Just switching friction plates, few questions

[EazyDuz]

So ive just replaced the plates, old ones looked a lot thinner.
Just a few things:

1. I just wiped down the old metal plates and put them back in after checking for damage, is this ok?
2. What is the best way to remove old gasket material? Its quite a mess really.
3. Is it worth using copper grease when reinstalling the clutch cover bolts? (as in engine cover)
4. When i took the old friction plates out i did kinda lose orientation as to where they sat. I know the new plates have been reassembled the right way as all their grooves line up, but i dont know 100% if they are lined up where the old ones were.
Haynes says match them with the basket marks, but there are no basket marks, so it says if there are no marks then just make sure all the grooves line up, which mine do. I assume this is ok?
It also says something about re-aligning the single groove shape in a specific slot in the basket if the new friction plates make the clutch harder to turn. I did feel more resistance when turning it by hand but again i couldnt see any marks on the basket for this specific position
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[stinkwheel]

1) Yes. If they are blued (as sometimes happens when they've been slipping) you can deglaze them on a sheet of fine, wet, wet and dry paper stuck to a sheet of glass with water. Use a side to side movement, not a circular one. Clean them THOROUGHLY in solvent afterwards.

2) Carefully.

I use a stanley knife blade with a piece of PVC tape stuck across the back. Take care because you can easily slice lumps out of the alloy too, keep it perfectly level with the gasket surface.

You can also make a gasket scraper by cutting a 1/2" slot down the end of a bit of copper pipe, opening it out and hammering it flat.

3) Yes. If they are crossheads, it's worth replacing them with socket heads. Be very careful not to overtighten them, they usually only need 7.5ft/lb which is pretty much one finger on an allen key and below the scale of most torque wrenches. This is one place I think stainless is entirely appropriate because they are very understressed fastners.

4) I doubt very much it'll cause a problem even if they are all in the wrong place.

If they are aftermarket plates, I'd be tempted to do a short-interval oil and filter change once they're bedded in and check for any bits floating in the oil you drain. Maybe pointless but I've known some aftermarket ones to be somewhat "hairy" and leave a load of bits floating in the oil which are bound to gum up the filter over time.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[unitynotsocri...]

Stinkwheel.

........listen look read learn visualise......absorb......love your posts stinkwheel.....

AFMS i'd keep coppergrease away from anything that could let alloy and steel conduct electricity,
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nearly a normal tax paying tosser.......with ferrileness suzi100,cg125,cb125scb100n,cb175,cd100,cj250t,kh250,c15,125 bantam,super 6,rickman gs750,xt500,250rs,dt175,lifan125,dolomite1850,metro,Morris220ld,morrisfg,leyland princess,range rover,corsa,vw camper .now struggling with legs. MORE ORDER = MORE CHAOS

[EazyDuz]

Having a nightmare removing the old gasket. Does it matter if the surface is black or dark but barely raised? Like a very minimal layer of existing gasket on it?
Sprayed WD on it several times and been using a stanley knife and the thicker bits come off but it leaves some underneath
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[stinkwheel]

[EazyDuz]

Ok.
I did just take a few very fine shavings off one section losing patience with a knife so i put it down and walked away haha.
I'll see if i have any nail polish remover as well, might help.
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[stinkwheel]

[EazyDuz]

[unitynotsocri...]

i usually stuff some clean rag inside the casing and after using my scrapers,use medium to rough sandpaper wrapped in a small flat peice of steel and a small file.

its easy to get p8888ed off with it and rush,but you run the danger of ruining the gasket surface ,especially with metal scapers or smaller screwdrivers,ally can peel off like butter.
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nearly a normal tax paying tosser.......with ferrileness suzi100,cg125,cb125scb100n,cb175,cd100,cj250t,kh250,c15,125 bantam,super 6,rickman gs750,xt500,250rs,dt175,lifan125,dolomite1850,metro,Morris220ld,morrisfg,leyland princess,range rover,corsa,vw camper .now struggling with legs. MORE ORDER = MORE CHAOS

[EazyDuz]

What can i use to clean the other half of the casing as loads of bits are on and in it.
Shall i just swish around a bit of petrol?
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[stinkwheel]

[EazyDuz]

So ive just fired it up and the bite point is still quite high. Its adjusted in such a way that the bite point is as low as possible but its still high.
Im wondering if i didnt set the pivot arm correctly but i swear i did. Will the plates bed in and the cable loosen somewhat to make the pivot arm move backwards a bit more, or should i crack the case again and turn the little adjuster screw to force the pivot arm backwards?
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss