TOPIC:

Hey,

Z750 L4 -1984 (four barrel)

So I'm finally putting the bike together gain after doing a café build. I've had the engine out of the frame and worked on mainly refreshing all compontents, rebuilding carbs and so on. I have not split the engine or done anything "inside". The engine and clutch worked great before the tear down.

I've had the left sprocket cover off along with clutch cable and worm gear. I pulled out the push rod once while cleaning out grease and dirt, then pushed it back in. Probably stupid to do, yes, I know that now. But I also think you shouldn't risk ruining anything simply by pulling the push rod out and then putting it back in again..

Well. Now that I've put everything back in place I have absolutely no clutch engagement. Even after adjusting the clutch by the manual several times the push rod will not actuate when I pull the clutch lever. I've adjusted the adjustment screw on the sprocket cover, the cable adjuster and on the lever according to the manual. The worm gear is also correctly in place. Nothing wrong there. Since I already had the push rod out once I pulled it out again and looked inside. I can see the steel ball way in there. I've tried actuating the clutch "manually" bu pushing the puch rod carefully using the end of a rubber hammer just to see if I get any actuation at all, but nothing. It is like pushing against a wall.

I haven't done any work to the clutch pack at all, although I did take the right engine cover of and painted it a few weeks ago,

I just filled it up with new oil and replaced oil filter, so I'd rather not empty the oil and start removing everything again, but I guess that's what I'll have to do now, cause I'm not getting anywhere with this issue. The engine has been without oil for a couple of months while standing on the work bench. Could it be that my clutch plates have jammed due to lack of oil for a longer period of time? I have put the bike in gear (with rear wheel off the ground) and cranked a few times just to get the clutch to spin, but this has not helped.

What could have happened?

If you can if fact still see the ball bearing still in the transmission shaft that the pushrod runs through, then the issue lies with the pushrod actuator or clutch cable.
The ball bearing and clutch throwout plunger can't move or just fall out. They can only be removed by taking the entire clutch apart. So it can't be them.

With the pushrod actuator properly adjusted as well as your clutch cable, then I might suspect you forgot to reseat the clutch cable back into its perch in the sprocket cover. If not done, you can squeeze the clutch and nothing will happen.

Clutch cable perch. (Borrowed picture from a member of this site.)


FYI, I don't think you can release the clutch pressure plate by simply pushing on the pushrod by hand. The pressure plate springs are stronger than you think and you would more than likely knock the bike over before you released the clutch. It requires mechanical leverage to budge that pressure plate.

Food for thought.

By MrLantz: I've adjusted the adjustment screw on the sprocket cover, the cable adjuster and on the lever according to the manual.

What manual are you using & in what direction are you turning the clutch release adjusting screw?
On the 750-L4 it probably should be counterclockwise first until hard to turn, then clockwise 1/4 turn.

note --- kinda related to pulling out the clutch push rod: do not pull out the shift rod as the shift forks can fall down into the oil pan. see warning in manual.

You can install the actuator in the wrong position. If so try rotating to the the furthest position on the worm gear.
Steve

The clutch cable is properly installed, sitting in its perch. The manual I'm using is the Haynes manual. It really isn't anything advanced fitting the clutch cable, worm gear and sprocket cover adjusting screw. It's true that counterclockwise means tightening the slack and clockwise is loosening. No problem there.

After assembling and adjusting the clutch cable eliminating all slack the clutch lever is hard as a rock. It will only move a few millimeters before coming to a complete stop. If I squeeze it any harder I'm afraid I'll ruin the cable itself.

And no, I wasn't trying to push the push rod manually with my hands. The bike is strapped to my motorcycle lift and I used the end of a rubber hammer against my body and grabbed the frame pressing it straight in (making sure I'm not bending the push rod). I got a lot of power doing it that way. If I were to push any harder I would probably ruin the push rod. Now I'm not sure exactly how much force is needed to actuate the clutch, but I would guess it would move at least a little bit from me pressing on it like I did. It didn't.

