Jubilee clutch plates

John,

The clutch action being heavy has nothing to do with the number of clutch plates. It is the friction in the cable and how far you screw the clutch spring nuts in. For the cable, it should be lubricated and have as easy, large radius bends as possible.

David

Sadly, none of the books or manuals show a picture of the clutch that is correct, however the Parts List is correct. The only picture shown - even in later manuals - is of the 1959 clutch that had a shouldered clutch centre.

For all clutches (1960-on) without the shouldered centre, there are 8 plates in the clutch basket.

The first one in is plain, thicker & shouldered (to allow for the curvature at the bottom of the basket). This one tends to take the brunt of any wear, and usually the tabs are damaged/non-existent. It needs to be in good condition, sadly new ones are hard to come by.

The next six plates are fiction/plain alternating, endind on a plain plate. (These 'plain' plates are dimpled).

The last plate in has friction "postage stamps" on one side only, fitted plain side outwards.

Eight in total.

**There is an additional friction plate on the other side of the sprocket, for those that have adventurous enough to dismantle the clutch completly.

***Attached is a sideways on picture of the stepped plate

****Attached also is my best picture of the clutch, lifted from an article in 'Motor Cylcling' many years ago - but still shows an incorrect number of plates, and shows the (incorrect) first plate from the 1959 clutch.