Help with Clutch issue?

[SuperRat01]

Hello all, I'm trying to learn to work on these Hodakas on the fly. So, I as wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a possible clutch issue. I recently bought a road toad that the previous owner said had not ran in four years. The gear box was empty so I filled it with oil. Next, I engaged the clutch and shifted it to first and tried to push the bike down the driveway, however, it will not roll in gear. The clutch feels solid when I squeeze it. Any tips ,as far as, what I should check? Thanks, linc

[Zyx]

If it has been sitting for a long time, the clutch plates are probably stuck to each other. Assuming it starts, put it in neutral, start it, pull the clutch, and tie the clutch lever to the bars and let it run at idle only for several minutes. This may free up the discs, but it can also be hard on the pinion bushing so don't Jazz it up much and don't do it for more than two or three minutes. Shut it off and leave it with the clutch tied. After a while you can check to see if it freed itself.

By the way, even when the clutch works perfectly it is a bitch to push in gear, first being hardest due to drag.

If it won't start with the kick, push starting can be tedious especially if the clutch is frozen. I would not do that. All else fails you can take the side cover off and remove the clutch for overhaul, which is not very hard to do.

[BrianZ]

If the bike will not roll in gear something is very wrong. You didn't say it the engine will turn over with the kickstart, but I assuming it won't. Either the piston is seized in the cylinder or the transmission is locked up some how. Since the clutch is frozen up and you said there was no oil in the gearbox, I am guessing that the clutch is seized, probably from rust. It could also be a seized clutch cable, but the lack of oil in the gearbox would make me guess otherwise.

So having said all that I would say you need to completely strip the engine to find out what is wrong. Start by removing the magneto cover exposing the flywheel, then see if the flywheel can be turned by hand. That will tell you if the piston is free.

Keep us posted.

Brian

[SuperRat01]

Yes, the engine will turn over and has good compression. My plan is to try and start it in couple of days when I get oil to mix with the gas. I changed the throttle cable out and reattached the oil pump cable, then I thought I would test the clutch by trying to push it in gear with the clutch engaged. When it would not roll, I thought I might have problem with the clutch. Also, I am deciding to either go with the oil pump or delete it. I appreciate your input...Linc

[Zyx]

First gear is very hard to push. I tried bump starting mine today on the trail, and had to use third gear to get enough freedom to roll downhill with the clutch pulled. It would simply not roll freely enough in first to get any headway going. On yours, select fifth gear and see if it will roll with the clutch pulled. If all it does is turn the engine over, the clutch is stuck.

[tudor8055]

I have found this to be a problem with a lot of old bikes that have been sitting for a while.
If the plates are just stuck the following procedure will usually free them.
Start the engine and warm it up. Push the bike up to just above the speed of what idle would be in first gear. Hop on the bike, quickly pull in the clutch and shift into first gear. Roll the throttle on and tap the rear brake, the clutch should break free.

[Zyx]

For what it is worth, the difficulty in pushing a Hodaka in gear with the clutch pulled, when the clutch is working, is that the clutch is on the crankshaft, which means that even with the clutch pulled and working right, you are spinning the entire gear set, including half the clutch, with a final drive ratio something on the order of 43:1, only backwards because you are driving the gears with the rear tire, not the crank, so the ratio is 1:43. For every one revolution of the rear wheel, the clutch has to spin 43 times. Since the discs drag a bit anyway, that is a heck of a load to push around with the rear wheel. Even if the discs release completely, it is a wet clutch with relatively heavy gear oil. Like a torque converter on an automatic transmission on a car, the discs running in oil tend to push each other around even when released, due to oil being driven against each disc set. So there is no such thing as a complete clutch release with a wet clutch.

If the bike starts and the clutch is stuck, shifting from neutral to any gear is either going to stall the engine or you are going for a ride right now. That would be a sure sign of a stuck clutch. My RD does this about every time I use it if it has been sitting for more than a couple weeks. Usually, that first stall is all it takes to break things loose, but with one sitting around for years, about all you can do is try to get it free, and if it won't break loose by starting and shifting gears, take it apart.

[tudor8055]

Iam not suggesting pushing to speed in first gear. Push the bike IN NEUTRAL to the speed the bike would be moving if it were running just above idle in first gear (trying to match the speed of just above idle in first gear). Then hop on, pull in the clutch and shift from neutral to first. Now you are riding the bike in first gear. Pull in the clutch and rev the engine, the clutch should break free. If it does not free up apply some rear brake and rev it again. If it does not free up at this time, take it apart. Doesn't matter if the clutch is on the crank or input shaft to the transmission. If it's just stuck plates from sludge or time this will free it.

[Zyx]

Tudor,

I was less than clear in my response. I got what you were saying and you are right. I was responding to an earlier comment about trying to push the bike engine off in gear, and why that is very hard to do in first, whereas if you put it in fifth it is usually one to one or close to it, and the bike will push in gear much easier. I usually bump start in third or higher for that reason, and because at my age I can't push it downhill in first. Your suggestion was quite clear. I was a bit vague.

[SuperRat01]

Thanks for the input, I will try this and see if I can free the clutch...Linc

[SuperRat01]

Tudor, I tried your method and my clutch is now free and working. I appreciate the tip. Thanks, Linc