SRM clutch

[BrianS]

G'day Brian.
Do you mean the primary cover screws? If so their 1/4" ID and I think 3/8" OD 1/32 thick.
67-1709 https://tinyurl.com/yao4rakk  are fiber for the level and drain screws.
Cheers

Edit: Was thinking plunger, s/a have the three front ones 5/16".

You were right and the washers I bought (Small O.D. Washers 5/16 x 1/2) only fit on the front three screws and are loose on the rest. However, despite their reduced outside diameter, the washers still don't fit in the cover (on the big three screws) being just a tiny fraction too large OD. So basically that was not a good use of £7      So the cover is going back on washerless!

[Colsbeeza]

Brian,
I forget who said this on the Forum, but I got the tip to put gasket goo on the outer cover only. I did this recently, and used a thick Lithium-based grease on the inner cover. I stuck the gasket to the inner cover with grease, then put gasket goo (Red Loctite - can't remember the number) sparingly on the outer cover and screwed it on just firmly enough to ensure the Loctite would flatten out evenly. I tightened it later.
There has been no hint of a leak ( more than I can say for the felt seal behind the clutch though). Anyway, It has been off and on twice, and no damage to the gasket. Cleaning the inner case gasket surface is a matter of a quick wipe with a rag.
I cannot say how effective this will be in the long term - perhaps the grease will melt away over time and start to leak.??
BTW, I have had that tin of grease since I was a teenager. I found it in flood debris after the 1966 flood in the Hunter Valley.
I don't chuck away nuthin'.  Not the sort of grease you would normally use for bikes.
Colin

[Greybeard]

...the washers still don't fit in the cover (on the big three screws) being just a tiny fraction too large OD. So basically that was not a good use of £7      So the cover is going back on washerless!

You could try this: put the washers on a screwdriver shaft and hold them against your bench grinder. The result may not be pretty but it will reduce the OD

[bsa-bill]

never needed fibre washer on there, just wonder if small rubber o ring would be better if you do need something

[chaterlea25]

Hi Bill and All,

On the 3 front screws I put a little non setting gasket goo on the threads (hylomar)
and no issues
the front 3 screws and the two inner 5/16 bolts are "structural" so need to be "tight"

John

[BrianS]

The gasket goo one side and grease the other sounds the way to go!

There is only one locating dowel for the cover (hope that's right!) so keeping the gasket in place whilst fitting a gooey cover will be interesting.

I am thinking of perhaps putting a couple of drill bits or studs loosely in a couple of places on the inner face to hold the gasket in place whilst I fit the cover.

[BrianS]

I apologise for my need to be nurse maided but, for some reason, I still don't feel confident in the work I do on my GF 

This one is for RogerSB I guess.

Here are photos of my SRM clutch with the screws turned in two full turns. If they are now right then no wonder I had started to get clutch slip! I almost think the screws may need another turn in!

EDIT: I sent Gary at SRM a copy of the photos and he replied "Hi, look a tad too far in, I would say in between the first pic you sent, and 2nd pic you sent." so I  need to back the screws out one turn.

[RogerSB]

Hi Brian, looks about right to me. As Gary's comment to RoyC in the previous post he reckoned mine looked a tad too tight. I haven't re-adjusted because it's working great.

I did have some difficulty keeping the notches on all the spring cups located in the notches in the pressure plate as they kept jumping out when turning the adjusters on the bolts. Managed it in the end with perseverance. I don't know how important that is but it looks neater  .  (Edit): Also the adjuster were a devil to get started on the bolt threads - had to push on them really hard to get them started.

Is lever at handlebar easy to pull in and is the gearbox clutch arm parallel to gearbox cover joint (90 degrees to cable) when lever is pulled in?

Also with the non-flexing alloy pressure plate and the needle roller pushrod adjuster the pressure plate seems to be self centering when you disengage the clutch so no dial gauge or bits of wire really needed to adjust it - just make sure the amount the springs are showing all look to be the same. Worked fine for me.

