clutch stuck on, is this a silly idea?

[Adrian89]

Right I picked this beast up on friday for the pricey sum of £200 (if you can call a 400 a beast?) its been sat for a while (around a year maybe?) and the clutch is stuck on.
Im taking the carbs off anyway so there wont be any petrol to spill/flood, and Im guna give her a full service etc

https://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z115/adrianwest1989/My%20bike/my%20cbr/08052009060.jpg

I know its a wet clutch, and Im assuming its dried up over time (oil been forced out from between clutch plates) as the bikes been stood with all the oil angled towards the other side of the engine.

Would laying the bike carefully on the clutch side to let the oil soak it for a day or two with the clutch lever pulled in be a bad idea?

I guess I'd have to reposition brake fluid reservoirs etc to prevent leakages.

What do you think?

Thanks

[Adrian89]

and yea, fairings etc would be removed first!

[G]

Bikes often get their clutch plates binding when stuck together.
I'd get the bike going, then drop it into first while holding the rear brake on hard. Do it a few times, then start increasing the revs a little as you dump the clutch - should free it's self eventually.
Leaving it running for a bit in neutral should mean the clutch is spinning in oil.

Had it on a few bikes, though mostly small 2 strokes.

[stinkwheel]

What manner of beast?

Aye, clutch plates will often stick together.

They'll often shock loose if the engine runs by repeatedly engaging first gear with the clutch pulled in and the rear brake on (it'll keep stalling mind).

Another option is to simply strip the clutch while you have the oil drained. A genuine honda clutch cover gasket is £7.50.

Cutches are easy to strip once the cover is off. You undo 5 bolts with springs under, remove the top plate and slide the clutch plates out. Seperate them, oil them, re-install them and do it all up again with a new gasket. Half hour job requiring an 8mm and a 10mm socket.

The worst bit is scraping all the old gasket off the surface of the cover which will take another half hour and requires a stanley knife blade and a little patience.

Lying it on its side is a bad idea, the engine might fluid lock. Standing it upright and turning it over occasionally (which will cover at least 50% of the clutch in oil) isn't a bad idea.
____________________
“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.

[Adrian89]

Thanks for the response, I have 2 spare engines (one knackered but clutch is good), hopefully I wont have to change the clutch and the one thats in there will work, sticking the bike on a paddock stand and leaving it running is a much simpler way then laying it on its side!
Haha I thought of that then strangely forgot...
Il leave the clutch lever cable tied back a bit as well, that should help
Thanks

[.....]

Like G says but do it with the front wheel up against a wall.

[Mudskipper]

For 200 quid I'd be mighty happy with that!
____________________
CBR125|||GSXR400|||CBR400|||CBR400|||CB250RS|||GSXR750|||CB250RS
"You're clumsy, you eat too much and you behave like a 12 year old boy. But you know what? Every once in a while, you find a thumb."

[Adrian89]

Im absolutely thrilled with it! Iv spent nearly a grand on another money-pit NC23 thats been a total dissaster, its basically been the reason I havent been on two wheels in a year, I saw this advertised and thought it could be useful for spares, but its much better than that! I cant believe he was happy to let it go for such a low price lol
The stainless downpipes and end can are worth that alone!
Im going to make one gorgeous bike out of it with all the nice spares and parts I'v already aquired for the other one, I can get a full bank of set up carbs for £50 from a specialist (which was the plan for the other bike), so I think Il do that for this instead of messing about with the carbs only to struggle getting them balanced because of dried and crystallised fuel in them.
I have a full set of pretty nice replacement fairings, beet racing rearsets, braided lines, NC29 wheels etc etc all to go on.
Basically It will look like my old bike (but Im going to get the tank painted) see below:

https://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z115/adrianwest1989/My%20bike/my%20cbr/04102008131-1.jpg

https://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z115/adrianwest1989/My%20bike/my%20cbr/04102008129-1.jpg

https://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z115/adrianwest1989/My%20bike/my%20cbr/04102008128-1.jpg

Cheers!