But HOW DOES IT WORK!?

[JV]

Okay, I'm still retarded.
I tried to lube up the clutch cable and clean the sprocket cover.  I cleaned a TON of crud off the clutch shaft.

This is what gets me.  How the heck does the clutch work through that shaft?!?

Why does my clutch neither fully engage nor disengage now?  What did I break?

[Oldschooler]

I have a 1996 600 S / Red.
That tiny little shaft pushes yet another. That one pushes the clutch assem which seporates your clutch plates. The little shaft coming out of the side just sits there. It's not held in or fastend in any way. You should be able to just pull it out and put it right back in again. Are you sure that you didn't get any crud insid of the little hole of the clutch cam? The small arm that your clutch is attached to under the cover. Make sure thats clean. Also was it working prior to your removing the sproket cover?

[JV]

I cleaned it pretty well.  I hosed it with carb cleaner until I forgot my middle name.
It worked before.
When the bike is cold, is it normal for the starter to "walk" the bike when the clutch is pulled? (If starting in first gear and bypassing the clutch switch.)

[Oldschooler]

Well no, it shouldn't walk your bike with the clutch pulled it. Since it worked prior, I would suspect that something happend to your cable free play. Check that. You should have somewhere around 1/2 an inch or so of play with the clutch lever before it starts to ingage the clutch. That would be where I would start first because I don't see anything happening internally since you were never inside of it.

[JV]

The shaft was slightly bent.  There is the possibility that the previous owner jerry-rigged a spacer or something to make it work.
I am going to grind down a drill blank to replace the clutch actuation shaft.  I'll use that because it is harder and cheaper.  I believe the diameter is 6mm and the length is 85mm.  Can someone do me a huge favor and verify that it is 85mm long?  This is for a '96 600S

Thanks for all the help!

[JV]

I forgot to mention, I tried the full range of cable play.  I went so far that the lever on the side couldn't move anymore.

[Oldschooler]

Well a bent push shaft would surely make your clutch operate like you decribed, but I'm not sure I would use a drill blank. The push shaft is only $6.99 anway on BikeBandit.com .  With the factory shaft you get the comfort of knowing it's correct size, length, and the ends are machined correctly. If your drill blanks ends are not machined just right you could be eating up the end of your main shaft inside the clutch and you wouldn't be able to inspect it or see it without pulling the whole thing.

But that's just me. I'd just spend the $6.99 end be done with it. I tried but couldn't comfirm if it is 6mm. Good luck with it. Let me know how it works.

[Oldschooler]

God Help Me     I have got to slow down when typing.  Look at that spelling  

[tacoman]

I pulled my sprocket cover on my B6 to do the mods for my larger front sprocket.  When I put it back together it was a real pain getting the adjustment right.  Remember there's an adjustment down on motor too.

[JV]

Hold the phone.  There's an adjustment on the engine too!?
I did the adjustments at the lever, the top of the cover, and the screw underneath the plastic cover.

No combination of adjustments has worked yet.  For christ's sake, why can't they just have 2 adjustments!

Okay, so where is the adjustment on the engine?

[machu]

i just got nailed with this when inspecting my front sprocket,now it rolls forward when starting in gear(not that this is safe but i was just checking),and the clutch is loose feeling and i have to do a double take on changing gears sometimes.
How does this happen?and whats the cure?