The clutch on my 1957 ES2 is dragging really badly, to the point where its difficult to engage 1st gear from standstill! I have the appropriate amount of free play in the cable but even if I take it up to the point where there's no free play at all I still can't get it to disengage completely. I suspect that the plates are warped/stuck and need to be taken to pieces and cleaned up. Any tips & tricks would be appreciated and some advice on what to put in the primary chaincase by way of oil - I've heard that ATF fluid is best?
Chaz
It does sound as though yo…
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problems ive had in the pa…
problems ive had in the past with similar clutch symptoms were over tight primary chain and rear chain too tight. also check the rear chain with your weight on the bike to see how much it tightens up if any .and adjust to suit.
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fwiw - I put ATF in the pr…
fwiw - I put ATF in the primary of my 16H. Red oil in the primary, green in the gearbox, and yellow in the engine. So I know what's leaking...But although I find ATF is OK on the road, it sticks the plates together when left in the shed. I wonder if it's OK in Commandos with some weird modern plate material?
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It does sound as though you need to strip it. It could even be that the clutch centre nut has loosened off. Not unknown. I have found that Norton primary drives aren't fussy about what oil is in there - anything from paraffin to self-levelling grease seems to work. Seriously. What I use is tractor universal 10-30. It's cheap, and being a universal oil (engines, hydraulics, oil-immersed brakes) it doesn't have the additives that can induce unexpected clutch slip.