Hitchcocks Forum

Hello guys, had a problem with my clutch going out of adjustment rather quickly on my 2005 500cc Bullet classic, checked to see if the locknut on the adjuster on the gearbox end of things had become loose, it had not. The symptom was severe clutch drag to the point where it was getting almost impossible to change gear ! However, I removed the primary chaincase cover and took the clutch spring retainer/endplate and springs off to find the clutch centre nut had decided to start unscrewing ! On closer inspection, looking at the nut it was of the Simmonds type ( fibre insert at the top similar to the nyloc idea ) and behind that was a spring washer, now if memory serves me right you would either fit a spring washer to a plain nut or a flat washer under the Simmonds/nyloc nut certainly NOT BOTH ! As the spring washer was so thick, it did not allow the Simmonds nut to do it,s job by allowing the gearbox shaft thread to protrude through the fibre section ,I cured this situation by rummaging through my spare bits boxes and found a thin shim washer to replace the thick spring washer thus allowing the thread to Bite into the fibre of the nut enabling it to grip as it should. Prior to assembly, a drop of loctite was applied to the thread for extra insurance! While i,m at it , iv,e just taken delivery of one of Mr. Hitchcock,s finest radial clutch pads ( rapid delivery as usual, thanks guys ! ) so after a cuppa i,ll complete the assembly of the primary side and it,s off for a ride ! Has anyone else experienced this problem ? Has there been a lack of communication on the production line perhaps when assembling the primary chaincase bits ? Having only bought the bike less than a month ago as a non-runner ( dud condenser mainly ) I also found that the brake light had been incorrectly wired at the factory as when the lights were switched on the brake light was permanently on, you cannot fit the rear light bulb the wrong way as it has staggered locating pins, the wiring diagram was consulted and by following the green wire things became apparent and the error corrected, happy days. But it certainly makes you think how the bike got through it,s M.O.T,s in the past ? With only just over 2000 miles on the bike I hope to enjoy many more as I do love the Bullets having run them since the seventies.

Yes, had it on my 350 classic. Slight backlash on splines allows the nut to undo itself over time, also the back of the clutch basket can wear against the shaft shoulder, as mine had. I ground a small taper in the back, then made a split tapered washer to go over the shaft and up to the seating (hint: one turn of a piece of keyring is just right and has a suitable profile!) this centralizes and firmly grips everything together when re-assembled. After replacing basket I packed the splines to stop radial movement with small metal strips (another hint: try the stainless strip that comes out of some old wiper blades!) then thin washer, nylock type nut and all done....
It all sounds a bodge - as it was because I was 1000 miles from home when it happened, but 15,000 miles later it remains as solid as a rock!

Could it have been the previous proud but foolish owner fiddling around trying to cure the usual clutch drag and trying to effect, in his head, a fix? My pal bought an 05 classic, 1800 on the clock - clutch had been attacked as he tried to free up the plates with a screwdriver, and other botches. Now I partially understand the blood pressure problem but the brutality of the attempts at a fix was shocking!

That is a possibility, but as I said the original wiring to the brake light was incorrect also and i,m convinced it happened at the production line stage. Good news is that a forty mile test showed no more problems with the clutch but I did experienced some oil coming from that breather gadget thingy which gave me cause for concern, if possible i,d like to get rid of it and throw it as far as I can but i,ll have to study the damn thing first to suss out how it is supposed to work, perhaps a pipe has come off it, wish they had stuck with the old duckbill job, at least it worked !Thank you guys for your replies, it all helps.