clutch slip

[to v or not to v]

clutch has started slipping when the bike gets into the powerband, pulls fine until then. neutral can be a bit hard to engage whilst stationary. so im guessing i need new friction plates? bike has done 34500 miles.

wheres the best place to go for parts?
im guessing i will need friction plates, a gasket and also an oring for the pushrod end piece.

also ive just changed the engine oil, will it be ok to reuse it once the new plates are in?
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current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
its old and fat, but its a damned good ride. the bikes not bad either.

[Ariel Badger]

Did you use the right oil, some synthetics will cause clutch slip? You can of course reuse the oil provided it is the right grade.
____________________
Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[stinkwheel]

You can measure them, there will be a specified minimum thickness for both types of plate, check the steel plates for flatness, check the edges of the basket for notches, check the release mechanism for smoothness of operation, if there is a push rod, check it's straight and corrosion free and measure the spring free length.

Anything out of spec needs replacing, most commonly friction plates and springs or some people would just replace them anyway.

Fot checking things are flat and straight, put them on a flat piece of glass and see if they rock about or if you can get a feeler gauge under them.

If it's all ok, clean off the plates in a solvent (petrol works) and give the metal plates a de-glaze by sticking a sheet of wet and dry paper to a sheet of glass using water and rubbing them in a side-to-side motion. Then thoroughly clean off any abrasive residue.

Usually scraping the old gasket off is the biggest bit of the job.

There is an argument for trying to keep the old oil then changing it after a few miles on new clutch plates because they tend to shed a bit of material which will then contaminate the old oil and filter. This can be thrown away with an oil change after 50-100 miles. Others may disagree. If you lean the bike far enough over to the left, you can usually get the clutch changed without losing any oil. Seen it done many times in a rally field.

In terms of sourcing plates and springs, I'd say there is a good argument for OEM parts and they can often be cheaper than pattern ones. I know this was the case last time i did the clutch on my VFR750, Honda did a complete clutch rebuild kit with all the plates, gaskets and springs included in little honda baggies for less than a set of EBC plates. Worth a look in any case.
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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.

[doggone]

Just make sure it isn't the push rod which disengages it sticking slightly due to road and chain crud.

[to v or not to v]

[to v or not to v]

[Skudd]

I accidentally put fully synthetic into the bike as a stop gap until I was to do a full oil and filter change and my clutch has decided to start slipping. I will be doing a full oil and filter change next week so hopefully it will sort the slippage out.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[stinkwheel]

I've concluded over the years that the oil type doesn't actually cause clutch slip, it just highlights a clutch that was on the verge of letting go anyway.
____________________
“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.

[sickpup]

[stinkwheel]

[sickpup]

[stinkwheel]

[Skudd]

I put fully synthetic in mine and within a week the clutch started to slip, doing a full oil and filter in a couple of days, just hope that it sorts things out as a clutch change on a GS is a bastard.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[jeffyjeff]

[Islander]

[Skudd]

It was just that the oil and the slight slipping coincided with each other. It was a strong did what I wanted clutch before this. Still doing an oil change and selling my testicles to get a new clutch. As for fitting, what a bastard of a job that's going to be. The Varadero was an hours job.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[A100man]

[Skudd]

[to v or not to v]

took the clutch plates out today. tomorrow ill measure things.
any tips for removing the old gasket from the cover. it looks to be very well stuck on.
____________________
current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
its old and fat, but its a damned good ride. the bikes not bad either.

[Islander]

Either a gasket scraper or a stanley blade and lots of patience. There are no shortcuts

[to v or not to v]

i was afraid of that
____________________
current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
its old and fat, but its a damned good ride. the bikes not bad either.

[stinkwheel]

Stanley blade seems best. A strip of duck tape along the back to save your fingers.
____________________
“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.

[Skudd]

[to v or not to v]

[Skudd]