Clutch Grease?

[johnjag]

Hi all - had to dismantle the clutches of both my Spitfire and my Rocket and picked up on something I haver never given much thought to before. I normally pack and install the central clutch basket rollers with multi purpose grease. However when I stripped both clutches, one a short time after a previous strip, I notice that the grease had all but gone from the rollers which does not seem right. Do these rollers require a special high temperature grease to guard against melting or does the oil in the primary case take over after the initial start up. I am chasing noises coming from the primary area and want to make sure I deal with everything.
Thanks

John.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi John,

I consider the grease to be purely to assist with assembly and to offer protection/lubrication on first start up.  Once the chain is flying round the oil will find its way in to the rollers.  The other thing to consider is that the rollers are only rolling when you pull the clutch lever in and there is a speed difference between the centre of the clutch/gearbox main shaft and the clutch basket/primary drive.  So sitting with the bike in gear and the clutch lever pulled in for long periods is when the rollers and the plates for that matter, could get hot and in extreme cases be starved of lubricant.
Ditto the thrust washer in the A65 clutch.

Dave.

[johnjag]

Thanks for that Dave. Mentioning the thrust washer, both the Spitfire and the Rocket have a 4 spring clutch. Standard on the Rocket, a replacement for the 3 spring on the Spitfire done by a previous owner. Now the 4 spring clutch isn't listed as having a thrust washer but the one in the Rocket has one. It is situated sandwiched between the clutch sleeve and the clutch basket so it backs on to the rollers but the diameter is to small to completely cover the back of the gap where the rollers go. Very strange!
John.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi John,

I would have thought that your bike would be fitted with the early 4 spring that has two thrust washers and the centre and rollers are held captive to the drum by a bolt on plate.  The other 4 spring must have been used for a very short time as the 3 spring came in quite early (1966).  If the one you have is not the early one with captive rollers, the perhaps a previous owner has made something to reduce the amount of play/wobble that these clutches have.
Do you have a photo of what you have?

Dave.

[johnjag]

Hi Dave - sorry for the delay. I have no method of publishing a photo at the moment but I have put it all back together and it seems to work fine.
Thanks for your input.
John.