On a smaller bike, the Kz550, each clutch springs puts very roughly 40 to 50 lbs of pressure on the clutch pressure plate. There are 5 springs. So that should mean the pressure is very roughly about 200 to 250 lbs to move the pressure plate if it's free to move. But then there is the stickiness of the plate. That may add a few pounds, or more, if the oil has turned into glue.

(Does the 750 use 6 springs?)

The Kz750 would likely have more pressure. As a wild-ass guess, I'd say maybe somewhere in the 250 ~ 300 lbs range. That's what you'd have to push on the push rod with to get the pressure plate to move, if the plate is not stuck.

I can't imagine why it would be locked up solid.

Incidentally, the Kz550 actuator has very roughly a 5-to-1 advantage, and the lever has a roughly 2.5 -to-1 advantage.
So, overall, the clutch lever to clutch has somewhere roughly in the range of 10-to-1 up to about 15-to-1 mechanical advantage.

Also if you find need to remove the right side of the engine to get at the clutch pack you can get a couple of car tires and lay the bike over on them which will keep your new oil from coming out.

As Barry2 suggested, would pull the clutch cover to verify the push rod disengaged the clutch spring plate
The oil can be glued or locked the plates together if there is no movement over a long time.
Have you try to warm up the engine (oil)or do a short ride to get the clutch unlocked.
If my project bike is unmoved more than a week the clutch mechanism will be work but not disengaged the plates.
I have to start the bike with in the first gear and made a short ride, after a minute of pulling the clutch leveler during riding
the clutch disengage and works fine.
I have to say, i have to change the oil after 10 years stasis.

There is three points of adjustement: ball and ramp actuator cable tensioner lever fine tensioner

adjust in that order.

try and visualise how the actuator works, manually move the arm with cable attatched (rotate a quarter of a turn or so)to the 'out' position then button it all up, adjusting in the order above.

I think there is a typo in either the haynes or kawasak manual regarding which direction to turn the main pushrod actuator adjuster.

Basically loosen the 10mm locknut then turn the main adjuster until you feel it taking up the slack and pressing on the pushrod -then back off half a turn, lock and adjust cable and fine adjuster.

The clutch release lever ball/ramp dealie bob that plugs into the sprocket cover has three balls and ramps. When you pulled off the cover the lever probably moved forward (rotated CCW when viewed with the cover removed). I'd pull that lever piece out of the cover and study how it works. Then grease up the balls and ramp device and plug the dealie bob back into the cover. The cable needs to be loose, so remove it from the lever before trying to install the cover. With the lever in the proper position the cable and lever will for a roughly 90 angle. After you get the cover installed then go through the tensioning process as detailed in the factory Kawasaki service manual and all should be well.

There are at least 3 types of adjusters. These are the instructions for the ball-and-pocket type... also called "ball-ramp", but there is another ball-screw type that could be mistaken as ball-ramp.

Open it in another window to see it full-size.

Well. I guess it's my turn to admit the problem was... ME!

Damn it. I really thought I had it all right, but it turns out I had put the worm gear pointing the wrong direction, making the cable pull the worm gear in an angle. After tearing everything down for the 5th time I suddenly realized I was the problem all along.

So, instead of leaving this topic unsolved I'm admitting (even though I was adament I was doing everything right in earlier posts) you CAN put the worm gear with the "arm" facing the wrong way, making it impossible for the cable to pivot the arm which in turn operates the push rod. Everything works well OFF the bike, but once bolted in place ON the bike, it won't work.

Clutch is now operating (I can hear it operating), but I still can't move the rear wheel while engaging the clutch in gear. I do however have faith that it will fix itself once I finish up the carbs so I can start up the bike again, like Scirocco implied a few posts ago.

Again, the bike has been without oil for a couple of months. Once everything fires up and starts moving (heat and so on) I'm sure the clutch will pop out of it's slumber. If not I will revive this thread again