AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Pharisee wrote:
..... I stripped out the old, original, clutch plates and replaced them all, friction and plain, with Italian Surflex plates. That cured the problem, though why they should be any different, I don't know.
.....

clive wrote:I have 3 bikes currently running with between them Burman CP and B52 boxes and 2 with AMC boxes, I don't have to free any of them.

Could sticking be due to age .. the older and more used, the plates becoming honed together so after a period pressed together all air is expelled from between and on release the vacuum hold them together ..

Just thoughts .....

Taid wrote: The clutch is really tight and it takes a fair bit of effort.

The stuck plates won't make the clutch lever action heavier since the pressure plate lifts away from the plates against the springs pressure. It doesn't separate the stuck plates.
Have you over-tightened the clutch pressure plate springs? I can't say whether it would make the plates stick together more but it would make the h/bar lever action heavy and make freeing the clutch seem a bit tedious (which it really isn't as it takes only seconds and is something which I do without even thinking about it).

I adjust the pressure springs and test by putting the front wheel against a tree in the garden, engaging 1st and trying to drive ahead. You only need to be able to stall the engine when at a few hundred revs, not a fistful.

SPRIDDLER wrote:

Taid wrote: The clutch is really tight and it takes a fair bit of effort.

The stuck plates won't make the clutch lever action heavier since the pressure plate lifts away from the plates against the springs pressure. It doesn't separate the stuck plates.

Fistfull (598x640).jpg

Hi, S.

What I meant was that the clutch took quite a bit of effort on the kickstart to break the stick .. it's not not heavy on the lever in use

Taid, what you're describing sounds quite normal. Most of these old bikes have had their friction plates changed for all sorts of different materials by now, and some of them are more prone than others to sticking like this. I think the original cork types were less prone but still did it occasionally-old Triumph riders manuals used to recommend freeing the clutch before starting. It's not a sign of ageing or wear so don't worry about it.

Not recommending this as a fix

Few days back, I made a fool of myself by dropping the AJ while parking at a cafe .. Dropped on the near (clutch) side.

Not much harm done, except to my pride.

But, when I left I found the clutch would slip when opening up in top gear (oil on the clutch?) .. bothered me somewhat, but it cleared after 5 or 6 miles and been fine since, however I now find it much easier to free the clutch after the bike has been standing. (Don't think I have suddenly gained strength)

One of our section members had recommissioned a 350 but had trouble starting it. One day it got knocked over at a petrol station and started immediately straight after. He then took to throwing it on the floor in frustration when it did not start and it always started first kick afterwards.
Problem was nailed down to too large a gap on the sparkplug and now it remains upright for starting!

re the comment ... "I use ATF in the primary"
What is ATF?

Automatic Transmision Fluid. It's a thin oil, about SAE 10 or so and works very well if you can keep it in the chaincase.
Dave.

ATF is poor chain lubricant