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[ChrisD]

Hi Guys. The clutch slips a bit on my 1996 535cc and I thought it might be the plates. A replacement set includes three fibre "quartered" plates and one with many small dark segments which are all essentially the same thickness. Why are they different? If I could fill the clutch with one or other type, which is preferred (if you don't want the expense of a set of Barnett or Surflex plates)?
Cheers, ChrisD

[Gwilly]

This way lies madness Chris.

Thats just the way the bonded pack are, you can chop and change to your hearts content..

At the moment i have the segmented cork plates which i think are slightly thinner and work well for me, but then unlike you i was plagued with clutch drag before using the high friction replacement kit..

I still get a little slip when the engine is cold but ok when hot but for me it was the lesser of two evils that being i could get out of first gear at a standstill..

I assume you have the heavier springs fitted to help with the extra power..

If not try these.

[ChrisD]

Gwilly – I ride an Enfield. Every whichaway lies madness!


Actually Gwilly, there is a reason for the sole segmented plate in the set, as I have just been advised by Adrian at Hitchcocks – see below:

“The clutch kit 90040 has, as you say a segmented plate and quartered plates, this is correct with the segmented one fitted first and the quartered fitted after. This sequence goes back to the Redditch bikes and is to do with the cooling of the first (segmented) plate that is fitted deep in the clutch basket where the oil circulation is not as good as the other plates. We can supply any of the plates individually so you can make use of the spares you have to make up complete sets.
Quartered plate – part number 144458 at £5.50 each.
Segmented plate – part number 144459 at £6.60 each.
The service guide states the thickness as;
Quartered plate; 4.70mm new minimum, 4.80mm new maximum, 4.00 service limit.
Segmented plate; 4.80mm new minimum, 5.10mm new maximum, 4.30mm service limit.”



Hope this information helps someone else too.
Cheers, ChrisD

[Gwilly]

Is that the reason for segmented, must retain oil between the segments..

I fitted 4-off H89K cork plates as fitted on the Interceptor to my bullet so all segmented and works well..

Thanks for that bit of info, every days a school day...

[ChrisD]

Hi guys – the saga continues.

Now I know the plates are OK, essentially unworn, I have discovered that the clutch basket is only loosely held to the clutch centre by the circlip (PN 111143). There is more than 2mm of slack although I can see little wear at the back of the clutch centre (so I presume bad manufacture). As a result the clutch lever movement is, I suspect, partly used up in overcoming this slack so that I don’t get enough actual lift. That is part of the reason why the clutch drags.

I can fit an extra circlip into the slot in the clutch centre (so the basket is retained by 2 circlips) and there is still drag-free rotational movement of the clutch basket on the centre.

It sounds OK when I run the engine with this setup, but, is fitting this extra circlip unwise?

Cheers, ChrisD (yes Gwilly – the way to madness is trying to fix the unfixable – besides which I want to attempt all possible solutions with what I have before ordering new parts that perhaps I don’t need (such as the 89K plates) because all parts cost some 210% of the list price on receipt in South Africa).

[Presto]

More madness with the Enfield clutch! The circlip in the clutch basket serves no other function than to hold the parts in place until the whole unit is secured by the three bolts. The fact that there is movement before these bolts are secured is nothing to worry about.

[Gwilly]

As per Presto, the clutch springs and end cap bolts pull the basket forward and tension against the circlip..

It then rather depends whether the primary chain lines up on the sprockets ok, ie you could be making a bad alignment even worse by adding another circlip and moving the drum inboard by another 2mm..

Either way no lift will be lost as the push rod adjuster will be tuned to take up almost all slack before the cable is operated..

At the start of your thread you said you have clutch slip, is this still the case? or has this now been replaced with drag..

My fitting H89K plates was solely to eliminate drag and gear change symptoms which is the most common problem..

If your main problem is clutch slip under power then i could recommend the 5 plate conversion 90041 which i couldn't get to slip at all..

But then has a tendency to drag when hot, around and around we go,..... Maddening.

[Gwilly]

Think i've told you wrong, should read when end cap and springs are tensioned this pushes the basket back against the back plate, not pulled forward against the circlip..

Maybe your right, any slack between basket and circlip would have to be taken up before pushrod can compress springs and release plates..

Try a second clip and see..

Sorry but enfield clutch has addled my brain, like it may yours, beware....

[scotty]

Get rid of the enfield clutch , I bought a bob newby clutch he sells direct big difference no slip easy to set up, no trouble selecting neutral. I had problems with my 1994 535 with all the mods ive done could not stop slip clutch could not handle the increase in power, now havent had to adjust the clutch cable every time I ride in traffic.
Scotty