp's main-body tight & also pressed inward against the lever-arm, and the other vice-grip to grip-hold & keep the inner-cable pulled taunt), a third hand (with small-wrench) can then securely tighten-down the cable-clamp's screw.
__ Now for the part that even the better n-c mechanics overlook...
It's not smart at this point to go-ahead & FULLY tighten the cable-clamp ! ...
Whenever replacing the clutch-cable on a narrow-case motor, it's then a very good time to also make sure that the clutch itself is adjusted for OPTIMUM-operation ! _ If this is ignored, then it's likely that either the clutch will be harder than necessary to disengage (using hand-lever), or on the other-hand, keep the clutch-springs from fully compressing the clutch-plates together as intended (and possibly lead to clutch-slippage).
Ya want the lever-arm to be kept at the best possible angle for pressing against the rod-pin/activation-peg (for ease of operation), yet still allow the clutch-springs to be fully released when the hand-lever is fully-released also !!
__ So now with this additional intent in mind, the cable-clamp should only be held in place by it's screw being merely extra-firmly finger-tight. _ And to next proceed with this likely needed procedure, you must then remove the oval-shaped clutch-adjuster window-cover (on the left-side eng.cover), and simply set the shifter-box/eng.cover back all the way into it's normal-place (with just one of it's upper mounting-screws inserted-in merely-just a couple threads !). _ Then with the shifter-cover kept (merely setting) completely flush against it's motor-case, (and with the locking-nut for the clutch-adjusting threaded-rod loosened), screw-inward the clutch adjuster-screw/rod-pin until the lever-arm begins to push-out against the shifter-eng.cover's flush-fit, to thus-then become just very-slightly cracked-open away-from the motor-case -(IOW, until barely separated outwardly away from it's normal flush-fit against the case),, and then-next, back-off the clutch-adj.screw outward slightly (no more than 1-turn) and then tighten-down & lock-up it's locking-nut.
Next it's then time to (remove the shifter-cover again and) finally FULLY-tighten the inner-cable's cable-clamp.
__ With this complete-method, you'll then have optimally-adjusted the clutch's lever-arm position for maximum-leverage without the shifter-eng.cover possibly being left pressed against the lever-arm after that eng.cover has been bolted back fully into it's normal-place.
(This is the [possibly significant] oversight that most mechanics overlook whenever installing clutch-cables [on n-c motors] and/or adjust the clutch itself.)


DUCATIly,
DCT-Bob

[MotoMike]

oops sorry about that. i learn something new every day.

[evil]

took off the cover... found the arm... as you can see from the previous pic I have two "hold in place" thingys. But..... when I pull the lever nothing moves....(In a previous post I mentioned that I "might" be missing a 3/16" ball bearing.

So what am I missing?

Now at this point an important step is always overlooked by your average DUKE-mechanic want-to-be type ! ...

By the way: This Duc has not been started since the 80's and tomorrow morning will be the test!!!!
Have spark.... will add fuel... clutch?

[DewCatTea-Bob]

" I have two "hold in place" thingys "

____ The smaller one -(of the two "thingys"), without the slot, looks to be the stock inner-cable clamp (stuck-on backwards from normal-position),, and the other slotted-thingy looks like an after-market cable-clamp that's meant to be fitted to the handle-bar end of the inner-cable.
____ Your inner-cable (as pictured) looks to be a little short... Is that all that's left of it (while with the other end of the clutch-cable all properly connected-up to it's hand-lever)?


" But..... when I pull the lever nothing moves....(In a previous post I mentioned that I "might" be missing a 3/16" ball bearing.
So what am I missing? "

____ Okay then, I now realize your particular issue better,, so I'll come-back to this thread & finish my related post later, and I'll now go check-through your other thread on that issue, since it's more important to straighten-out first.


Hopeful-Cheers,
DCT-Bob

[DewCatTea-Bob]

____ Starting at the clutch-control hand-lever,, snake the cable out & over to the front of the upper triple-clamp,, then curve downward between the two fork-legs and exit between the right-side upper & lower triple-clamps, thus passing by the right-side of the frame-neck & behind the right fork-leg,, then curving down & right-ward going between the rear-side of the frame's down-tube & the front-side of the cylinder,, and then curving (counter-clockwise) out-around the left-side of the cylinder & behind, to the cable's end-location at the motor.
__ This is the best route for ease of operation ! _ Any tie-down points (such as running the cable also between the frame-neck & the right-side fuel-tank mounting-ear *), or any other more restrictive diversions from the suggested-route, will only add to the cable's operation-resistance ! _ (* I've encountered DUKEs which had their clutch-cable neatly routed through the right-side slot between the neck & tank-ear/flange and then down-along the frame-backbone & rather sharply down-to the cable's motor-location, [thus keeping the cable mostly hidden under the tank]... but THAT-way causes added stress for hand-lever operation.)
The only tie-down point I can recommend is to use a tie-strap to LOOSELY hold the cable nearer to the frame's front down-tube, so as to keep the cable held away from any (otherwise easy) contact with the exhaust-pipe.


DUKE-Cheers,
DCT-Bob