CL011 CLUTCH

The last owner fitted a new clutch just before selling the bike. He used bonded friction plates and waterjet -cutted steel plates. The steel plates are 1,5 mm thick, this being 0.3mm thicker as original. As engaging first gear is difficult I tried to adjust the clutch several times with no success. Now that the complete clutch is 1 mm thicker as it should be, I wonder if the thrust pins need to be longer as well. - Hein Rollmann 2/10/2002

In the unique design of the Velocette clutch I think that the length of the clutch pins is not affected by the thickness of the plates. The pins are part of the mechanism that moves the spring holder assembly outwards, and this does not vary with the thickness of the plates. What does vary with this thickness is the position of the clutch outer plate along the spring holder assembly. The clutch adjustment method on a Velocette (either for wear, or different thickness plates) just moves the outer plate backwards and forwards - it is a very interesting design.
So a 1mm increase in its total thickness should be accommodated by the clutch outer plate just moving out on the spring holder by 1mm to compensate.
However there might be two other problems - the outermost friction plate would be almost out of its 'slot' with the clutch withdrawn; and the clutch outer plate would be closer to the primary chaincase and might press on it too much, causing 'crunchy' changes though not difficulty in selecting first gear (see the other Q&As).
You can check for both of these possible problems, or perhaps the bonded plates are thinner to compensate for the thicker steel plates?
But the problem may just be that the plates are not perfectly flat, as they need to be?
I would just replace the plain plates with the Club's, since they are so inexpensive - and perhaps replace the friction plates as well in case they are not flat or do not have the separate segments like the Club's since this seems to make a difference too. - TW 2/10/2002