[Ricey360]

Hi all,

Having dramas with my CB360 clutch not disengaging when the bike is warmed up.
It's fine when cold, but as it warms up it slowly gets more and more play in the lever until finally the lever hits the bar before the clutch is fully disengaged.
If I try and take this slack up while the bike is warm, either at the side cover adjuster or lever, I get the dreaded 'pop' and have to remove the side cover and reset.

I have adjusted the clutch plenty of times successfully both cold and hot before, but now I can't find a happy medium - if I adjust it when the bike is warm, it will either 'pop' or slip when the bike is cold, if I adjust when it's cold it won't disengage completely when the bike is warm and makes finding gears and neutral very difficult.

I know there should will always be a little variance between engine being hot and cold, but this is significant, to the point there's an extra 20-30mm of play at the lever once the bike warms up.

I have completely rebuilt the bike, including the clutch which has been given new EBC fiber plates and springs. Also, checked all metal plates for warpage and basket 'fingers' for ridges, all are perfect.

Specific details are:
- Brand New EBC Fiber Plates
- OEM Metal Plates
- Brand New Heavy Duty EBC Clutch Springs (slightly longer)
- New Motion Pro Cable
- GP style lever (there is slightly less travel in this lever than the stock one before it hits the bars, but not a huge amount)
- Renthal Ultra Low Rise Bars (so there is a little more length in cable than required, due to bars being much lower than original)
- Running Motul 10w40 Semi Synthetic
- Just completed 378 big bore conversion with Suzi 850 pistons

Any ideas? Bike is running like a dream, just this one thing letting it down.

Cheers and thanks in advance for your help/advice!

 

[TOOLS1]

Hot or cold should not make any difference in the clutch operation. I would put the stock Honda parts back in and switch to Shell Rotella oil.
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[ancientdad]

I've always been suspect of aftermarket springs and of course, all clutch plates (fibers) can react differently to different oils as Tools suggested above. Cables can stretch when they get hot and change adjustment a little, but I've never seen as much as you're describing on yours. Honda factory parts in the clutch have the capability to handle significantly more horsepower than the stock engine provides. I'm running 497cc 11.6:1 pistons and MegaCycle cams in my 450 with new EBC plates and stock springs, and no resulting slippage even on powershifts, so I don't think you have anything to worry about and the springs you're using may well be in excess and the heart of the issue

 

[frogman79]

Motion Pro Clutch cables are known to be too short internally, you are not starting with enough play when you are adjusting the cable. Combine that with the shorter pull levers I'm surprised it works really.

You also want to make sure the arm on the actuator on the cover is pointed down at about a 45 degree angle, not parallel to the ground, the return spring should be almost loose. If it is parallel you don't have enough pull to do the work and the "POP" is almost a constant. Also make sure the ball bearing is actually round, if its dished on one side it will be impossible to get right, I know I've been there.

Try removing the lock nut at at the handle and screwing the adjuster all the way in flush, if it won't cut enough of the threaded part off so it will. This will get you a little bit more play; do all of the adjustment at the clutch cover. Set ACTUATOR CLEARANCE FIRST, then with the lever pulled until you can just feel the actuator touch the rod, start screwing the adjuster at the cover out until you have about 1/8-1/4" of gap between the lever back and the mount. Tighten the lock and run it and see what it does. Clutch should be fully disengaged with the lever about halfway to the handle.

+1 on the Rotella Oil, it goes in all my bikes, still running god knows how old clutch pads and stock springs, none of them slip. EBC makes good plates from what I read, your build looks like a fairly standard "CrazyPj" one.

 

[Ricey360]

Thanks for the help guys. Unfortunately we can't get Rotella down here in Australia, otherwise I'd be running for sure. I'm yet to find an oil that I'm really happy with, so anyone in Oz that has found something that works well in these old Hondas, I'd love to hear what it is.
Ok, so I've swapped back to the oem cable and also replaced the ball bearing which was a little worn and out of round. Yet to have a chance to ride, but already note that the actuator arm is in a much better position and there was far less play in the cable on innitial adjustment and the clutch seems to disengage much earlier in the lever action.
Hopefully this that it will disengage fully once the engine is warm, see how we go.
Failing that I will tear into the other side and swap back to the oem clutch springs and try a different oil too. I ran Honda Gen4 mineral 10w30 on break in and now that I think about it I can't remember having these issues back then.... might switch back, my only reservation is that it's summer here and we are experiencing temperatures of 42c (108f) so a bit worried about a 30 mineral oil doing the job in this heat, which is why I switched to semi-synthetic in the first place.
Thanks again for the tips.

Cheers ?

 

[TOOLS1]

Todays oils can handle it. Just go to 10W-40 weight. If you have Castrol GTX down under use it.
TOOLS