Jockey Journal Forum banner

T120 dry clutch

2K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  highcomp 
#1 ·
I'm in the process of bringing an old bike back to life and make some changes in the process. This thing will be ridden but not for anything other than a run down the road, it'll stay pretty local, definitely less than 100mi at a time, and that's probably a stretch.

Anyway. I basically want to take the stock primary and run it dry. Chain and all. I plan on cutting an old broken primary cover into a guard of sorts but leaving parts of the pressure plate etc, exposed.

I'm well aware of the availability of belt kits out there etc. but that's not what I want to do for this particular instance. I plan on installing a 7 plate clutch setup, fresh springs, primary chain, alloy pressure plate etc. the biggest question mark I have right now is some sort of tensioner....

Am I hair-brained for wanting to try this?
 
#2 ·
it's been done a lot, especially with the leak prone pre-unit primary covers.

just use a good chain lube on the primary chain and grease up the hub roller bearings.

the clutch discs do not need any oil.
 
#3 ·
Right. It's got an old worn Barnett setup in it now. Need fresh anyway. I'll start with new dry plates etc.

Does anything out of the ordinary need to be done with any seals? And the tensioner, is the stocker doing the job and not coming apart with so little lube?
 
#4 ·
Right. It's got an old worn Barnett setup in it now. Need fresh anyway. I'll start with new dry plates etc.

Does anything out of the ordinary need to be done with any seals? And the tensioner, is the stocker doing the job and not coming apart with so little lube?
1969 and earlier will be fine, 1970 and later will need a breather and seal mods done.

the stock tensioner will wear out sooner without oil but that's the costs of messing with the intended design.
 
#5 ·
Mines a '67. So I should be good to go there.

Would some graphite on the tensioner shoe help? I've considered trying to replicate it with some super hard plastic of some sort. I considered plain spring steel but I don't want to physically wear the edges of the chain itself, plus steel dust in there would probably be a bad thing, not to mention noisy as hell.

Thanks for the info!!!!
 
#6 ·
The tensioner will stand up OK, with nothing more than a little chain lube. You're likely to wear out the clutch basket teeth, long before the tensioner gives up. You could do that in about 1000 miles, if you don't give it enough lube.

It will last a lot longer if you keep the primary sealed and oiled, as God intended.
 
#7 ·
Has anyone here done this and can give more input to the accelerated wear of the basket? It makes sense but 1000 miles sure does seem awfully short lived

My main reasons for wanting to do this is to cure a clutch slip problem I've always had in high gear no matter how it's adjusted. I built transmissions professionally for several years and anyone can see the benefit of running friction material dry vs covered in oil. Pretty counterproductive from a power-holding standpoint. The bike is light as most of them are. I'm a big guy at 6ft and 240'ish depending on what the wife made for supper. This doesn't help I'm aware.
 
#10 ·
Has anyone here done this and can give more input to the accelerated wear of the basket? It makes sense but 1000 miles sure does seem awfully short lived

My main reasons for wanting to do this is to cure a clutch slip problem I've always had in high gear no matter how it's adjusted. I built transmissions professionally for several years and anyone can see the benefit of running friction material dry vs covered in oil. Pretty counterproductive from a power-holding standpoint. The bike is light as most of them are. I'm a big guy at 6ft and 240'ish depending on what the wife made for supper. This doesn't help I'm aware.
that's the main reason you don't run a modern engine oil in the primary case, run ATF, the clutch discs in automatic transmissions like it and so do Triumph clutches.

and I'm 6ft and 240;ish too..... and if I can't stand a 650 Triumph straight up in a 2nd gear wheelie it means the clutch is slipping.
 
#8 ·
If your main reason is clutch slip , That"s a easy fix . Replace your plates and mainly the springs , Get you some good Barnett springs not the "new old stock" ones And use cheap type F automatic trans. fluid instead of the 20w. motor oil the factory recommends in your primary . Promise it wont slip and everything stays lubricated and cool
 
#11 ·
I completely agree!!!

So plain ol, cheap-o ATF does the trick.

Keep in mind, the last time I put any serious ass-time on this bike I was 18 and fairly ignorant to such things. Plus, my dad honestly did all the "real" wrenching on it. I did minor stuff. I'm pretty sure he ran whatever engine oil in the primary he put in the engine. If memory serves, it was 20-50 which would explain the slip almost entirely.

Thanks a ton fellas!!!!
 
#13 ·
-ha!!
Even at my slightest I was about 215. That was back in my active duty Marine Corps days. Ran every day for 6yrs damn near. Just how I'm built I suppose. Now that I'm home, comfy, with a family, decent job etc... I've gotten a bit....fluffy around the edges!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top