Stuck clutch on '69 Honda CB450

 

Stuck clutch on '69 Honda CB450

Hi.  As in the thread a few days ago, I have a stuck clutch on the
Honda that hasn't run for 35 years.   I was wondering if it might not
be better for the clutch and the transmission to take it apart and
separate the plates directly??

As you suggested, Bike Guy, I tried rolling the bike, quite a few
times, backwards and forwards, and it didn't free up at all.  Instead,
I think the engine parts moved (crankshaft, pistons, etc.)

Should I take the clutch apart, and can I just remove a cover above
the clutch and get access to the clutch?  


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mm wrote:

 Were you pulling in the clutch lever while rocking it?

I've never had to take a basket apart to free up plates so I can't
offer anything there. I have had clutch baskets apart, but everything
came apart when I did.

 Who else want to offer up suggestions here?

 Come on, I know there are some experts out there who know this stuff!

 

wrote:


Yeah, I did have it in.  Either the rear tire was skidding (I don't
think so) or wheel was driving the engine.  I had it in second**.
Maybe that made it too easy and I should have had it in first.  

But then this guy on the other newsgroup, alt.home.repair, where I was
just asking a question about a particular tool, and mentioned in
passing that I had a 69 Honda that hand't run for 34 years, and he
brought up that the clutch would be stuck like it is, and said "Resist
the temptation to coast and then shift into gear.  You'll damage the
clutch and maybe break cogs off the transmission gears."  When I
suggested just rocking it like you said, he thought at most I'd free
one plate while leaving the rest of them stuck together, and I might
do just as much damage to the transmission.    Wasn't your situation
usually that you hadn't run it for a week or two, or even a month or
two, not 34 years?  Maybe that would make a difference?

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mm wrote:

 and said "Resist

 Entirely possible.

You won't damage the tranny doing this. As for freeing just one plate,
possible I suppose.

even a month or

 Maybe....


 So maybe it's time to delve into the inner working of the clutch
basket.....not really that bad, just take your time and lay everything
out as it comes out of the bike.

 

wrote:


even a month or

More screws to try to unscrew!  I got the point cover without much
problem, but haven't gotten the oil filter or even the starter motor
cover off yet.  Tomorrow I should have some time and I'm going to heat
them with a propane torch.  I think that will help.

You reminded me to get a manual, so I'm looking in the general
JCWhitney catalog, and I notice they have a whole page or more on
manuals, but no motorcyle manuals. So I've been through their
motorcycyle catalog page by page twice and they had no manuals, but
when I went back and looked in the mini-index, there was an entry for
manuals, and a whole page of them, and one for my bike, 30 dollars.
Even if I find cheaper elsewhere (I've seen similar manuals for 20),
there will be no shipping charge with JCW because I'm getting a bunch
of other stuff too.  But I plan to look more on ebay later tonight and
order from JCWhitey tomorrow.  So I'll have a Klymer manual.

First I want to see if my bike's horn works.  I have had a lot of horn
troubles on cars, for the first time, this past year.  Both of mine
failed, and the ones I had taken off similar cars when I junked them 4
and 11 years ago didnt' work either, even though they worked when I
took them off.  So I want to test this horn, and buy a replacement in
the same order if it doesn't work.

I think I'm going to buy another impact hammer too.  It's probably no
better than mine, but it's newer. <a terrible argument> Two of the 4
bits for mine are damaged, and the new one will have nine bits.

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