clutch rod bearing causing problems

[crispy]

after taking apart my 65 cb160 i noticed there was no bearing in the clutch adjuster mechanism. i went out and bought one and installed it. now the crank case cover won't go on. i'm left with a 1/4 inch gap, eerily similar to the diameter of the bearing. i checked the fiche and i know this bearing is supposed to go there. but when i remove it, all works fine. help???

[teazer]

Crispy,

Silly question, but did you adjust the clutch at the case to allow for the extra length? Loosen the 10mm nut which lock the adjuster in place and use a large screwdriver to rotate the adjuster and get yourself some freeplay.

[Dgormley]

Crispy, I had the same problem with my CL-77 when I acquired it.The side case would not go on(about a 1/4" gap). The previous owner had put a ball bearing on both ends of the clutch rod! I used the rod itself with a bit of sticky gasket cement to retrieve the errant extra ball. I don't no if that's your problem, but it's worth checking..............................D

[crispy]

teazer,

not a silly question, but did try that. even with the adjuster backed all the way out the rod seems too long. i even took off right side crank case cover and clutch pressure plate to see if previous owner had mistakenly put bearing on that side, unfortunately, found nothing. weird, shouldn't the clutch NOT operate properly with bearing missing? i ask because with bearing left out of the mix, it does work. i also thought maybe i was doubling up on the bearing and just could not see it in the grease, but again, no such luck.

[crispy]

resolved

so i learned something interesting from a cb160 racing forum yesterday. according to one of the guys, there were TWO different clutch actuator cams made for the cb160. the cylindrical cavity that accepts the clutch lifter rod on my bike has a flat bottom, like a tin can. but there was also a version that had a rounded bottom to accept a bearing.

not sure why there were two different clutch actuators but for now, i feel vindicated and that i'm not crazy. phew.

[Dgormley]

Crispy, thanks for posting the solution. It's nice to see threads get resolved........................D