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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Do I need a new Clutch soon? (tell-tale signs)
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Message started by Stimpy - FSO on 04/16/11 at 20:24:10

Title: Do I need a new Clutch soon? (tell-tale signs)
Post by Stimpy - FSO on 04/16/11 at 20:24:10

1) What are typically the symptoms of needing to renew your clutch?
(point of adjustment no longer possible) and usually around how many miles in this normal?

2) If so, does one need to replace** everything* or just the friction pads?

* steel discs, friction discs & springs
** any special tools required for installation?
*** was there some test (reving up in 5th gear or something) does anyone remember this?

Thanks in advance ;)

http://www.topcoolcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Things-You-Should-Consider-At-The-Time-Of-Buying-New-Clutch-For-Replacing-The-Old-Clutch-Of-Your-Vehicle.jpg

Title: Re: Do I need a new Clutch soon? (tell-tale signs
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/16/11 at 23:43:57

Me? I dunno,, but if I was askin, Id ask Old Feller..

Title: Re: Do I need a new Clutch soon? (tell-tale signs
Post by verslagen1 on 04/16/11 at 23:54:32

savage based experience only.

1st indication, it slips
1st thing to try, adjust the cable.
2nd thing to try, replace the throw out rod
3rd thing, replace spring or shim
then measure all the disks, friction and steel.
And replace what's undersized.

Title: Re: Do I need a new Clutch soon? (tell-tale signs
Post by Oldfeller on 04/17/11 at 03:06:12

Aha!

A trick answer !!!

He's really saying "never" since nobody has ever worn the plates to below factory specs (Clymer has the thicknesses in the book swapped, BTW)

I always take the left over plates from folks who change their clutches out and soak & sand them as per the tech thread and make rejuvenated plate sets out of them.

Friction plates wear VERY VERY VERY slowly, cables stretch and clutch rods wear much much much faster.

Warning, the soak and wash and bake and sand routine fluffs the corks back up, so the wear you thought you saw can disappear on you, which can be real embarrassing when I post what your plates come back to after refurbishment ... .0004" of wear on the last one and that was after I lightly hand sanded the fiber plates to rough them back up.

I still plan to put an extra steel and fiber into my clutch pack jest as soon as it wears enough room into the stack to put them in ....

..... and I may live long enough to do that, mebbe ;)

Stimpy, do you geek the marks on the cases, the little arm that tells the tale and the inside the left side cover clutch rod that needs to be changed out to adjust the arm vs the marks?

Lastly, what weight oil do you use?

jest curious

Title: Re: Do I need a new Clutch soon? (tell-tale signs
Post by Stimpy - FSO on 04/17/11 at 05:51:59

1) this is not for a savage but for a 125cc yamaha, but
japanese 4-stroke single basics are kinda universal, sorda :D

2) 1997' bike has now around 8k miles and was originally
a driving school vehicle before I bought it with 3k miles,
so I'm pretty sure that the clutch is original and was abused

3) bike runs like a dream but recently the gears have been
acting funny, I'm sometimes having trouble engaging gears,
like at a red light, mostly while downshifting.

I will adjust the cable today and test on the road tomorrow
and see how that goes; I will look also in my Haynes manual
about the marks in the arm (mechanism is very similar to LS650)

4) Oil is 1 month fresh, I use Motul semisynth 5-40w in winter and
15-40w in summer (maybe this older tech-bike dislikes semisynth oil?)

* Thanks to all, any more ideas anyone?

Title: Re: Do I need a new Clutch soon? (tell-tale signs
Post by Oldfeller on 04/17/11 at 07:26:24

Well, heck -- really now all advice goes out the window when we don't even know which bike we are giving advice on. Our ASSumptions are real advice killers, don'tcha know?

;D

Abused clutches, now I thought normal use was "abusive" enough and that's what they were built to take.

"Glazed plates" were why I replaced clutches in years past, then I learned that glazing can be removed with solvents, hot soapy water and sand paper.

I have a unsupported theory that some types of oil build up "glazing" more so than other types of oil, so I like to ask what sort of oil was involved with slipping clutches .....

;)

jest curious