foot clutch

[easyricer]

OK I'm starting to get all of my ideas for the new FLH. I'm thinking tank shift with a foot clutch. I can get the old rocker clutch but I'm wondering about the rod and clutch arm. How is that going to get around the primary and the cross over pipe or do I do it with a cable? On my tin primary it was easy. I didn't have to sweat that.
The shifter itself is easy enough and I can make a smooth shift gate to mount on the tank to I can keep the ratchet top. I'm also going with an internal throttle and hidden switches for the horn and turn signals.
EASY

[crankcase1943]

Why not use a jocky shift?
I have a 67 Electra Glide that came from the Motor Company with the hand shift and foot cluch.My dad bought it new in 67. I bought it from my mother in 85 when he passed. The shift leaver goes lowe enough that the rod goes under the cross over pipe. It is not a ratchet top. It is a regular shift top. With a ratchet top you can just bump it into the next gear. Use a clutch petal off a servie car for the release of the clutch like we did in the old days. this is what people called a suicide clutch. If your foot sliped off away it went.

[Little Al]

You can get a "smooth" shift gate without notches from either J&P or V-Twin, maybe both sell them.

I saw this done on a bike a while ago and if memory serves me (maybe not! lol) it had a fabricated long pin on the foot clutch to bring the rod closer to the motor so the rod went almost straight back, behind the inner primary instead of at the angle over the primary like on the tin primary.

maybe at least that will spark an idea

[dablaze]

If you are not looking for originality I kinda like the clutch lever on the hand shift lever look.

Craig

[MMOCGuy]

EASY.

If you use the tank shift kit from the after market guys (The one labled police style shifter), it is designed to work with the primary cover and the rod should bolt in. These were available from the factory as an option on all 4 speed shovelheads up until they changed to the cowpie cover (I believe that was in 1979).

For the clutch, you can use either the rocker style pedal as was stock or you can use the "Suicide" style - whichever suits your fancy. The benefit to the rocker style is that the tension can be adjusted so that, if you have to put your left foot down in an emergency, you can rock the clutch pedal back and it will stay there (disengaged) for a short period of time. CAUTION: This is theory only and, in actual practice, should not be relied on. The biggest issue with using the hand shift with a ratchet top tranny is trying to find neutral quickly if you have to put your left foot down so just be aware of that.

Hope this helps.

Norm.

[kiwidave]

66-78 bike? There is a special Police-issue 66-78 clutch arm that is shorter than the old OEM Knuckle/Pan clutch release arms.  It stops short of the inner primary, then connects to the rocker clutch with rod. If no easily available rod fits, so easy to customise one with rose (heim) joint at the clutch end. Of even a length of threaded rod.

If you have a 79-84 FLH with cowpie tranny, the above arm does not work (I tried) you do have to apply a hot torch to the stock release arm, bending it up a bit....then using wire as a template, fashion a custom rod to skirt around bits and pieces near the tranny/solenoid.  Works for me.

I rode with a cable linkage for quite a few years, but broke a couple. Lost confidence a bit. Went to a custom fabbed rod.

[easyricer]

I have an old rocker clutch with the cable adapter. I've become frustrated with Frankenstien, so he's donating parts to get this one going. I have the tank shift set up that I made on it. It works. The clutch rod is a factory job. I can make a new one, not a big problem. I've had suicide clutches before, never had much problem with them but I'd rather the rocker clutch. With the suicide clutch, I was stuck riding solo because passengers were just too much trouble. With the rocker I don't have to find neutral every time. I'll be robbing several other parts from the Pan lookalike. I worry about putting it back together later.
EASY

[Speeding Big Twin]

The first clutch release lever below was for use with tin primaries, depending on year. The second one, #37052-65, was for use on 1965-1967 hand clutch Big Twins, in conjunction with a pull rod and clutch booster/mousetrap such as seen on the 1965 Panhead below. The second lever was also for use on foot clutch BTs 1965-1978/early-1979.     Eric

[easyricer]

OK it wasn't as hard as I thought. I had to install the adapter for the cable, but I used the stock clutch rod and throw out arm. I got a few pics posted on the "Bringing Her to Life" Thread. I'm gonna have to modify the cross over exhaust that I have. it's not quite a perfect fit, but it will be.
EASY