Clutch issue

[chankly bore]

The other thing which may help carburettor removal is an obstruction spanner. These have a jaws at right angles to the spanner shaft and should still be available in Whitworth. Size required is 1/4" W (5/16" B.S.F.) An old dodge is a piece of pushbike inner tube to stop the oil tank filler neck gouging the paint on the petrol tank.

 

[b'knighted]

Removing the front bolt only allows the seat to move rearwards (assuming standard ‘B’/’C’ fitting) and provided that the spring boxes and rear mudguard are protected with a piece of thick cloth (folded towel) then no damage will occur. Lubricate the two front stepped bolts and their rubbers at the front and make sure that they can be screwed in with fingers and a tube spanner a few turns before using force as it is all too easy to cross these threads. it is not an easy job.

I entirely agree with Norman but must admit that I have never lubricated the front rubbers and have therefore always had a fight.
What lubricant would you recommend for the rubber?
Another thing I have never done, as is attested by the chipped paint around the oil filler hole, is to use a piece of bicycle inner tube to guard and guide the tank as the front is fed over the oil filler and the rubber trunnions are located. Probably worth a try.
Another suggestion, also untried by me is to replace the back spacer with an aluminium bar drilled and tapped to take cap head allen screws. This would make access easier for refitting and remove the problem for the next removal.

 

[Holger]

I have fitted the front rubbers to the tank on the bench which compresses the rubbers which then get tight on the bolts. I just drilled the rubbers out to get a snug fit for the bolts and use a lubricant both sides of the rubbers. I use "Kopr Cote 550 Anti Seize" which is an excellent high temperature lubricant for threads. It has a MIL Spec service rating to 2400 degF. It works really well on the exhaust port threads and is the best prophylactic for "Stainless Steel-itis" I have tried.

 

[kurtflys]

Thanks Time traveller. I appreciate your comments and concerns for my inexperience. The good news is that she rode really great yesterday and the idle problem was minimum. If I let her set at idle for 15 or 20 seconds she came back down to a normal idle. She is oiled, up fueled up, aired up, and now I need to saddle up and go for a longer ride. Now that I can feel a little more comfortable taking her out I need some road gear, like a gas tank bra, and perhaps saddle bags of some sort to carry my gear in . Perhaps even a tail rack. Do the club sell these items ?
Again Thanks and I will will wait for a rainy day to attack the tank. But I have to see what's under there=)

 

[Holger]

Kurt

you mentioned that you had lubricated the throttle cables and now your high speed idle has diminished. The fast idle slowing down after 15 to 20 seconds suggests the slides are slowly seating on spring pressure, so I wouldn't fiddle with carby settings.

Also, I assume you haven't managed to open and lubricate the cable splitter because that will be located under the tank. Right? Or do you have a twin cable Tomaselli twist grip?

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

Another reason for the idle speed taking its time to settle can be a sticking ignition advance and retard mechanism or weak springs in the mechanism.

The easiest way to check the carb slides are dropping properly is with the bike not running, open the throttle and then close it listening for the slides to click when they touch the idle adjusting screw. If there is a delay then the slides are returning slowly due to friction somewhere. If the slides click straight away then they and the cables are functioning correctly. If you get a double click on a twin then the slides are not balanced and thus not returning together.

Air leaks where the carbs mount can also cause irregular idle speed.

I fitted a new atd to my ignition several years ago and since then the idle speed has settled instantly.

Cheers
Simon

 

[kurtflys]

I don't have the splitter. But when I look in at the slides they are at least 3/8" up. That seems high but I'm new.

 

[kurtflys]

How much work is involved in changing the ATD? It does seem that every time I ride the bike it gets a little better. Who knows , if I put 1000 miles on her she may be new again=)

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

How much work is involved in changing the ATD? It does seem that every time I ride the bike it gets a little better. Who knows , if I put 1000 miles on her she may be new again=)

To change the atd is not simple. It involves exhaust removal, engine timing cover removal and then atd removal. Then the ignition needs retiming with the new atd and all re assembling.

To check the atd function is easy. Just remove the small cover held on with 6 screws behind the front exhaust pipe on the engine timing cover. It can be removed without removing the exhaust. Then rotate the atd against its springs and release and check it returns to the stops on the atd. With small tools and patience you can even change the springs for new ones through the small cover. Just jam rag into the gaps to stop the springs dropping inside the engine when swapping.

If the bike has been stood for a long time the atd may be just sticking with old oil and so going through a few heat cycles and fresh oil would help.

This is all assuming your bike is running a Lucas magneto with atd ignition and not a new BTH ignition, series D distributor or other electronic ignition which does not use a atd under the timing cover.

 

[Holger]

I note a sticky ATD being mentioned as a cause of fast engine idle. I don't believe that to be correct.

If the throttles are closed to their normal idle position and the ignition remains advanced as the engine slows down, then the engine will idle slower, not faster, and will often stall. This is easily verified by adjusting the timing on a running engine by turning the distributor - as the ignition timing is retarded the engine idle will speed up.

In summary, sticky ATD will result in an engine that idles slower, idles rough, and is difficult to start.