ENFIELD SCISSORHANDS

This may help a few owners who have suffered drag or slip with their

Royal Enfield scissor clutch: there is an easy fix! The scissor clutch was fitted to most Constellations and Meteor Minors. The original clutch relied on three (not counting the clutch drum) friction plates, popularly referred to as a ‘three plate clutch’. The scissor action actually produces a very light pull on the clutch lever compared to other British bikes. However clutch slip or drag was sometimes a problem. Redditch made changes to the clutch friction material but abandoned the scissor idea and reverted to the pushrod clutch on the last Constellations.

Thanks to the popularity of the Indian-made Bullet, new aftermarket clutch packs are available that transform a four-plate Indian clutch into a fiveplate one by the use of thinner plates. These parts fit Redditch-made bikes. What you do is fit four of the new thin friction plates and four steel plates to your scissor clutch (taken from one of the fiveplate kits). The standard clutch basket and cush drive will accept the new parts easily.

If slip has been a persistent problem, you can either remove 1.5 to 2mm from the ends of the three spacers on which the clutch pressure plate sits (part 21 in the photo), or use a standard thickness Redditch-made clutch plate for the final plate, the one that comes into contact with the pressure plate.

Constellation owners might also be irritated by a constant oil leak from behind the clutch on the primary chaincase. The reason for this is that the oil seal in the primary chaincase makes its seal on the elongated gearbox sprocket nut. Over time it wears (it protrudes into the chaincase and rests against the clutch). An elegant solution to the problem is to use the clutch centre from a Meteor Minor which is around 10mm longer (part no 42968): the oil seal now properly seals on this. Finally, fit the new improved gearbox nut designed for Bullets which has a proper oil seal. Problem solved, no more oil leaks!

Marko Mudryj, member