clutch knocking HELP

so tonight i was out for a short ride when i let a buddy take the ol' xj for a spin. he came back pushing it... he said something went funny with the clutch cable. i looked and it was all the way slacked out. i adjusted it appropriately to get it to pull the clutch again and it seemed to work for pulling the clutch but there was a funny knock distinctively coming from behind the clutch cover (i could feel it if i put my hand there) it wouldn't seem that it has any correlation with rate of speed engine rpm's or gear i'm in... sounds almost like a loose bolt bouncing around in there. so i pull the cover and drain the oil and discover nothing loose within it. i notice the push rod is a tid bit loose... not sure if its supposed to be super tight but it was able to be wiggled a bit. a undid the 5 springed bolts holding the pressure plate exposing the nut and lock washer. the nut was rather loose and the little locking tabs around it had been bent to allow it to tighten or loosen at its own accord. I naturally figured this was the problem and tightened it up bent the tabs back to lock it and reasssembled the whole thing until the point of putting the clutch cover back on; but the pinion release does not seem to mesh properly with the push rod. it would seem to me that it should just mesh up and as i tighten the 10 allen heads around the clutch cover it would spin slowly as it moved closer... i hope this makes sense to somebody or i'll be taking a ton of pictures... if anybody has any kind of information or idea as to what in the world this might be it would be greatly appreciated... i just wish in could figure out how to get the damn thing back together so that i might be able to ride again! thanks in advance and sorry for the massive story.

 

Go to the Yamaha website and look-up your Clutch ... then, using the Numbers and the Names of the things you did move and tighten write-up your trouble report so we are not guessing what you might have done.

My best guess, after reading the initial Post is that you didn't get the Push Rod aligned right with the Pinion Release Gear at the end of the Push Lever Axle.

You have to get that all aligned correctly or the clutch won't throw-out right!

 

edited to use proper names....

 

rick your a genius. i think that sounds exactly like my problem... whats the best way to get them to mesh together? just keep fiddling with it until it happens? it really doesn't seem like the push rod wants to move in or out via the pinion release gear...

 

There's a process for pre-loading the throw-out mechanism in order to have the shortest pull on the arm that attaches the cable to the whole throw-out assembly.

I don't think that the Clutch-end can go together wrong and let you put the cover on the case.

It's after the cover is on that you have to rotate the long, into the case rod and begin the process of taking-up the slack and end-pllay that makes the final adjustment be right.

Otherwise, there's too much play and the cable cannot be adjusted tight enough to get the clutches to throw-out.
When I get the clutter off my workbench, I'll get the book out and look it up. I have the Factory Manuals, but I think its explained in the Haynes; too.

 

i looked it up in haynes and its in there about how to disassemble it but for re-assembly it just says do the opposite of disassembling...

 

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... cable.html