SuzukiSavage.com - new symptom my clutch began to slip today

Greg

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new symptom my clutch began to slip today
04/19/14 at 18:19:53

I went for a 90 mile ride. Mostly 40mph but was between 25 and 55. The bike ran great for the trip. I parked about a half hour. When I left, the clutch was slipping terribly in 1st and second gear. It was as if I kept the lever pulled in. As I headed back, it was slipping in higher gears with just a slight twist to maintain speed going uphill. As time went on, it got better. After about 25 or 30 miles it would only slip under hard acceleration and not all the time. The oil and filter was changed a couple hundred miles ago. I used Rotellla T. The last oil change was also Rotella T but no filter. Before that was Spectra semi synthetic oil and filter. I only change the oil yearly. It is a 2002 with 13Kmiles. When I looked at the oil window, it was way over filled. I thought fuel got in there so I changed the oil again today. There was no fuel smell in the oil. It still slips under hard acceleration. Did the Rotella formulation change? Can my clutch be worn in only 13K miles? I don't slip it when I ride. Heck, I get 125K miles out of a car clutch. Research on this site mentions springs. Can I add ZDDP to help?

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« Last Edit: 04/21/14 at 11:02:28 by Greg »

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28787 L.A. California Gender:	Re: my clutch began to slip today Reply #1 - 04/19/14 at 18:23:08 http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1397773191
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Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: my clutch began to slip today Reply #2 - 04/19/14 at 18:28:03 I saw that. It isn't a free play issue. I have about a quarter inch at the lever. Unless you are saying I need to clean the clutch but I use Rotella oil.
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oldNslow

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Re: my clutch began to slip today
Reply #3 - 04/19/14 at 19:07:32

Quote:

I went for a 90 mile ride. Mostly 40mph but was between 25 and 55. The bike ran great for the trip. I parked about a half hour. When I left, the clutch was slipping terribly

Quote:

When I looked at the oil window, it was way over filled. I thought fuel got in there so I changed the oil again today. There was no fuel smell in the oil.

If it was my bike I'd be real curious about where that extra oil came from.

I'm probably way off base here, but it makes me wonder. Where was the bike parked for that 1/2 hour. Is there any possibility that someone screwed with your bike ? Put something in the oil?

Quote:

Can I add ZDDP to help?

ZDDP is added to protect the cam lobes and rocker arms from excessive wear. It can only affect the clutch if you put the WRONG additive in - one that is not recommended for wet clutches. A lot of the stuff for sale in auto parts stores is exactly that. It has chemicals in it that will make a clutch slip.

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Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: my clutch began to slip today Reply #4 - 04/19/14 at 19:20:03 No. It was within 15 feet of me. I figured it was fuel or more likely I over filled it when I changed the oil.
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1st2know Senior Member Offline Currently between Savages Posts: 295 Seattle, WA Gender:	Re: my clutch began to slip today Reply #5 - 04/19/14 at 19:27:44 Check to make sure your clutch cable and actuator aren't sticking. These things are exposed to the elements, and can jam without warning.
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Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: my clutch began to slip today Reply #6 - 04/19/14 at 19:28:50 I was thinking I should pick up a cable lube tool.
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1st2know

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Re: my clutch began to slip today
Reply #7 - 04/19/14 at 19:38:46

I can ask my pharmacist for a 3cc syringe, and they just give it to me for free...they don't even ask me what I need it for. Ask for one with a blunt tip.

Get the syringe, draw up 3cc's your favorite lube (I like Hoppe's), and squirt it in the top of the cable housing with the syringe. Then work it down by moving the cable until it seeps down and out of the bottom.

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Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: my clutch began to slip today Reply #8 - 04/20/14 at 09:47:55 I added even more slack and am currently giving the cable an oil IV.
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Greg

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new symptom Re: my clutch began to slip today
Reply #9 - 04/21/14 at 11:01:41

I think I have another clue/symptom for you folks to consider. When I adjusted my clutch cable yesterday, I added more slop by making the adjustment at the engine. When I took my cable off of the lever to do the oil IV, I cranked the lever adjuster in all the way. Now of course there was a lot of play in the lever. When I put it all back together this afternoon, there was zero play at the lever with the adjuster in all the way. I checked at the engine and the adjuster was seated all the way down. I pulled and released the lever many times but it never changed. I had to make additional adjustments at the engine to give it any slack.

My question is: is there anything inside that can cause this? I took it for a short ride and everything was fine. I really need to get out later and do a thorough test though. Anyway, will something in there move and give me too much slack so the clutch doesn't disengage? Why did it change without any adjustments?

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Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: new symptom my clutch began to slip today Reply #10 - 04/21/14 at 19:51:47 Thanks for the help. I guess I will take it to the garage.
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MMRanch

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Re: new symptom my clutch began to slip today
Reply #11 - 04/22/14 at 07:06:21

Greg

I've put 42K miles on my first one and 16K miles on my second one, and have been all through these motors.
I'd be wondering what happened too.

If you will lean your bike way over on the kick-stand side (milkcrate with a pillow) then you can pull the clutch cover without draining the oil .

I'm thinking your clutch springs have worked loose (thread-lock). Also that short rod that runs between the pusher on the clutch cover and the throw=out bearning , if its too long your clutch can't close, you check it befor you put the cable on (just a little slack is all you need)

Back to your main problem ... did the springs work loose ? or did someone punk-ya with some STP in your oil ?

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Serowbot

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Re: Yes, I have been butthurt
Reply #12 - 04/22/14 at 05:08:37

Looking at your latest symptom... (if I'm understanding correctly),.. it seems cable related...
Might be frayed, or routed in a way that is binding...
I might suggest pulling it off the bike completely, and and giving it a careful inspection...
Lube it good, then reroute it back in place...(slightest kink or binding and you should replace it)...

One other remote possibility... check your front pulley nut...
If it got loose, it may have eaten the shaft splines, and be slipping... (pray it ain't so)...

If those don't get it... I think yer' going in deep to look at the clutch itself...

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« Last Edit: 04/28/14 at 22:36:48 by Serowbot »

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arteacher Serious Thumper Offline Ride as if your naked and invisable! Posts: 2581 London ontario Gender:	Re: Yes, I have been butthurt Reply #13 - 04/22/14 at 07:19:19 If it was a cable problem wouldn't the clutch lever control go slack if the cable was binding?
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Re: Yes, I have been butthurt
Reply #14 - 04/22/14 at 08:23:30

Went and read it back over. If fiddling with the cable does nothing, time to open her up. Check the springs, and if they are tight, tear the clutch apart. Sounds like you glazed a steel or wiped a fiber, but you could also have a failing "paddle" where the cable arm actuates the pushrod. If you were on a bike with a "normal" metric single spring clutch (VN1500 and such), it would be easy, the spring got chewed up. The 1960s clutch in a Savage is an entirely different design, miniaturized Harley Davidson crossed with Honda locating tangs.

The factory clutch discs are crap. The same cheap fibers and cut rate steels you would find in an Emgo kit. If you ride the bike like a sedate little cruiser, they last a long time, but if you get spirited, especially running lightweight synthetic oil, they'll give up the ghost. I ran fresh Rotella T6 5W40 in my 03 for one day, commuted to work and back home, and changed it out for Rotella 15W40. This makes 2 Savages for me that do not like synthetic oil. Clutch issues, noisy valve train, leaks...

Pop both outer cases off, flush the clutch assembly with contact cleaner, and take it apart. Stuff rags in the big inner case passages so you don't lose any hardware into the transmission.

Clutches, like batteries, either work or they don't.

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