Subject: grabby clutch explored
Author: tom short
Date: Jun 25, 2003, 6:53 AM
Post ID: 1713526053
Last year on my trip to Sandy Eggo, my G-5 clutch (I thought) gave out.
Here's what happened.
For along time, the bike would not 'ease' into gear. What I mean is, it
would jump from disengaged to engaged, no inbetween. I tried washing the
clutch plates with WD-40 and adjusting the cable but nothing was
working. Oh, the bike would shift alright, up and down, I just couldn't
get a nice easy start.
Out in the middle of nowhere, on I 40 in Cali, traffic came to a stop
due to some road construction. I pulled up behind the last car, and the
bike kept going. I grabbed all the brakes I had and the bike lurched
then died. I started it again and with the clutch pulled all the way in,
the bike still wanted to creep foward. I adjusted some play out of the
clutch cable and all was fine, for a little while.
I stopped for gas about 50 miles later, and the same problem occurred.
No adjustment left. Hmmm. I gassed up and took off to to get to B.J
Schwats's house in Hesperia. Uh-oh, more traffic jams and the clutch
WILL NOT disengage. I make it a few more miles before the bike is too
dangerous to drive. Pulled off the highway and called for a pick-up,
litterally!
Anyway, we get the bike to Moto Guzzi Classics and I begin to tear her
down. When I pulled the tranny off, the problem became obvious. The
washer behind the nut the holds the spline hub inplace had broken and
the nut had backed off allowing the shifting bar inside the tranny to
move back and forth inside the tranny. The foward pressure of the gears
pushed the hub against the clutch not allowing any disengagement. Upon
inspection of the tranny gears, everything was shot. Time for another
tranny...
May your problems be less exspensive!!!
The Arizona Kid
Tom Short
AZ MGNOC Rep
Phoenix, AZ