MKIII Clutch Sticking & hard shifting

Trans has been getting progressivly more difficult to get into 1st and unhappy between gears as well. Found this on inspection


Clutch discs are in good shape, oem Norton type. Bike does not get many miles on it and I don't recall this level of wear when I last had it apart less that 1000 miles ago.

Since it needs replacement I checked the "hardness" with a small file. This was about 90 seconds worth of effort.

If CNW has their new unit in stock, I think I'll give it a spin. Anything else to look for here?

Some clutch centers are good,some bad. Running sintered bronze plates are an invitation for center notchings. New ones are all hardened and should ring like a bell when tapped with a wrench. Try fiber plates instead. Filing like the picture will remove any remaining hardness so order in new.

Also try to eliminate the soft bend over tab washer. Belleville type. Also the circlip behind the clutch on the mainshaft gets crushed. 40 ft. lbs. not 70 , with blue Locktite to a thicker circlip 06 -8072 , used on the starter motor. May have to thin it a little bit using emery on glass plate.

`Were the plates stuck together? If they are old sometimes they glue themselves together in no time. The last time, in a MK3, I had to pry the plates apart with a screw driver. They were almost new but many years old.

Dress up the grooves(seen worse), but you might have worn a main shaft bushing and/or a clutch basket bearing. Does the basket move around a lot when you try to wiggle it? Or maybe a set of worn , warped clutch plates. sometimes one has bite the bullet and buy new parts. Tried for years to get by, then I replaced the steel and friction plates and bam, nice clutch!

My clutch centre is worse than that and it doesn't seem to make much difference, there is not a great deal of movement/release required to free the pressure on a clutch. The issue here is plates stuck together. clean, re-assemble, ride on.

No ,don't be filing out those notches, order in the hardened center. Hardening is on the outer side of the metal , so filing will only temporarily help ,then you are back to pulling apart the primary again.

Thanks for the suggestions. Not sure about the cause, but my plan is to replace the hub with the CNW unit. The filing was just to see how "hard" my existing one is. Not very evidently.

I do have some basket wobble, always have even after replacing the bearing. The existing plates were not stuck together, but I have cleaned up well and measured the stack. All seems in order so when the hub arrives I will get it re-assembled and report back.

Even before your last post about clutch wobble, my experience struck me flashing on no oil worn seelve bushings shaft wobble accelerating the clutch center beatings notches to see your wobble remark. Keep in mind next time into AMCbox. Only time gets oil is some drip/splash past spun up thin loaded spaces in 4th cruise as below oil level. So to some degree the notching might be d/t rider style/philosphy, short shifting to top right off, reducing wear or straining longer in lower gears acceleraterating bike and wear quicker. Lower quality parts wear quicker but wobble shortens best quality wear too. Normal is essentially undetectable handling slack, common is sense of distinct slack which bearings clearances allow.

Hobot is saying rebuild the gearbox with later style mainshaft bushes ( and of course the improved layshaft bearing )...

who really knows for sure but our hair dressers yet my history hints imply a forgotten over tight primary chain event that created some candy cane bend/twists (also crack the tain't area) in shafts that gradually wallar out bush clearances for basket bouncing side effects. Do note there is no oil seal on last bush exposure to exterior yet absolutely no one every complains of weeps there. It took outrageous Peel luck out power to reveal AMC weakeness form new built to about every fault possible in a few seasons of literally accelerated rates. hobot brags to hi heavens embarrassing sport bikes well guess what that costs obsolete Combats?

Vendors know a lot so long ago offered two longer bushes so prevent shifting out of most load baring positions but I'm old school so used worn out bush betwix new ones, after spiral oil grooving in direction to hopefully pump some drip splash inside.

Friction is not much as issue as heating is and Manx racers or Commando racers having to stay WOT higher rpm in lower gears longer against more powerful moderns found out ATF works better d/t heat flow not lube separation. So did Peel. Peel turned the surfaces into steelbronzecarbibe ceramic grinding paste before seeing Dreer belt drive clutch center wobble notches. I just hand filed the edges, diddled plates and selection of alu pressure plate so plates not in notch valleys for unnoticed clutch ease again.

If immature throttle tire waster consider Maney outriger bearing, otherwise just don't linger sluggishly in lower gears after renewal for dozens 1000's miles delight in gear lube. Or until pawl spring rusts in half, so clear paint or color paint shifter gizmos above oil level for the next guys nod at dpo foresight.

Had AMC apart so often ran out gaskets, just hylomar smear, to discover must of been designed that way as shaft slack fine w/o shims.

After I found my Hobot>English dictionary..

& Just to tie a bow on this project.

Since the bike is 40+ years old and I have only had it for 10, it's certainly possible some parts have been replaced along the way. So I can't be assured of any OEM content, but the indicated mileage is relatively low at 24,000 and matches the documentation I have. I don't see evidence of any inappropriate or bodge repairs, but who knows?

I replaced the hub and some hardware with the CNW hardened unit. Used a bellville washer in place of the tab and reassembled. The clutch plates were fine & I had a new cable, so along with that and some fresh oil..

It shifts like a dream, probably better that ever since I had it. No grunch or grind from neutral to 1st, easy to get neutral and smooth through all the gears.

Result!

Thanks for all the input & advise.