I just inspected the clutch on my 199A and found that the clutch plates use no friction material, just steel on steel. They were in pretty good shape so I put it back together with 75wt synthetic gear oil and it works well.

I'm just wondering if that is the original type clutch and if there are any special oil recomendations for it. I know you guys will know.

Yeh thats how they came one set of plates is plain the other "dimpled" as I remember, just use standard light gear oil

The all steel plates are correct

I think however you will find the following oils are best:

Clutch - 1/2 pt TQF ( Automatic Trans Fluid)

Gearbox - 1 pt SAE 90

The all steel plates are correct

I think however you will find the following oils are best:

Clutch - 1/2 pt TQF ( Automatic Trans Fluid)

Gearbox - 1 pt SAE 90

Thumbs up to that john.

i used gear oil and got into a right pickle, Dave at Bultaco straightened me out, told me to use auto trans fluid, but what he did say was, flush all of the old oil out of the plates by using neat petrol and ride it for 10 mins, drain it all out. you can get a bit more life out of the plates by using a centre punch to aid the friction, awful job, but worth the effort.

regards,

tom,

Clymer manual says SAE30 for my Sherpa 325, is this wrong?

Clymer manual says SAE30 for my Sherpa 325, is this wrong?

Yes. If John Collins says so i for one would believe him. He knows more about Bultaco's than the rest of us have forgotten.

SAE90 it is then, I'm here to learn...

Thanks all

Mick

Yes - The Clymer manuel I find is excellent for pictures of engine strip etc - but probably when they came to list oil viscosity they may have used that suitable for Spain and USA etc where it is inevitable hot. In UK - it is obviously colder ( especially here in Wales today !) The thinner Aut Trans oil will cause far lesst drag abnd so on. I must admit all those years ago when I forst saw it I thought it looked too thin - but more years than I care to remember using it in MX , Enduro and Trials has caused no problems, and little clutch drag. Equally I tend to stick with 90 in g/box - although I do know others who have gone thinner without any problems - but I like to be safe on that one

Yes - The Clymer manuel I find is excellent for pictures of engine strip etc - but probably when they came to list oil viscosity they may have used that suitable for Spain and USA etc where it is inevitable hot. In UK - it is obviously colder ( especially here in Wales today !) The thinner Aut Trans oil will cause far lesst drag abnd so on. I must admit all those years ago when I forst saw it I thought it looked too thin - but more years than I care to remember using it in MX , Enduro and Trials has caused no problems, and little clutch drag. Equally I tend to stick with 90 in g/box - although I do know others who have gone thinner without any problems - but I like to be safe on that one

I only ever used 90 in the gear box once (during a cold winter) turn my 325 into a 250.

Use 20/50 without any problems.

ATF for me regardless of bike really nowadays. It always seemed thin but if it can take the torque of a big V8 then a Bulto, even a 325, won't be straining its capabilities. This for your clutch or a modern gearbox, I've no experience of using it in a Bulto gearbox but seem to recall doing so in the Ossa with no ill effect.

Edited February 1, 201115 yr by 2/4

The all steel plates are correct

tween the

I think however you will find the following oils are best:

Clutch - 1/2 pt TQF ( Automatic Trans Fluid)

Gearbox - 1 pt SAE 90

hi john i got my 199A going had a blast round the back garden shes got sum power checkit over and tryed to start her up again but the kick start was sliping so i ajusted the clutch no joy so i thought it needed new clutch so i got a set off barnet ones off bultaco uk put them in had to bottom the scerw before the plates was openin so i checkt to see if the throw out ball was there to my horrer it wasnt there so ive just payed for clutch plates i probely didnt need the old ones look ok they have dipels in them anyway my question is the plates with the half moons and the slits in them witch go inbeween the clutch plates do the slits have to line up with eachother?

My clutch slips a little bit when kicking the lever in warmer weather. I've never been able to discern any slipping while riding though. That's the main reason I took it apart. Every thing looked good so I put it back together. I imagine ATF would minimize the slipping, but it always starts despite the slipping, and works well with light gear oil.

I'm afraid it will be some time before I can give it the warm weather test .

Edited February 7, 201115 yr by motovita

Even when the clutch is adjusted perfectly and working perfectly during riding, you can still get clutch slip on the kickstart. It's normal on a Bultaco, nothing to worry about.

Even when the clutch is adjusted perfectly and working perfectly during riding, you can still get clutch slip on the kickstart. It's normal on a Bultaco, nothing to worry about.

ok thanks for the addvice just one more thing the new clutch plats or in ive ajusted 6 nuts more or less the same and ajusted the grub srew pulled clutch leaver in and turnd it over clutch plats seem to be runing ok but whats the best way to set the 6 nunts and will 30 amp fuse wire be ok for the lock wire

Tighten the nuts until they bottom and then back out 4 complete turns. You can't go much further than that otherwise the nuts, which are quite thick, will catch the inside of the clutch case. Fit the clutch cover case, remove the round adjustment screw and check the clearance of the nuts to the inside of the casing. Leave say a couple of millimetres as it is the thread of the adjustment screw that gets caught first as it sits proud of the inside edge of the casing.

You can mill (or grind or hacksaw, whatever) the nuts down to half their thickness. This will enable you to wind them out a bit more without them touching the casing in order to ease off more on the spring tension which will give a lighter clutch pull. How much more is trial and error. I have Barnett plates in mine so can afford to back them off a fair bit due to the extra bite of the Barnett plate material. Can't remember how far though. If you do turn down the nuts and still want to use lock wire you will have to drill new holes as reducing the thickness of the nut loses the original holes.

Don't back them off too much as although the bike will still start and pull in 1st or 2nd without any noticeable slip, if you have to really wail it in 3rd, it will slip.

As to whether you can use fuse wire, I don't know. I'd just buy a roll of locking wire and use the correct stuff.