First ride - heavy clutch

[hendy]

Just been for my first outing on my just finished 1964 restoration. Passed its first MOT.

I thought the clutch was very heavy, but the MOT tester (who has lots of experience of Lambrettas) reckons it's abnormally heavy too.

I have:

5 x 3.5mm surflex friction plates
4 x 1.0mm steels
2.0mm top steel

TV200 springs (slightly stiffer, but I have no idea what stiffer means in numbers)

I was thinking about replacing all the friction plates with 2.5mm BGM ones and replacing all the steels with 1.5mm ones. That way, I'll reduce the spring compression by 3.0mm. Is this too much? if it is, I could fit a 3.0mm top steel thereby reducing it by only 2.0mm.

Advice please?


By the way it's a GT186 with sito ancillotti, 25mm phbl through airbox, so it probably doesn't need anything more that a standard clutch anyway.

Here's a picture just because I think it's sexy

[mick1]

On my 20+ BHP (only just over 20 ) I run a plate clutch with LTH plates and MB springs, no slippage and a nice action on the clutch. Do you really need a five plate ?

[hendy]

On my 20+ BHP (only just over 20 ) I run a plate clutch with LTH plates and MB springs, no slippage and a nice action on the clutch. Do you really need a five plate ?

No I doubt very much that I need 5 plates, but i fitted them to achieve the gap of 1.5 to 2.0 mm in sticky's.

What I'm asking is if I increase the gap to relieve spring load am i likely to get a slipping clutch?

[DigDug]

I'd check your cable routing first before diving into the casing.

[hendy]

I'd check your cable routing first before diving into the casing.

You're right but I'm confident in it as I followed the guidance in sticky's and Paul slack's blog.

But as I type this I'm thinking about the fact that I didn't lubricate the cables due to them being "friction free" nylon lined ones.

I'll try a bit of ky in there.

[dave411]

I though the idea of using lined cables was because the dont need lubrication

[Muppet]

I though the idea of using lined cables was because the dont need lubrication

they do but who bothers

[fairspares]

Its more than likely its the way the cable is routed in the headset as thats were the tightest bend is. Nylon lined cables are best lubricated with teflon or ptfe spray.

[Knowledge]

Checking the feel of the cable is a 2 minute job. Don't start worrying about the routing of the cable until you know there is a problem.

Unhook the clutch cable from the clutch operating arm, and see how it feels. If it moves easily, then reconnect it and look somewhere else for the cause.

[hendy]

Checking the feel of the cable is a 2 minute job. Don't start worrying about the routing of the cable until you know there is a problem.

Unhook the clutch cable from the clutch operating arm, and see how it feels. If it moves easily, then reconnect it and look somewhere else for the cause.

Thanks, pretty obvious check really!

Anyway, I know it runs easy in enough in the outer from when I hooked it up just a few days ago.

It's the clutch that's heavy.

What I need are shorter or lower constant springs. Alternatively to reduce the preload on the springs by reducing the clutch 'thickness'. At the moment I have the feeling that I will end up with a gap way above the recommended 1.5 to 2.0mm.

Does anyone else run clearances 3.0mm or above? Or know where I can get MUCH lighter springs?