Atlas actuator

Atlas actuator is part 040029 but am wondering if anyone has taken a commando one and ground it down similar and if so is there a template and guidance for this potentially fun operation ?

Atlanticgreen has some drawings, but I'm not sure you could make a template from it from what I've seen. It would probably easiest to buy one, at least you'd have the old one.

Dave
69S

Raber's has them in stock for $8.50 :wink:

At that price there's no need for this winter mini-project. Ill go back to bashing out fork tubes ,thanks.

They help bring down the lever pull quite a bit but I think you lose a little on the lift of the plates. A few years ago there was a heated debate like the clash of the Titans between a couple of the heavies on the list. I've got one and I don't have any drag. I'm using a dry clutch with Barnett plates. Set up the stack height correctly and it's feather light.

I'm running an R.G.M. dry clutch belt with Dyno Dave pushrod seal. So maybe we can all put our heads together and figure out the best ramp profile for even and progressive clutch grabbing ?

Soooooo.... any guesses why the factory changed to the less advantage/more travel type actuator on the Cdo? trying to solve the dragging? Just a thought.. Ideas please

concours said:

Soooooo.... any guesses why the factory changed to the less advantage/more travel type actuator on the Cdo? trying to solve the dragging? Just a thought.. Ideas please

Click to expand...

That would be my guess too. The 3 spring Atlas and diaphragm clutch on the Commando are completely different designs. Maybe what was sufficient lift for the Atlas wasn't enough for the diaphragm clutch. So they had to give away some mechanical advantage. Coincidentally, the Commando doesn't really need it as much as the Atlas did. They were awful even with their actuator.

Well, my bike came with this 'Feature' from the previous owner and it took a long time to find out why I could not get the clutch to release properly. The purchase of a set of later model inner and outer housings with the Commando arm included; solved my problem. They hardly look any different but the altered profile makes a huge change to the lift in percentage terms. I recall I was getting under 0.100" lift with the Dommie arm and about 0.125" with the Commando part. Not a lot in absolute inches but a big change to the clutch actuation. True, my clutch went from 1 to two fingers but that was nothing compared to the ability to release the damn thing in traffic.
I don't know why you'd want to do it but try it if you want. :?

I see what you mean and it would be a bad trade if you had to throw in a dragging clutch in the bargain. But if you can avoid the dragging clutch then it's pretty nice. I've managed to get away with it using Barnett plates dry with the usual increased stack height. What kind of clutch package are you using?
This is probably too much information, but I broke my neck in an accident and got almost everything back except the strength in my hands. I did the arm, plate stack, nylon cable route. I put a needle bearing in the clutch lever by welding up the pedestal then using a stripper screw and boring the lever to take the bearing. It's a pinky level clutch now. And my hands finally came back, yahoo

I take it we are talking about the clutch here………………
On all Atlas with standard clutch there should be no clutch drag, but with worn parts… the ball bearing at the end of the clutch pushrod wears oval, e.t.c.

The handlebar clutch lever should have 7/8 inch distance between the centre of clutch pivot and the centre of the cable nipple, this 7/8 inch is the same on the gearbox clutch arm, if you don't have that then you will end up with a crap clutch movement.

I see what you mean and it would be a bad trade if you had to throw in a dragging clutch in the bargain. But if you can avoid the dragging clutch then it's pretty nice. I've managed to get away with it using Barnett plates dry with the usual increased stack height. What kind of clutch package are you using?
This is probably too much information, but I broke my neck in an accident and got almost everything back except the strength in my hands. I did the actuator, plate stack, nylon cable route. I put a needle bearing in the clutch lever by welding up the pedestal then using a stripper screw and boring the lever to take the bearing. It's a pinky level clutch now. And my hands finally came back, yahoo

I see what you mean and it would be a bad trade if you had to throw in a dragging clutch in the bargain. But if you can avoid the dragging clutch then it's pretty nice. I've managed to get away with it using Barnett plates dry with the usual increased stack height. What kind of clutch package are you using?

Click to expand...

Not sure if you meant me but mine is 4 plain and 4 Surflex with std cast iron pressure plate. Cable is the featherlight Venhill Nylocable, now 12+ years old and 32,000 + miles. Apart from drowning the cable in floods and having to dry and lubricate it after it virtually seized, it's been consistently good.

