clutch issues

[valhallan]

ok, i was reading in another forum, researching a slipping clutch. i've read the tech tips and thought i would try adding the shim washers as described. this is on an 81 xs400sh (i only own yammies!). i am NOT a candidate for mechanic of the year, but given picture of what its supposed to look like, i can generally figure things out. my question it, there are 2 springs listed on the parts page of the yamaha motors web site. one is a compression spring, (#8 in the diagram) and the other is a tension spring (#25 in the diagram) and seems to be connecting to the actual clutch cable. i am ASSuming the second one is the one that gets the shims. does anyone have a better picture of this? or (wildest dreams come true) a picture of the before and after of a shimming job? i want to re-paint and give this bike to my wife in the spring when my 11 is finished, so i'd like to get it as close to perfect as i can before that.

other factors: there is zero free play at the clutch lever, you THINK hard about the clutch and it starts to actuate/release/function (whatever the correct word is). i also just changed the oil from what looked it was probably 10w-30 to a synthetic "proper" motorcycle oil.

[Geezer]

I wouldn't shim clutch springs. There is too big of a chance of jamming things up. Japanese bikes have a post up the center of the spring to stop the bolt. A washer under the bolt won't do anything and a shim at the bottom of the hole will likely catch on the post that goes through the spring.

For a cheap way to stop clutch slipping disassemble the clutch and wash all the parts in solvent. Lightly sandblast the steel plates. Lightly scuff the friction plates with a scotch bright pad. Wash all the clutch plates in soap and water in the kitchen sink and dry them. Oil the plates then reassemble with new springs. Aftermarket heavy duty springs will add a little life to the clutch

Geezer

[valhallan]

HMMM

would you recommend a similiar treatment as a maintenance issue on the bike i'm restoring? i'll be taking the cover off anyway to "buff the hell out of it, to not just get rid of the grime and corrosion but (dare i dream) try to get a shine. as long as its open should i go ahead and clean and re-oil "just in case"? or is it better to leave well enough alone? i've only ridden it one time, for maybe 20 minutes before starting the overhaul, so i can't say as the clutch slips or not really. i will be replacing the clutch cable, as it is seized up, and probably the clutch grip handle also.

[valhallan]

also

i think i'll use the basement sink... can just see my wife's reaction to a clutch in her kitchen sink.



you might be a redneck if...

you've ever heard yer wife holler, "git in here and move this transmission so i can take a bath!"

[Geezer]

I would. Taking the cover off is half the job and why buy a new gasket twice.

I was only married a month when I used the home oven to bake paint on the header pipe of my 250 Ducati. She almost left me on the spot. Now that I look back, it's too bad she didn't.

Anyway her argument was that "we cook food in that oven" and after that she said she wouldn't. My comment was I baked paint on in that oven many times before I met you and I'm still alive...

There isn't a woman worth having that will put up with me...

Geezer

[don07tncav]

Geezer, you could have bought her some nasty old stove and given her a choice of which one to cook in!!

[bandet01]

i would just replace the clutch and put in heavy duty springs and you will be ready to go

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Valhallan,

With a "frozen" cable, it can cause a slipping clutch symptom cause it won't release quickly or even adequately, so the clutch may NOT be slipping due to wear, but more due to the cable not releasing, as well as the proper slack adjustments being done both at the engine case as well as at the handlebar!

With an old engine, the springs are compressed for such a long time, they often loose their strength. Having a micrometer or caliper would help you to verify that the friction plates are not worn too thin, so if they are in spec, then cleaning as has been mentioned, and new springs can do a lot to bring new life and grip to your old clutch!

A different approach to shimming with washers is to get an extra steel plate and put it in the middle of the cluster, much safer than washers, you have to take the basket apart anyways, just out the cost of the new steel!
T.C.

[prometheus578]

Geezer wrote:

There isn't a woman worth having that will put up with me...

Or, as in my case: A woman that would put up with me isn't worth havin'

[Geezer]

Ha, she didn't cook then and probably still doesn't now. I did all the cooking.

Geezer

Originally posted by don07tncav
Geezer, you could have bought her some nasty old stove and given her a choice of which one to cook in!!

[Geezer]

I feel your pain.

Geezer

Originally posted by prometheus578
Geezer wrote:

Or, as in my case: A woman that would put up with me isn't worth havin'

[bandet01]

like top cat 58 said the cable might be frozen so you might want to replace it to just to be on the safe side

[Geezer]

If the cable is stuck, often it can be freed up. Take the cable off, put an ounce or 2 of ATF in a plastice baggie and tie the open end of the bag over one end of the cable. Hang the cable up so the oil in the bag can drain down through the cable.

This will be a bit messy so put a bucket under it.

I once had a cable that was so stuck that even over night, no oil would go through it. I figgured I had nothing to loose so I spun the cable with a hand drill. After about a minute of this all sorts of dirt started washing out of the cable. As I recall I got years of use out of that cable.

YMMV

Geezer

[chevy45412001]

cable

i have found it cheaper and easier just to replace a cable that is frozen or weak. search around they can be had for roughly12-20 bucks,no muss no fuss.