[bsa-bill]

so keeping the gasket in place whilst fitting a gooey cover will be interesting.

Just put my cover on, thinnest film I could manage  on both side, used all the screws to keep the gasket on and line up.
Heres hoping

[RichardL]

...the washers still don't fit in the cover (on the big three screws) being just a tiny fraction too large OD. So basically that was not a good use of £7      So the cover is going back on washerless!

You could try this: put the washers on a screwdriver shaft and hold them against your bench grinder. The result may not be pretty but it will reduce the OD

That's exactly what I've done, but no washers on mine right now. Man, does that screwdriver get hot. Maybe it's mentioned earlier in this thread (can't see right now) but is there a source for washers that will fit under the 1/4"  screw heads?

Richard L.

[RoyC]

Hold them in a vice and file them.

[BrianS]

I think I am making a meal of what should probably be a simple job!

The clutch springs are now adjusted as per Gary's recent advice and, following RogerSB's tip, I checked and the clutch arm is no longer at 90 degrees to the case when fully disengaged so I need to sort that out - which should be simple enough I hope! A tad easier to do whilst the cover is still off.

Just to add to the fun, the oil level tube on the drain plug seems quite a way down from where the chain runs so I measured its height (about 17mm) and compared it to the distance between the bottom of the chain and the case (about 22mm) - a difference of about 5mm.

I would have thought that the chain should at least be skimming the top of the oil for lubrication or am I over thinking this? Perhaps the movement of the bike sloshes the oil back and forth and lubes the chain that way?

[RogerSB]

There is only one locating dowel for the cover (hope that's right!) so keeping the gasket in place whilst fitting a gooey cover will be interesting.

Me again Brian, I've amended my chaincase diagram to indicate the dowel positions by blue circles.

I always make my own gaskets. I buy Flexoid gasket paper, which comes in various thicknesses. Bought some last year 2m x 1/2m x 0.8mm thick for making cover gaskets. It cost £14 including postage.

This is a bit long winded but:-
My method is to lay the cover on the gasket paper and push down on the dowels to mark their positions on the paper. Then draw around the shape of the cover. Cut around the shape, about 1/2" or so away from the drawn outline and then cut or punch the dowel holes out. Lay the paper on the cover and fit the holes over the dowels to fix it in position. With a small ball peen hammer carefully tap on all the screw holes in turn and with a few taps it will cut through the gasket paper. The little hole pieces cut through with the hammer often sink (some don't get completely cut out) into the holes in the cover and this helps to hold the paper firmly in position to do the remainder. Then tap around the outside and inside edges of the cover to cut out the shape of the cover accurately. Nip out any holes not completely cut out.  You'll then have a perfect gasket and usually better than the ones you buy.

I then prepare the cover for fitting by carefully spreading a thin layer of Blue Hylomer on the side of the gasket that goes on the cover mating surface and place the gasket on it. Then do the same on the exposed (dry) side of the gasket. Smear a thin layer of grease on the inner chaincase metal mating surface and fit the outer cover and loosely fit all the screws until the joint is closed but not tight. Leave it for a bit (have a cup of tea) to allow the gasket cement to thicken (Blue Hylomer never dries solid) and then tighten the screws. Job done. I never get a leak from the chaincase joint - only a tiny amount from the drain plug sometimes, even when I fit new fibre washers  .

The grease allows you to remove the cover easily again with the gasket undamaged and still stuck to the cover  .

A mechanic friend of mine showed me how to do this about 40 years ago when I used to rebuild my classic car engines. It was in the days when they often made their own gaskets in garages.

[muskrat]

G'day Brian.
To adjust the lever arm position there is a screw and locknut under the oval cover on the other side near the footpeg.
Cheers

[RogerSB]

Just to add to the fun, the oil level tube on the drain plug seems quite a way down from where the chain runs

The oil level tube looks about right to me Brian. You can check when you've fitted the cover by fitting just the oil level bit first and adding the correct quantity of oil (8 fl oz / 225cc). A little oil usually runs out of mine until it's level with the top of the tube, then I fit the bottom part.