Clutch actuator switch

[Timbox]

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

If you manually hold the plunger in you get no start, right?

Do you have standard clutch lever?  It sounds like something is physically stopping the plunger from extending to the point where it's electrical contacts are made.

+1 , I agree

[moodytico]

The bike has aftermarket adjustable levers that were on it when I bought the bike.  Is there anything special on the end of the lever that makes contact with plunger or just metal on metal completes the circuit?

[Sidewinder]

The circuit is made within the switch itself, it's not a case of something outside it touching to make a contact.  The switch/plunger is quite deeply buried in the lever housing where cack can gather, i'd suggesting stripping that area all apart and giving it a good clean out.

While the lever is off find a pic of a standard one and see if the shape is different to yours, also see if you can see marks on the face where the it pushes on the plunger?

[moodytico]

This thing is going to drive me crazy... I played with the switch out of the housing and found out the following.  The plunger only has to depress a small amount to engage the starter.  If it is depressed too far it will not start.  I cleaned out the housing and there was nothing in there.  I am thinking it must be the clutch cable adjustment.  With the clutch pulled in it must be either depressing the plunger too far or not enough.  I pulled the clutch lever off and looked at where the tip of the plunger sits and it actually protrudes through the hole.  I played with the clutch lever position several times and cannot get it to work.  When I hold the switch in my hand depress the plunger just a little and hit the starter it fires up.  All of this started when I replaced my clutch pack so it has to do.with something with the cable tension.

[Timbox]

Originally Posted by moodytico

This thing is going to drive me crazy... I played with the switch out of the housing and found out the following.  The plunger only has to depress a small amount to engage the starter.  If it is depressed too far it will not start.  I cleaned out the housing and there was nothing in there.  I am thinking it must be the clutch cable adjustment.  With the clutch pulled in it must be either depressing the plunger too far or not enough.  I pulled the clutch lever off and looked at where the tip of the plunger sits and it actually protrudes through the hole.  I played with the clutch lever position several times and cannot get it to work.  When I hold the switch in my hand depress the plunger just a little and hit the starter it fires up.  All of this started when I replaced my clutch pack so it has to do.with something with the cable tension.

This sounds back to front to me, from my recollection the plunger should make the circuit when the plunger is fully out (IE the clutch lever is pulled and releases the plunger)  I thought you said in an earlier post that leaving the switch out of the bracket worked?

[af1-windy]

I know this is gonna sound weird but I had a problem while away in Croatia, long story short, it turned out to be the oxford heated grip on the clutch side, it moved around on the bar and the wire housing prevented the clutch lever coming all the way back, not by much at all but enough for the bike not to start.. twisted it back, clutch in, fired up.. 

windy

[Paullie]

Originally Posted by Timbox

This sounds back to front to me, from my recollection the plunger should make the circuit when the plunger is fully out (IE the clutch lever is pulled and releases the plunger)  I thought you said in an earlier post that leaving the switch out of the bracket worked?

Yep, that's right. Plunger has to be fully out (i.e. it releases when you pull the clutch lever in) for the bike to start.

[moodytico]

"This sounds back to front to me, from my recollection the plunger should make the circuit when the plunger is fully out (IE the clutch lever is pulled and releases the plunger)  I thought you said in an earlier post that leaving the switch out of the bracket worked?"

It does....I was only explaining that the plunger has some built in play and will start when it is in the fully extended position or with slight pressure.  Of it is pushed in more than a quarter of the way it won't start.  The clutch level must be pushing on the plunger just enough that it won't start.

[Dusty ST]

Originally Posted by moodytico

It does....I was only explaining that the plunger has some built in play and will start when it is in the fully extended position or with slight pressure.  Of it is pushed in more than a quarter of the way it won't start.  The clutch level must be pushing on the plunger just enough that it won't start.

I'm confused by this thread, doesn't the above describe a perfectly functioning clutch switch? Pulling the clutch lever allows the plunger to extend fully, complete the circuit and the bike starts.
If the switch actuator doesn't fully extend the bike won't start, you should be able to see the end of the actuator and see it working.
There's a thread on another Triumph forum that suggests problems with some aftermarket levers with the reach adjustment at one extreme, the suggested solution was filing the tip of the switch actuator down.

[Sidewinder]

Sounds like the aftermarket lever is not allowing the plunger to extend to the point where a circuit is made.