Troubleshooting a JAP Special

[Rex]

On your pic of 21st August it appears that it would be possible to screw the clutch nuts down a bit tighter. Have you tried that or do the springs become coil-bound?
Did your dad have the bike running satisfactorily or was the clutch always problematic?
I've had bikes in the past where the clutch springs have measured up OK but still been useless. I suppose that comes with people using what they have rather than buying something known to be suitable for the power expected to be transmitted.

[Rockburner]

On your pic of 21st August it appears that it would be possible to screw the clutch nuts down a bit tighter. Have you tried that or do the springs become coil-bound?
Did your dad have the bike running satisfactorily or was the clutch always problematic?
I've had bikes in the past where the clutch springs have measured up OK but still been useless. I suppose that comes with people using what they have rather than buying something known to be suitable for the power expected to be transmitted.

While balancing the clutch springs once or twice they did get screwed in further, however I think the cups were bottoming out. It would certainly explain why I could see the pressure plate moving outward while pulling the clutch lever, and one of the cups was stationary until the pressure plate had moved a sixteenth or so.

From memory the clutch has always been ok, but I wasn't always privy to all the information from the riding the bike had. (Track days etc). It does follow the"philosophy" of the bike's entire build that the clutch would be built up from random found parts that didn't necessarily all match up correctly.

I've got proper pre-63 pressure plate on order, and a line on a replacement hub, so at the moment just waiting for things outside my direct control to happen.

[Rockburner]

A light session today, awaiting clutch parts and my back is still problematic.

I stripped the clutch down completely, which involved, some gentle persuasion:


But it was all good in the end.



I cleaned up the parts that are going to be reused, including a good 40 minutes of gentle filing of the outer part of the central spider and the plate that slots over it, the spider has presumably had a hard life and it's a little "peened over".  Which is one reason why the Thor was brought into play....

Tidied up all the clutch bits: plates, reusable components, components being replaced:



I also span on a new bell-mouth for the carb:


Alledgedgly a long intake increases torque...


That's it for now: awaiting a new clutch body and some other items that I've ordered.  I also need to file down the spring cups, they're somewhat battered, but that's a job for another day tbh: I had an idea for clamping them up in something tapered so I could spin them in the drill, but right now I can't find anything suitable.

If I ever get down to 2 bikes in here I may well invest in a lathe....

[Rex]

Good idea; old Myfords, like old bikes, are dropping in price all the time.
What was the thick end of £1k a couple of years back is now unsold at half that.