4 speed rachet top?

[Easybake323]

Any tips to getting a 4 speed clutch adjusted?? I have loosened and tightened every combo I can think of but it is still catching alittle when I got the clutch pulled all the way in.

[10scDust]

Did you have the clutches out, cleaned them, staggered the drive plates, have the pressure plate nuts evenly tightened, and the spring hold down to proper adjustment?

[tzienlee]

are the round fingers or the square inner drive ribs grooved or ribbed at all,
often after many years of use they develop ribs and ridges that make clutch use a pain & need changing of the hub & basket to cure 100%
if when you examine the hub fingers you find parts groved up, it might be time to fit a Diaphragm Spring conversion kit,
they give you a one finger clutch thats easy to set up & use daily, about $125 depending on the surplier & brings ya old 10 spring clutch into the 21st centuary.
they work on all stock 4 speed clutches & wether or not you run a belt or enclosed chain primary or a 3, 5 or 10 finger hub, I use a 10 finger one as I find them easier to set &it looks pretty good as well

[Easybake323]

Do you still use the same plates and disks? And do you happen to know a brand or where you got yours from?

are the round fingers or the square inner drive ribs grooved or ribbed at all,
often after many years of use they develop ribs and ridges that make clutch use a pain & need changing of the hub & basket to cure 100%
if when you examine the hub fingers you find parts groved up, it might be time to fit a Diaphragm Spring conversion kit,
they give you a one finger clutch thats easy to set up & use daily, about $125 depending on the surplier & brings ya old 10 spring clutch into the 21st centuary.
they work on all stock 4 speed clutches & wether or not you run a belt of enclosed chain primary or a 3, 5 or 10 finget hub, I use a 10 finger one as I find them easier to set &it looks pretty good as well

[47str8leg]

Any tips to getting a 4 speed clutch adjusted?? I have loosened and tightened every combo I can think of but it is still catching alittle when I got the clutch pulled all the way in.

You can drill out the clutch plate holes to the next size up bit. Metric, letter or fractional ,whichever is the least amount.

[JBinNC]

Those 4-speed clutches are dead simple but there are some pitfalls.
First, Kevlar plates will make the clutch drag despite all you can do, in my experience. They are an invention of Satan.
Second, the long clutch hub rollers will make a clutch drag in many instances. I have never failed to improve clutch function by throwing them away and using the stock cage with 20 rollers.
Third, the clutch cable needs to be in good condition. All modern clutch cables are teflon or plastic lined for reduced friction, but if that liner wears through, the cable movement will be restricted and that affects clutch function.
Fourth, the pre-'82 clutch lever assembly does not have much travel, so if the pivot points are worn or if the anchor pin bushings are missing, you get even less travel and that will cause clutch drag too. The '82 and later levers are much better in this respect.

The clutch can be improved by the use of a RamJett retainer, or clone of same these days, in almost all cases.
The steels need to be clean. Rusty or blued steels should be replaced, but these are very thick, so warpage is not usually a problem.
The Alto red clutch plates seem to be pretty foolproof and are inexpensive. They will run wet or dry.
I also like the aluminum pressure plate but it is not a must.

The diaphragm spring suggested above does work, but it won't solve any of your problems.

Jim

[tzienlee]

I also use ALTO red plates & they work great,....
If the round fingers are rigged, they can be replaced one by one, but usually it's cheaper to change the hub out.
also if stock steel plates & yours have the sprung ball bearing on the outer edge, as in this picture,..
it seems that most people remove them and run the steel plates bare,
mine didnt have them from new, so didn't need to grind them off.
& new studs are out there if ya wanna renew them yourself...

[Easybake323]

Damn I just “upgraded” to the long roller bearings!

Those 4-speed clutches are dead simple but there are some pitfalls.
First, Kevlar plates will make the clutch drag despite all you can do, in my experience. They are an invention of Satan.
Second, the long clutch hub rollers will make a clutch drag in many instances. I have never failed to improve clutch function by throwing them away and using the stock cage with 20 rollers.
Third, the clutch cable needs to be in good condition. All modern clutch cables are teflon or plastic lined for reduced friction, but if that liner wears through, the cable movement will be restricted and that affects clutch function.
Fourth, the pre-'82 clutch lever assembly does not have much travel, so if the pivot points are worn or if the anchor pin bushings are missing, you get even less travel and that will cause clutch drag too. The '82 and later levers are much better in this respect.

The clutch can be improved by the use of a RamJett retainer, or clone of same these days, in almost all cases.
The steels need to be clean. Rusty or blued steels should be replaced, but these are very thick, so warpage is not usually a problem.
The Alto red clutch plates seem to be pretty foolproof and are inexpensive. They will run wet or dry.
I also like the aluminum pressure plate but it is not a must.

The diaphragm spring suggested above does work, but it won't solve any of your problems.

Jim

[Easybake323]

Thanks everyone!! I drilled the holes on the plates and cut the buffers off the steels and cleaned them up really good!! It’s like a new bike!!!