so i bought a 73 ironhead today. the guy said he replaced the clutch cable and went for a ride. 20 minutes later he went to leave a stop light and when he let the lever out nothing happened. so now, the clutch wont' engage when it's in gear. the lever still has tension and feels like it's moving the clutch springs over. i haven't pulled the cover off yet. just wanted to see if you guys have an idea about what it could be. i'm wondering if it could be that far out of adjustment and just isn't being released all the way. we'll see tomorrow when i play with it

mike

 

So you are saying that you have no clutch?
That is a strange one. Usually it is just the opposite, the clutch cannot be disengaged.
There are two large coil springs that keep the clutch fully engaged at all times unless the lever is pulled in, which compresses the springs to disengage the clutch.
Here is an exploded view of the clutch parts inside the primary...........



pg

 

thanks, that will help alot. i'm gonna spend tonight pressure washing it and getting all the old grime off before i take it apart. and hopefully i'll get some time tomorrow and i'll take the primary off. that side of the motor is sealed off from oil correct? nothing should come out when i remove it? i'm used to dirt bikes and the clutch side is dry

mike

 

No, it is a wet clutch. PG just did a good post that will help you understand how the oil system works.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/ironh...o-primary.html

Pat

 

thanks for the link. i'm a car guy by nature and have been wanting to build an old sportster this winter. i finally found one for dirt cheap that still ran and was original motor/frame. so it's a fun start. i've been doing a lot of research on the forum. there's a lot of great info which helps. i kind of posted this up early since i didn't even do anything. but it just takes me a couple days to educate myself on some things. but i already picked up a lot and am not worried about diving in.

thanks
mike

 

Keep the pressure washer away from the oil seals in the wheels, shifter shaft, etc.

 

One more link for you. There is no oil drain plug.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/ironh...-to-drain.html

 

A-hhh, sealed off? Not exactly. There are 1/2 inch holes at the bottom of the transmission door, located behind the clutch basket ( item 27).
The primary and the transmission both share the same oil if that is what you are asking.
You pour 24 ozs of engine oil into the filler cap on the primary cover into the primary area to do a (wet refill) after draining the trans and primary oil out.
Then the oil flows through the hole(s) in the door to the transmission.
The 1973 has the 'transfer valve' installed in the left wall of the primary and that is why you are to use exactly the same oi in both the engine, primary, and transmission.

The 'transfer valve' is a fancy screen for all intents and it serves the purpose of letting air/oil (compressed from the pistons coming down) pass into the primary area where the small hole you see in the filler cap vents some of it to atmosphere. (The main vent for this is through the breather system whose outlet is found at the metal tube coming out under the generator
Getting back on subject here........
The proper oil for all three places is 60wt.
This oil is available from your Harley dealer.

There are a number of members here who may tell you to 'plug the transfer valve with some such junk as JB Weld' and then use automatic transmission in your clutch and transmission. DO NOT DO THIS!!!
Use 60wt in the trans and clutch.

Sorry to get into such a long post but since you are a new ironhead owner used to dirt bikes I wanted to get you headed in the right direction.
I will also make this important tip to you.....
If your engine has what looks to be a drain plug on the bottom of the crankcase..................
LEAVE IT ALONE!
DO NOT TAKE THIS OUT.
This is not a drain and should never be removed. Remove it and the result will be your crankcase will be stripped most likely.
1974 engines have this plug and yours may have it, so it is worth a look.

After you get your primary off I expect you will be back needing some help.
This is the place, as there are many folks here who can answer any question you may have.
pg

 

great info. thanks a lot. i got it all cleaned today and i'm surprised it came out as well as it did. i started it again before i cleaned it and put it in gear. then i adjusted the clutch cable until all the tension was taken out. the bike still didn't move forward. but it did lurch a little bit when you first blipped teh throttle. so it is engaging just a tiny bit. i wonder if he just had it way too loose and burned the hell out of it. i won't really know until i take it apart. i'll try and do that on wednesday when i have time.

thanks for the tips and links. it'll definately come in handy

 

Nope, you did the wrong thing by playing around with the clutch cable adjustment.
Here is a post I did on another forum this morning to help a member adjust his clutch.
You need to follow this procedure step by step in the order listed to properly adjust the clutch. Most people grab a wrench and start adjusting the cable on a Sportster.
That may work on a Honda or a dirt bike but the Sporty is done differently.
let me see if I can do a cut and paste here.........

Well, I have been following this thread and in my view no one has nailed it yet.

You adjust a 1973 clutch like so:
Loosen the lock nut on the cable adjuster.
Turn in the adjuster until you have a lot of slack in the cable up at the clutch lever.

Now remove the inspection plug in the center of the primary cover.
Loosen the 13/16 lock nut on the center screw.
Now turn in the center screw until you feel resistance. (this is the screw hitting the outer plate)

Now turn the screw in an additional 2 full turns.
This completely disengages the clutch.

Next you go back to the cable adjuster.
Screw the adjuster out until all slack is taken up at the clutch lever.
No slack....... nor any tightness in the cable.
Just a neutral no slack position.
Now tighten down the lock nut on the adjuster.
You are through with this adjuster, so do not touch it again.

Now we go back to the center screw in the cover.
Unscrew the screw until it gets loose. (Clutch is now engaged)
Turn the screw back in until it touches the plate. Stop.
Now unscrew the center screw 1/8 to 1/4 turn. Stop.
Carefully tighten the lock nut without allowing the center screw to turn.
Replace the cover plug and you are done.
If you now look at the clutch lever you will see you have about 1/8 inch of cable slack at the lever. Perfect!

pg