Motorcycle Clutch Basket Not Rotating By Hand

[SlandersPete]

I have been having problems shifting gears on my 2001 Kawasaki Ninja Ex500R. With the plates out, the basket does not rotate freely by hand if the bolt is tightened properly. With the basket spinning, the bolt is loose and threatens to fall out. Every part is accounted for and in the correct position. The plates are fine, no cracks, wear, or large burns or fibers used up. The clutch box and basket also have no problems with them. All parts are fine, no chips, dents, bends, or anything. The clutch is a wet clutch. It just doesn't want to spin when the bolt is tightened down. Any suggestions? I have been letting the plates soak in oil so they do not stick when they shouldn't.
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Signatures are stupid~

[stinkwheel]

Ninja EX500R is American for a GPZ500s. If it's a '91 it'll be the old model with the grenading alternator rotor.

Anyway. Full story please.

So. You were having trouble shifting gear. What sort of trouble?

Then you did what? Stripped the clutch? The whole primary drive? How far down? Since you are doing up/undoing the clutch centre nut I presume you've had the clutch basket off and are now in the process of putting it back on again?

How did you undo the centre nut in the first place (ie, what tools did you use)? How are you doing it back up again?

Wild surmise here but if it was turning before you stripped it and it now is not, you have either damaged it or put it back together wrong.

If I was a betting man, I'd guess that the dished, chamfered oil pump drive spacer washer that goes behind the clutch basket has either been omitted or fitted backwards.
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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.

[SlandersPete]

The clutch started slipping and I had go tighten the clutch lever until it completely stopped disengaging. I got a new cable and put it in. There was no difference as there was still no tension when pulling the clutch to engage.
I took apart and put together the clutch and plates. Two plates had slight brown discoloration about 2mm size, not enough to be worn out. The strings and rubbers and all were fine and not worn out at all. No cracks or missing pieces, everything is in place just as the manual and diagrams show. The basket turned when I put it together again by hand until I put the bolt on and torqued it to spec.
I ended up putting a high temp and oil resistant glue to hold the bolt in place loose enough to allow rotation with the plates. The bike runs fine now, though I feel odd (not the bike) about having the bolt like that. I then replaced the rear tire and have been driving it at least a hundred miles since then.
The only concern I have is that like before, when the bike is warmed up and has been driven for a while, the engine (clutch?) makes a sound that I cant describe very well. There are no videos I can link/reference as the sound. Listening to reviews, the bike doesn't seem to be making this noise in them. But the bike sound is as follows: (bear with me)
-no clunking, scraping, grinding, or other noises of rubbing or catching on metal.
It is describable like a whirring noise. Constant base level of sound, but every second, it gets louder for a half second. Kind of like if you revved the engine a little on a diesel vehicle ever so slightly.
It is a rough description I know. Any ideas what it might be. I plan on recording a video of it and putting it on my YT channel which shares the same name for reference if I cant find anything on this problem.
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Signatures are stupid~

[stinkwheel]

It is probably the sound of whichever part is on wrong slowly eating its way through the alloy crankcase or crankcase cover.

What you have done there (not tightening the clutch centre nut down fully) is a totally idiotic idea which I absolutely garauntee will result in permanant, serious and probably irreversible damage to your engine in the best case scenario.

Worst case it could result in an abrupt transmission seizure which will suddenly lock your rear wheel at speed and cause you to crash and die.

You need to stop riding the bike immediately, go back and work out what you have done wrong. Clutch centre nuts are notorious for undoing themselves anyway, even when properly torqued and locked down. Leaving it loose will lead to it precessing off.

Riding it like that may have left witness marks that could point you to where the problem is. Or the crankcase could already be full of aluminium swarf...
____________________
“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.

[Ste]