Triumphrat

johnnypence · 04-10-2006, 10:25 AM

long story, but my gas tank vibrated off the mount and pinched down on my clutch cable yesterday. i was about 3 miles from home with some stop-and-go driving to get me there. until then, the clutch operation had been very smooth and reliable.

even with rough clutch operation, i could still push through the gears and i wasn't particularly worried. i figured i'd get home, see if i could salvage the cable, and be fine.

the cable was salvageable, and now works freely.

problem is, after i freed up the cable, i took the bike a couple blocks to check the shifting and clutch operation. it still felt like i needed to tighten the cable a little, and it ground going into first, but not what i would have thought of as a big deal. then, all of a sudden, it got stuck in second gear while running. i stalled out in my driveway and parked it.

with the inspection cover off, i can see that the cable is moving the clutch lever from fully disengaged to fully engaged, but there's almost NO tension in it at all (like not really enough to move the clutch lever on the handlebar).

with the clutch engaged, and even without, i can feel and hear the gears shift up and down once, but no more. i thought i was going from first to neutral, but it might be 2nd to third?

i wanted to see what happened with the engine running; however, i can't get the kickstarter to engage anything. that would make sense if the clutch were in (or completely broken somehow, i guess). kickstart is not jerking the bike off the centerstand like i would expect if a gear were engaged.

i'm pretty much resigned to taking off the gearbox cover, cussing, and possibly some expensive broken parts, but i wanted to see if this set of symptoms described an obvious problem.

[ This message was edited by: johnnypence on 2006-04-10 08:44 ]

johnnypence · 04-10-2006, 12:03 PM

corrections/clarifications:

ok, so after turning the wheel, i actually can shift through all 4 gears and neutral. turning the wheel in top gear turns the engine.

the "kickstart quadrant" is turning the shaft it's supposed to turn (is this the "ratchet"?), no obvious broken teeth on either part.

just by what my fingers can tell, the "clutch operating arm" moves freely, but wiggles more than i'd expect. (i had posted earlier that the "thrust plate" also moves, but that was incorrect).

again, i'm prepared for this to be bad.

**
i went to crack open the cover, but the hexheads are not metric -- is that something where I must have Whitworth or would an inch-based hexhead work?

[ This message was edited by: johnnypence on 2006-04-10 11:45 ]

KuzzinKenny · 04-10-2006, 08:43 PM

first, the tiger you have will be inch-based sizes.

second, do you have a manual for this bike ?? if you do, go to clutch adjustment and adjust the clutch. there`s more to it than just adjusting the cable. i can`t remember it off the top of my head as its been a while sinse i did one. don`t go ripping the gearbox appart untill you`ve done the clutch.

KK

johnnypence · 04-10-2006, 10:41 PM

i've been all over the first three steps of the hayne's manual clutch adjustment, and have now reached the fourth. "... it will be necessary to remove the chaincase cover completely in order to gain access to the three clutch spring adjusters in the pressure plate," i suppose.

it's all inches? well fu ...

fu ...nny how it's hard to tell when all the nuts are pre-rounded-off. i've used vise grips more than wrenches for most of this stuff.

GrandPaulZ · 04-10-2006, 11:15 PM

You might have knocked the clutch hub woodruff key in two.

(just a wild guess)

Lutz · 04-10-2006, 11:46 PM

johnnypence,
I have found the most common problem for what you describe is the mainshaft nut at the kickstart ratchet has come loose.Ialways use red Loc-Tite on both mainshaft nuts. Have never seen a woodruff key knocked in two.
Lutz

johnnypence · 04-11-2006, 07:09 AM

thanks fellers. it might be a few days before i can get into this too deep, but i'll let you know what i find.

pax romani
jp

kanoa · 04-11-2006, 01:30 PM

Quote:

...go to clutch adjustment and adjust the clutch. there`s more to it than just adjusting the cable.

the clutch adjuster is accessible by unscrewing an access plug on the other (rear brake pedal) side of your bike. i found the haynes manual was a bit dubious on this. get the clymer manual as well, it is a great accompaniment.

(also, instead of hijacking your thread i'm going to start another similar one here today or tomorrow)

Lutz · 04-11-2006, 05:58 PM

Yesterday I didn't finish my statement to johnnypence.I wanted to say that I have never had a woodruff key knocked in two since I have been using Loc Tite on the threads..

Lutz

johnnypence · 04-20-2006, 08:23 PM

fellers! thanks for the help!

i cracked open the gearbox and sure enough the nut on the end of the gearshaft had backed off, and then it sat there on two threads, working real hard, and it got the threads all chewed up.

this is one of those times when you try a farmboy fix and it actually WORKS! i rethreaded the nut by putting it on backwards, then forced the thread through the damaged part. no problem. a little LocTite, a little liquid gasket, a little 50w monograde, and i'm back in business! started on the first kick, no sweat.

also took care of some fuel leaks which had threatened to cause trouble, found a rattle that had been driving me nuts (the carcass of a 20-yr old dead "pilot" bulb rattling around in the headlight casing, of all things), fixed a centerstand problem, and got the clutch adjusted properly for the first time ever.

so it's 70 and sunny, gorgeous days and cool nights, and i won't have time to go for a ride for days ... rats!