The Hodaka Club Forum

I thought I would point something out that I discovered. A lot of the recommendations on adjusting the engine clutch lever for 3/32 inch call for completely removing the cable to make sure the lever has no load on it. Well, the barrel on the lower end of my cable (and I'm sure most others) sticks out of the lever enough to change the rest position of the lever. So, if I completely remove the cable and adjust for 3/32, then put the cable in I have much less than 3/32, in fact hardly any. So I have been loosely fitting the cable in there with the spring removed, and setting the "actual" possible free play there for 3/32. Then, just for comparison, I completely removed the cable and measure with the lever bottomed against the screw boss on the casting and the free play is more like 3/16. So I am thinking that if a guy were to adjust for 3/32 with no cable, then add cable, he might end up with no free play. Now if he were to start with more, then he just might, by luck, end up with about the right amount.

I encountered the same issue. I couldn't even adjust free play with the cable connected. When removed and set at 3/32" and the cable added back, I had to add about double the adjustment to get 3/32" free play with the cable in place! I'm sticking with 1/4" free play with no cable from now on, and tightening minimally IF needed. Victor

As my Hodaka education continues, this input will be "folded in"! I don't know whether OEM clutch cables from back in the day exhibit the same situation - but it certainly is something to keep in mind!

I've had some discussions with Hodaka tuners and racers over time who generally think the factory recommendation of 3/32" freeplay just makes no sense . . . and their arguments are backed by sound logic for their intended use.

Since the "clutch pack" moves "out" (and reduces freeplay) as the friction disks wear - it does seem semi-odd that freeplay would be set up at such a "tight specification" that a relatively minimal amount of wear would take freeplay to zero (and perhaps result in clutch slipping fairly quickly). Why would the factory do that? A possible answer is that the factory spec assures Maximum release action on the clutch - perhaps seen as a safety consideration. (????) Another consideration might have been minimizing the flopping about of the clutch release bearing assy.

Some super-go-fast racers have come to the conclusion that the proper freeplay setting is 3/8". Their reasoning is that they surely don't want a hard race with a bunch of clutch slipping/fanning to "eat up" the freeplay before the end of the race. And some of them have experienced just that sort of thing with a "tight" freeplay setting. None have reported having "clutch drag" problems with the 3/8" freeplay setting.

Personally, I'm heading toward 3/16" to 1/4" of freeplay as the spec I will regularly use. And I'll do a check on the cable end when I'm done. Hmmmm, I may end up with 3/32" (the original spec) but with the cable end in place. Interesting.

Ed

Yeah. I don't know if it's the new cables out there, but I have never been able to get anywhere close to 3/32" on ANY of the bikes I've been restoring. Victor

The cable shown in the photo above is the original clutch cable that came on the bike, not a replacement. Even the photo in my old Clymer manual shows the little cable barrel sticking out like that. But of course Clymer gives no real explanation of where the 3/32 is measured from. I'm with you Ed, I think I will start erring on the loose side.

Thanks for that info that your photo IS with an OEM cable.
Ed