OK I have an 01 Honda 400ex and I rode it the others day and when I came to a stop I pulled the clutch in and it didn’t come out. The lever on top of the clutch case had no resistance. The cable is fine. I took the case off and found a spring was unhooked. I hooked it back up but there is still very little resistance. Anybody know anything about atvs? Here are a few pics of inside the clutch case
that spring is just to return the lever on the case cover there. The actual spring tension you feel that engauges and disengauges the clutch comes from the clutch basket’s spring set, the 5 beind the bolts in pic two.
put it in gear, engine not running, and try to roll it. If it rolls watch the clutch plates, as they should be spinning and be dissengauged. If it bumps the engine over, which it should without the case cover on (clutch pack is held in tension/engauged by the 5 springs) then something is up with the clutch cover and the lever, OR the lifter pin and the lever on the case isnt grabbing it correctly actuaiting the clutch pack correctly.
that lifter pin is grabbed by the shaft in pic 1 & 2, and pulls the clutch plate at the end of the stack there OUT to disengauge the clutch pack. The pin can break, therefore not get moved by the shift lever (lack of resistance like you say) and it ofcouse wont move the clutch plate against the 5 springs.
pic 1 the lever doesnt look like its seated all the way down but atleast in the right direction. Pic 2 looks like the lever is 180 backwards, or nowhere near seated.
There is a machined cut out with a step/lip. that should be centered with the bore of that hole in the case, then the lifter part mentioned above rides in the middle there. the lever moves and grabs the lifter pin, pulling the sprung clutch plate.
ANNNND there is an E clip that is supposed to hold that lever down and seated in the right side case cover. I bet the eclip fell off, lever came up ( how the spring came unseated) and what not.
The pin that comes out of the clutch basket I think u called it the lifter pin has a small cap at the end of it which I think pulled the clutch springs. How the hell Robinson hook that cap back up and get it back behind the lever thing that that holds my clutch cable? U may be able to see the cap in the pic of the cover if u zoom.
I havent worked on a 400ex myself, my bikes in the past were push type rods that released the pressure plate.
I know the way its built that the small cap on the lifter pin is what rides in the grove on that lever in the right side case cover. so when you spin the lever, it makes the cap machined on the pin ride up it, thus pulling the pin towards the right and pulling the pressure plate with it, releasing the clutch.
Getting it back on there, there has to be a DIY for it somewhere… the 400ex is a cookie cutter machine that has been out forever. BUT, I would say you have to leave the cable off the lever, spin the lever 90 deg (so the notch in the lever when looking at the inside of the case looks like pic 1, but with the lever all the way seated) then as you push the case on the motor, the lift cap thing sneaks by it. as you tap the case on you want a finger on the lever and gently rotate it back and forth a few degrees to work the cap on the lift pin into the groove.
that I bet will do it.
[QUOTE=KrazyKid;990494]I havent worked on a 400ex myself, my bikes in the past were push type rods that released the pressure plate.
I know the way its built that the small cap on the lifter pin is what rides in the grove on that lever in the right side case cover. so when you spin the lever, it makes the cap machined on the pin ride up it, thus pulling the pin towards the right and pulling the pressure plate with it, releasing the clutch.
Getting it back on there, there has to be a DIY for it somewhere… the 400ex is a cookie cutter machine that has been out forever. BUT, I would say you have to leave the cable off the lever, spin the lever 90 deg (so the notch in the lever when looking at the inside of the case looks like pic 1, but with the lever all the way seated) then as you push the case on the mtor, the lift cap thing sneaks by it. as you tap the case on you want a finger on the lever and gently rotate it back and forth a few degrees to work the cap on the lift pin into the groove.
Thank u very much. I’m going to try it out this weekend.
This! As you put the case on, the arm will spin and grab the pin as you seat the case. To get the cable in, put all cable adjustsments in and disconnect the cable from the clutch lever on the bars. You can use channel lock pliers to grab the arm and pull the clutch in to install the cable. Its easier to install the cable into the case first and then get it into the lever on the bars as use move the case arm.