Clutch Problem

[ChevyBoy]

Have a 1981 XS1100 Special.

I can put the bike in gear without it running, And pull the clutch handle and everything works fine, Disengage and Engage.

BUT

If I have it running the clutch will not Disengage, When I go to put it in gear it will grind the gears, Once I have it in Gear AND Running, If I let out the clutch The whole bike Vibrates Bad and Sounds Horrible inside, If I pull the clutch handle it will stop doing this BUT will Still NOT disengage.

I did a search and found How to adjust the Clutch. I have tried to adjust it several times with the same result.

Any Ideas.?

Thanks

[John]

Have you tried to put the trans in second gear, and let the clutch out? Does it do the same thing? It almost sounds like the transmission is jumping out gear. A very common problem with these bikes, but it can be remedied fairly easily.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey ChevyBoy,

Okay, is this with the NEW CABLE you were looking for??

I found your previous threads, and you stated that you had just acquired this bike, so you don't know what's been done to it with regards to the clutch???

There are 3 little ball bearings inside the clutch throwout bearing/push rod mechanism, and IF the lever isn't handled properly when the cover is removed, they can fall out, and then the throwout bearing/mechanism can get tilted and not depress the clutch evenly!

You said you found the clutch adjustment tech tip. Did you have enough slack at the handlebar before you adjusted the lever at the clutch housing? There is a tight fitting nylon piece that the throwout rod is threaded into, and so it can be difficult to sense when the rod hits the resistance of actually pushing IN the throwout bearing vs. just making contact with it, so set the proper 1/4 turn back from contact. But it still sounds like it's not quite adjusted properly!?
T.C.

[ChevyBoy]

John, YES i have put it in second gear. The excat same thing happens in Second.

Yes I have a New Barnnet cluth cable.
Yes I just bought this bike, I havent taken the the clutch apart to check the internals.

I adjusted the slack adjustment at the lever all the way in. Then aadjusted the screw at the clutch machanisim. I felt I slight Resistance then It got Really hard, BUT still had Slack at the lever. Turned it back 1/8 turn then adjust my slack at the lever.

I did notic that I had to the slack adjuster almost all the Way out for there to be a Godd amount of Slack.

The pictures explain what I am talking about.

Thanks

[psycoreefer]

did you happen to try third gear? I know when I got mine 1st and 2nd gears were both completly gone!

[ChevyBoy]

i will try third gear when i get home tonight. Thanks

[79XS11F]

Perhaps the clutch plates are warped and not fully disengaging even if the cable play is correct. How long was the bike sitting?
Rob

[ChevyBoy]

There is a possibility that the plates are wapered.

Bike was sittting for about 1 1/2 years.

If i pull the clutch cover Off is there anything that I need to watch out for? Springs, Bearings, ETC...

[ChevyBoy]

I just tested the bike out, and it does the SAME thing in ALL the GEARS.

[ChevyBoy]

I took the clutch cover Off and removed the Clutch assembly.

Everything looks ok. All 3 Bearings are in the throwout assembley.

I folowed a Tech tip and Sanded all the frictons and Steals, I cleaned everything soaked in oil and Re-assembeled.

The bike stilll does The SAME EXCAT thing. Nothing has changed.

Any Ideas

[TopCatGr58]

Wow, you've been busy!!!

Sorry "we" didn't post a reply to your last question about what to check/look for before you jumped into this, so these are a bit late!

Okay, did you ensure that you had the required thrust washers, the one between the basket and the engine, as well as the one between the clutch BOSS assembly and the inside bottom of the Clutch basket??

Along with sanding/cleaning the plates....did you lay them on plate glass to see if they were warped?

Did you happen to look at the basket ribs where the frictions are held to see if there were any burrs worn into them....being aluminum? The burrs can sometimes grab the edges of the plates and prevent them from separating properly?

I remember a post by Tod/Trbig recently with a clutch problem, a vibration he had due to oil starvation/burning of the main clutch shaft due to the placement of the wrong sized thrust washer, 1 of 2 inadvertently swapping them, which caused the larger one to block oil flow for the bearings of the basket!

Almost forgot, someone posted a similar problem, and I think it turned out that the pressure plates, the stalks had actually done some stretching, and so the entire clutch basket was out of spec, and replacing it with another basket is what fixed their problem!

T.C.

[ChevyBoy]

The washers were there and returned to there proper places. The plates were straight, And I didn't feel any large burrs.

Just to be sure which washer goes where? Because it looked like someone had been in there before me.

With the engine not running I can turn the tire with the clutch disengaged and cannot turn it with the clutch engaged.
So the clutch in working properly with the engine Not Running?!

Thanks Alot!

[79XS11F]

OK .. If the clutch is all good to go and your sure that's the case ... then you are going to have to start looking at a possible bad bearing somewhere with in the clutch or trany. This is of course unless there is something else not right like for example ... What's the idle RPM? If it's too high your going to get a shutter when you try to engage the clutch.
Rob

[TopCatGr58]

Hey ChevyBoy,

In case you didn't find it, HERE'S the thread by Trbig regarding the clutch bearing and the different washers!
T.C.

[ChevyBoy]

79XS11F- I put everyhtning back the way I took it apart. I am just hoping that this the right way.. My IDlE is at about 1000-1100 RPM.

TOPCAT- I didnt find that article Yet, Thank You for that. I will check to see if that is the case here in a bit, and Get to you.

I am going to remove the side cover Again and see if I can find Anything.

It is just So wierd that the clutch doesnt work with the Engine running, BUT does with the Engine Off.

Thanks Alot