Boogie_with_Stu
Senior Member
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Look Ma, no hands!
Posts: 280
Raleigh, NC
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Back to my clutching issue....sumptin'tain't right.
I adjusted the nut on the perch for a bit less than 1/8" of "free play" and rode it again. No difference. It still does not shift cleanly when the bike isnt moving, and it sill goes from 1st to neutral every time unless I really yank up on it with my foot.
It used to be that neutral was a bit tough to find on this bike when I first got it. Now, it pops into neutral easy as pie from first at a standstill. Going down, drops into neutral from second (at a standstill or a slow roll) very easily as well. It's almost like the clutch isnt really functioning at all. When I come to a stop, I have to drop into 1st while the bike is still rolling. Sitting at a stop sign in neutral, it will not go into first no matter how many times I push it. I have to give a push-off with my feet in order to get it to drop into 1st gear.
I moved the adjustment screw/nut on the perch from all the way out, to all the way in....with little or no difference in ease of shifting. The bike shifts fine once moving, I am assuming because I am getting the added help from synchronizing.
I have done nothing at all to the engine/clutch at all except a couple of oil changes. Current oil is Rotella T and sitting at just under the "high" mark on the observation window. I had done an oil change a few weeks ago with Suzuki branded oil from the dealer "oil and filter change kit". I have no idea what kind of oil the previous owner used. The bike had 4,076 miles on her when I got it....and has 4,228 on it now.
About the same time as the first oil change, I also replaced the clutch perch with a used one from the same year Savage (2003). I never touched the engine side of the cable. I removed the perch, removed the lever screw and nut, took the lever off and then installed the new perch in reverse order. It IS possible that I stretched the cable. There were a couple times where I was worried about pulling on it in order to get it off (until I realized how much easier it would be if I just unbolted the darn perch).
On the engine side, the clutch actuation arm is sitting where the lower edge of the arm lines up perfectly with the lowest slash mark on the engine casing.
So.......which way do I want to adjust the cable at the engine in order to solve my problem? Do I want to run the adjustment nut and jam nut DOWN (clockwise) or UP? Is there any other issue that this could be a symptom of? It seemed to start at the same time that I started messing with the oil and replacing the clutch perch ( I didnt do any driving in between to speak of).
EDIT: I did some YouTube searches and decided I needed to move the adjustment nut DOWN...so I went out and moved it down about 1/8". Started the bike and tried shifting. Better, but still very clunky. Went another 1/8" inch and took her up to the store...about 12 miles round trip. Its better, but still has the issue going from neutral to 1st when stopped. I dont have a lot of adjustment room left...less than 1/4" I would guess. 2 things: 1- there is no nut on the bottom of the adjustment screw...just the adjustment nut and slightly thinner jam nut on the top. Should there be a nut below? 2- At a standstill, in neutral...difficult to shift into 1st BUT, once I get it into 1st gear, I can sit there and go back and forth from 1st to neutral all day long and it is smooth as butter. If I move the bike ANY distance....even a foot...while in first and then try going to neutral and back to first....it wont go again. I wiggle the clutch lever in and out a little bit or rock the bike and get it into 1st gear...and then dont move the bike at all, she will go back and forth between neutral and first all day. No idea if that symptom helps but it seems odd to me.
As always, any insight would be appreciated.
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