There appears to be a problem with the actuating lever in my AMC gearbox (Atlas). It has limited travel. It travels quite a way before it meets the clutch pushrod. The adjuster at the clutch end is adjusted as far as I am comfortable with. I've never been inside one of these boxes before so its all new to me. I can just see the complete profile of the ball bearing. In other words it sits just at the end of the push rod tunnel. The other problem is the washer that the pivot bolt goes through. Because it has a much larger ID than the pivot bolt it doesn't immediately engage with the actuating arm properly. I hope all this makes sense. Hopefully the pictures make it clearer...

Note the rubber band is holding the arm showing it a the point it first contacts the ball bearing. Should the default position be much lower? Note how the washer bulges out the end of the arm. Is it worn? The inner hole appears perfectly round...

http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/munde ... sort=3&o=1

http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/munde ... sort=3&o=0

rpatton said:

concours said:

Soooooo.... any guesses why the factory changed to the less advantage/more travel type actuator on the Cdo? trying to solve the dragging? Just a thought.. Ideas please

Click to expand...

That would be my guess too. The 3 spring Atlas and diaphragm clutch on the Commando are completely different designs. Maybe what was sufficient lift for the Atlas wasn't enough for the diaphragm clutch. So they had to give away some mechanical advantage. Coincidentally, the Commando doesn't really need it as much as the Atlas did. They were awful even with their actuator.

Click to expand...

this is exactly what i found when using a dominator shell with commando gears and clutch on my featherlastic
the std lift of the domi lever (inside the box) was not big enough so i build this



i think the commando diafragma needed twice the lift of what the dommi gave

Adrian1 said:

The other problem is the washer that the pivot bolt goes through. Because it has a much larger ID than the pivot bolt it doesn't immediately engage with the actuating arm properly.

Click to expand...

Your second photo shows the roller sleeve (040065) that normally fits between the screw ("pivot bolt") and the lifter roller ("washer") appears to be missing.

Without that part, the lifter mechanism won't operate properly.

L.A.B. said:

Adrian1 said:

The other problem is the washer that the pivot bolt goes through. Because it has a much larger ID than the pivot bolt it doesn't immediately engage with the actuating arm properly.

Click to expand...

Your second photo shows the roller sleeve (040065) that normally fits between the screw ("pivot bolt") and the lifter roller ("washer") appears to be missing.

Without that part, the lifter mechanism won't operate properly.

Click to expand...

Yes thats what it looks like to me also. Its missing the inside roller. It's a tiny piece, but important.
Good eye L.A.B.
CNN

Thanks for the replies! I have ordered that part. Anyone care to comment on the default position of the actuator arm or should I not worry about that? One other thing I found was the horseshoe shaped spring was on top of the selector quadrant. Since obtaining a manual I note it should be underneath the selector! Have no idea how previous owners rode this bike :shock: Oh one more thing...any tips on re-fitting the outer cover? I assume the quadrant and the thing that moves it are in the 3 o clock posn (if that makes any sense?)

Check this site it may help: http://www.oldbritts.com/gearbox_a.html

i was just bored looking in to be set back on the mystery solving success. Btw should there be a little pivot ball in these photo's?

The trick I found with installing outer cover is to place/click the quadrant knuckle upward so slightly below the shifter shaft bush, then ginerally almost install cover to get the knuckle hole aligned with the shifter peg thingy. I used a small artist brush handle broke off to ram-screw in the shifter shaft so I could aim and hold the peg level with the kuncle, but its fragil to bust off inside but just wood so can pick out and try again. Cold thick grease helps hold the knuckle aligned or it binds. Then back off cover and try to get the kicker shaft through first and bottom cover bumped in first til the shifter shaft and peg begin to engage then to beat bop vibe to almost seat on the sealer goop or gasket. Screws pull it home to seal. Mine tend to hang up on the kicker shaft but it don't seem to be the seal hanging up through too tight a seal sure can. Factory O-ring needs a thin back up as groove too deep or get better thicker seal. So main trick is holding the slight bottom inward tilt-approach off horizontal square on - till about seated over shaft then the top tends to suddenly slip in to seat too. To remove the outer cover after some tense attempts, finally found a claw hammer head stuck in and ligthly bumped to lever out the bottom first freed it up w/o much stress, after breaking sealant grip with razors bumped in till some flat levers more fully un seal it then the hammer lever puller bumper does the rest. I have sure thot to weld a gripper bolt on these covers to jerk em off easier.