Clutch parts for 4-speed Sportster 1984-1990

In the fall of 1984, a new wet clutch with diaphragm spring was introduced for the Sportster, similar to the Softails and other Big Twins in the second half of the 1980s. Oil level and adjustment of the clutch play are important, then this clutch works easily and trouble-free.

A special feature worth mentioning: the clutch basket is also the rotor of the alternator. The DC alternators ("generator") had finally become obsolete in the Sportster series by mid-1984. The engineers found space behind the clutch for the stator coil and so the clutch basket was equipped with a secondary job and the necessary permanent magnets. The first alternator for the Sportster was ready!

What do you need to know about the Sportster 1984-1990 clutch basket?

It's best to treat it like a raw egg! The integrated permanent magnets don't like being hit with a hammer or dropped. There is only a small gap between the stator coil and the clutch basket, otherwise the alternator will not work properly. For this reason, the ball bearing in the clutch basket must not be loose or have too much play. To press out the bearing in the event of a fall, support the clutch basket particularly well and avoid using force. The magnets should not be damaged and neither should the aluminum basket.

Friction disks

The 7 discs do not have a lot of friction surface, to get more power on the road or the race track we recommend in any case to eliminate the spring plate and to mount an extra plate kit of the brand Barnett. The thin discs are often the victims of distortion and turn blue in the heat of the moment.