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500 clutch adjustment

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Murf:
Hi
A friend of mine has a 1975 UK model 500/4 it’s a nice bike and runs well, the only problem is the clutch, he has not had the bike that long and we have not checked out the clutch in any way yet, I thought I would check out how to adjust it correctly before we delve any further.
The symptoms are:- it does not free off well and makes selecting neutral difficult to impossible. However the clutch also does not start to bite up until the leaver  is almost fully out.  The bike runs well and does not seem to have any clutch slip.
Any suggestions welcome,  he is not opposed to stripping it and using new plates or parts if that is what is needed.
Thanks

Bryanj:
Probably doesnt need plates but i am guessing a new cable routed correctly plus remove sprocket cover(needs to come off to fit cable anyway) then strip out the clutch actuating screw and housing, it is not unknown for the housing to be cracked causing a binding problem.
You may find the clutch pushrod in two pieces, it is supposed tp be one piece, also the ball bearing in the actuator can easily get lost.

Parts book is in Ash's dropbox and actuator parts are available if not cheap.
Adjustment is in the manual also in Ash's dropbox

deltarider:
To arrive at the optimal adjustment of the CB500 clutch is not easy. The Owner's Manual does not help*. What does help is to have a look at what goes on inside the left crankcase cover and... some understanding of basic physics. The problem lies in adjusting the lever's position relative to the cable. The cable must pull the lever at a tangent to the lever; this is the position in which the force applied will have its optimal effect resulting in less force needed at the handle.
When you remove the cover, you can observe how the cable operates the rotation of the lever. When the lever is:
a) too far towards its return spring or...
b) ... too far in the opposite direction, the cable will pull crookedly and the force is not transmitted properly, making it all feel stiff at the handle.
The adjustment must begin by positioning the lever approximately halfway so that you will have the cable pull perpendicular to the lever right when the clutch engages.
To do this, first fully loosen the large screw in the cover for clearance. The handle will then operate the lever without pushing the push rod.
Now you need to arrive at an adjustment with the cable pulling perpendicular to the lever, by adjusting the tension adjustment screw just above the cover. Not easy because you can't see the lever... so you need reference points, disassemble the cover maybe several times and take reference points.
Once this is done, adjust the free play by tightening the large screw in the cover to bring the snail into contact with the push rod, leaving a little play ofcourse.
If you would do the opposite: loosen the cable tension with the screw above the cover and/or the one at the handle, and then adjust the free play with the large screw, and then tighten the cable tension, the lever will be in a downward position toward the return spring; the cable will pull crooked, and the clutch will feel stiff. So important is to realise that you can have an adjustment "in contact with the rod" with the lever in various positions! But... you want the optimal position, the sweet spot so to say.
Of course, before all this, you need a cable in good condition, a rod that isn't broken in two, and a ball bearing...
The CB550's clutch is much, much easier to adjust, as you can actually see what you're doing.
* The procedure Honda recommends in the Owner's Manual and in the Shop Manual, may, may help on installing a new genuine 22870-323-621 cable though, but... I'm not even sure on this.

Murf:
Thanks to both of you for such great info.
 I had a feeling the 500 clutch adjustment was not simple so that’s why we didn’t mess with it.  We will check out the components as suggested and if all ok have a go at adjusting it.
Thanks for such a comprehensive description of the adjustment process, where else would I have been able to get that 😄.  It might be a couple of weeks until we get to work on it but will let you know how we go on.

Bryanj:
Not sure about Deltas instructions as i always found you needed as much movement on the arm as possible

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