I just replaced my clutch plates in my 74 XLH.I got it back together and adjusted but now my clutch lever will not pull back.No adjusting makes it better.Also,when tightening the locknuts that go on the studs running through the clutch plates,do you tighten them untill they wont go any more?Thanks.

 

Question:
When you removed the clutch plates there should have been a tubular sleeve over each of the 6 studs. Are those sleeves there? The name of these is stud spacers.
If so, then yes you tighten down the nuts snug against the sleeves spacers.
This is what lines up the outer plate and gives the clutch the proper tension. This feature was added in late 1974 to the Sportster clutch.

Now, if you do not have the 6 sleeve spacers then you have an early 1974 machine and the adjustment is done by measurement. Tell me which situation you have and then we can go from there.
Also, the clutch lever description was not clear to me what you meant.
'now my clutch lever will not pull back ' leaves me puzzled. Do you mean it will not spring back to the normal position after you pull it in?
This most likely is due to not adjusting the cable cam ramp correctly.
I can give you the 'how to' on that as well. First let's get the 6 stud nuts taken care of.......... pg

Item #8 is not adjusted correctly.......



and, item #4B........ are these there, or not?

 

OK the tubular sleeves are there,they came new with the plates.I tightened the lock nuts down.Thanks Blake.1 problem down now the next.My clutch lever won't pull in so that it engages the clutch. I hope that makes more sense to you.It won't work with the primary cover on or off.Thx for the help.

 

I think this is one of those situations where you have to be really precise to be understood. Do you mean that it is stuck in the out posirion and will not move at all? Or that you can pull it in but it does not engage the clutch?

 

It's stuck in the out position and will not move at all.

 

With the primary removed, the clutch lever cannot be pulled in to the handlebar? Did I read that correctly?
If so, the only thing I can think of is either the lever is jammed at the pivot pin (this I doubt) or else the clutch cable is so-o-o bad that it is not sliding through the outer housing.
Both situations I have never actually seen happen, but a sticky clutch cable could bind things up to do it.
Take the cable off and see if the inner slides smoothly through the outer casing by hand. It should.............. pg

 

I`m assuming it worked before you worked on it so first we need to figure out how you adjusted the ramp and cable slack. If you mean that the clutch lever wont move at all even with the cover off then thats an additional problem that needs to be corrected first.

 

I figured out that the reason I could'nt pull the lever into the handlebar.When I adjust the adjusting sleeve to where the book says the lever should be,it tightens the cable up and the ramp is pulled tight also.When I screw it back in to loosen it up it will pull the ramp but the hand lever will not spring back into normal position.Is this making any dern sense?

 

Somehow, you must not be doing the adjustment correctly.
Let's run through it quickly:
1) Turn in the adjuster sleeve on the cable well into the primary. There should be a mile of slack at the lever end of the cable.

2) Remove the center plug on the primary and loosen the lock nut. Turn the center screw inward until it gets hard to turn. Now turn it in 2 more full turns. The clutch is now in the disengaged position. (If you were to run the bike like this the clutch would slip)

3) Now, screw the cable adjuster sleeve (step 1) out from the primary cover. Watch the lever move outward toward the normal position.
When the lever has moved out fully......Stop turning the adjuster sleeve.
The lever will have no slack at all, nor will it have any load on it. Just sitting there in a zero load position. You have now got the clutch sleeve adjustment correct. Lock down the locknut.
DO NOT ADJUST THIS SLEEVE AGAIN.

4) Now we go back to that center screw on the clutch.
Unscrew the adjuster screw until the screw becomes easier to turn.
You will have some free play up at the cable/lever now. Look at it.
Turn the adjuster screw outward (loosen) 1/4 to 1/2 a turn to establish the correct amount of cable free play at the lever. 1/8 inch is correct. Tighten down the lock nut and replace the plug in the primary. You are done.

Many people who are familiar with other makes of bikes are used to adjusting the cable slack at the handlebar.
A Sporty does not have the knurled adjustment, so they assume the adjustment is made with the long threaded cable sleeve going into the primary case.
That is clearly wrong and is not the way it is done. Our little exercise here is the way it is to be done.

Now, if you still have the same trouble, remove the primary cover again. The only other thing you could have done was get the ramp with the 3 ball bearings out of position by 1 ball space. (This cannot happen unless you had the ramp and ***** dis-assembled though)

Let us know if this helps you any........... pg

 

I tried what you said piniongear and I still get the same thing.I didnt take apart the ramp and the ball bearings. Everythings just like it was when I took the cover off to fix my clutch.I never touched anything inside the primary cover.