A “perfect” Maico clutch will only come from making every part of the “clutch system” perfect. We need to accurately determine the condition of every component as we go. If we short cut any part of it, we will cheat ourselves of the best possible clutch.
Like everything we “rebuilt”, we must determine its mechanical condition as we tear it down, so we can “raise” an accurate parts list as we go. The following bike is as purchased and needs maintenance and clutch mods. It can be the “tear down model”.
1) TEST THE CABLE. I prefer to start with a new high quality Teflon lined cable. Don’t judge the one you already have by how shinny it looks, TEST IT. I have several varying lengths of aluminium angle in my toolbox to use for this test.
I use this to "Block" cable movement at the engine end.
Then apply pressure to the handlebar clutch lever. If it is rock solid, it is OK.
If your clutch lever can be squeezed in and out and feels like operating one of these excersise springs
Discard the cable.
That will be because mishandling has stretched the “outer cable” and it is now behaving like a long compression spring.
Outer cables are usually stretched because some try to remove and fit them by yanking at them like this.
or like this
I treat all my cables as though they have the fragility of a carbon pile high tension lead. I always unload the tension from the inner cable first, by doing this.
Somewhere lurking I have a special tool I made for doing this. But I am sure you get the idea anyhow. If Ji were here, he would have one knocked up in no time.
Obviously testing and treating your front brake cable like this is also the first step in creating a brake that will happily launch you over the bars. Some say Maico front brakes are shit as well, more BS.
I am leaving on a prior commitment now for a few days. Whoohoo. I will finish posting the tear down and rebuild of our dirty model when I return.
Have a good one. Cheers, Mick.
