Question,

Does your clutch need adjustment? I've read a lot of guys on here screwing things up and constantly messing with it. I am a big believer in " Don't fix it if it ain't broke". If your clutch is not slipping and works fine, why adjust it? My 08 has over 37,000 miles on it and the clutch has been adjusted once..... at 1,000 miles. Works fine, doesn't slip, engages when I pull the lever.

Any one have a good reason to adjust the clutch when it works other than the book says too?

I don't want to give bad info but this has been working good for me.

 

That's why you use the vise grips,stick the allen wrench through the socket,hold it and tighten the nut with the vise grips.

 

As a mechanic for 30 years, vise grips and adjustable wrenches make me laugh. You're playing the odds on messing something up. Buy some real tools and do the job right.

 

use a socket and do repeated strong steady slaps to the ratchet.

 

I have plenty of tools. Let me get this straight. Do I need the allen wrench in the hole while LOOSENING the out bolt or not? I also understand the hitting the ratchet method quite well. My clutch is not out of adjustment, but it says to adjust it like that every 5000 miles. It been more than a few 5000 miles and I am yet to adjust like it says. There is no slippage. Is this really even necessary? I assume it is since it is in the manual.

 

No, you do not need to hold the allen key when undoing the nut, only when tightening it.The best way to adjust the clutch is to 1. Loosen the clutch cable to the full extent of adjustment. 2. Loosen the locknut, if you hit the spanner sharply with your hand the nut will let go. 3. Pull the clutch lever in, it should touch the bar or be close to the bar, if it does not touch the bar back the pushrod adjuster out while keeping slight pressure on the lever until it just touches the bar. 4. When the clutch lever touches the bar turn the pushrod adjuster in while keeping light pressure on the lever. When you turn the adjuster in it will push the lever off the bar. 5. Then, back the adjuster out until the lever returns to "just touching" the bar. When you find this point back the adjuster out 1/2 a turn (this is your free play) and lock the nut down while holding the pushrod adjuster with the allen key. 6. Adjust cable with 1/8 slack at the lever and lock it down. Job done,this method never fails. You can bend an 11/16 ring spanner with a bit of heat to do the job or weld a nut to the top of a socket. Either way you can use the allen key through the centre of it.

 

If you can't loosen it the normal way I suppose that's your only option. T-handle allen would probably be your best bet.

I had an old 11/16 deepwell socket. Welded a nut to the top so I can insert the allen while tightening the nut with a wrench. Not really needed but it's an option.

 

Adjust your clutch at the cable,just behind the front fender under the rubber bellows.

 

As mentioned, you need to hold the allen head bolt, use the kind with a "T" handle. I've adjusted my clucth several times now at times loosing the jam nut didn't require holding the allen head bolt, but a good idea everytime to prevent damaging the jam nut. also, what helps are those socket set with a hole completely through the rachet and the socket that way you can hold the jam nut and you can insert the allen wrench through. or you can get the box end wrench with the accute angle to them similat to a distributor wrench. One thing I did was replaced the jam nut with a stainless steel nut which is thicker than the stock jam nut. It's easier to grip because it thicker and not easy to damage if the wrench happen to slip.

 

I have the answer I need now. I guess I need to smack the ratchet or wrench with my hand as opposed to trying to twist it off as I was doing. I just could not get the outer nut loose. Thanks guys.