Clutch springs, and pressure plate torque specs

[patk12345]

Hello folks,
First post, so do be patient with me.
Rebuilding my clutch basket, my friction plates had glazed.
Everything is going well, until I come to install the clutch pressure "star" plate, 6 bolts to hold plate, and springs in place. Clymer manual suggest 7.5 lb/ft of torque on each bolt. Had to go to 10, as my torque wrench didn't go any lower. Even with the extra 2.5lb/ft of torque, spring bolts were too far out.
Unfortunately this was not realized until side case was back on, and to my horror, split in half as case screws were tightened. Besides feeling really stupid, and shelling out $35 for a new side cover, my question is this. How do you determine proper bolt depth/ spring tension? 7.5lb/ft isn't cutting it?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Pat

[cywelchjr]

I can't think of any way that the torque on the star plate bolts could in any way break the clutch cover. That would require the clutch cover to be misaligned with the pins not in the holes or something in the way when putting it on. Any problems with the star plate bolts is going to break the star plate, not the clutch cover. For that matter, it would take a lot of force AFAIK to break the clutch cover. Or are you talking about the star plate? That can be broken by nothing more than not tightening the bolts evenly enough while putting it back in or by having the clutch springs out of place. This I know because I have broken both the start plate and the pressure plate it bolts to.

[bikerphil]

Make sure your clutch basket is all the way on the shaft. Sometimes the gear that drives the oil pump will be misaligned with the gear teeth on the clutch basket, keeping the basket going on the shaft all the way.

[cywelchjr]

Make sure your clutch basket is all the way on the shaft. Sometimes the gear that drives the oil pump will be misaligned with the gear teeth on the clutch basket, keeping the basket going on the shaft all the way.

Although generally if that happens doesn't it break when you torque the big nut on there?

[patk12345]

@Cy, unfortunately, it was indeed the engine side cover that split down the middle. I was shocked myself. Its amazing what a dozen allen screws can do. The outline of the sping bolt heads were clearly visible on the back side of the case.
@phil, I'll definitely check the alignment, but Cy's point about the big bolt raises some doubts, as the big bolt went on smoothly, to the full 50lb/ft of torque.

[DGXSER]

The star plate bolts will not cause the basket to sit out as that bolt you tighten to 51 ft-lbs pulls it in. Those bolts will tighten up until the star plate seats against the "columns" on the inner pressure plate and then torque up.

I'm agreeing with Phil, look at the basket install. And no Cy, it will not break the pressure plate if you tighten that bolt with the basket not fully seated, well it does nto do it 100% of the time, DAMHIKIJK.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Pat,

Do you have a manual?? Find Catatonic Bug and download one from his links in his signature or profile.

Check out the tech tips about the extra friction plate, or the Dremmel Tranny fix, lots of photos and info about putting the clutch basket and star plate back on safely and properly.

The star plate bolts can be tightened by HAND using an extension, but NO RATCHET. They turn failry easily until the star plate meshes with the mounting posts of the pressure plate that they are screwing into. BUT if the star plate is not aligned properly, usually the star plate points gets broken.
You'll want to get a low range ie. Inch Pound torque wrench for this and other small bolts on the XS11...ie. the cam bearing cap nuts and such.

IF the star plate bolts caused the cover case to break, then they were NOT turned in all the way until they bottomed out with the pressure plate!!! Your big torque wrench wasn't sensitive enough, and even though you were possibly getting what you thought was 10 lbs of torque resistance, it apparently wasn't, and so the bolt were not screwed in far enough, and they pressed on your case cover!!!

T.C.

[bikerphil]

Yep, what T.C. said, . I usually use a 1/4 inch drive to tighten those 6 bolts, keeping an eye that the springs are centered. Make sure you have the 3 ball bearing shaft in the right position.

[Suckerpunch]

This is all Greek to me!

I wish I was a gear head

[patk12345]

@TC and all the others who have posted on this thread.

I do have the Clymer manual, but of course it's the old "installation is opposite of removal" B.S., which as I have already demonstrated, is not entirely accurate.
I have secured an inch/ft torque wrench for my second attempt.
From what you all have said, I believe the problem was that I did not bottom out the spring bolts. I was under the impression that doing so would restrict the travel of the star plate.
I'm going to check out catatonic bug's posts, and see if I can't find some more detailed instructions.

Thanks for all the help!

[bikerphil]

More clutch info in this thread....

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=74665#post74665

[Incubus]

I broke a clutch cover once, just like you did. It wasn't on an XS - it was a Honda 750 - but the principals with the clutch and the cover are the same on both bikes.

You probably do not have the clutch basket seated correctly on the shaft. It is sticking out and the clutch cover is contacting it instead of just covering it. The impressions are from the clutch springs bolts, but that's only because they are the part that sticks out farthest.

Start over. Pull the clutch basket and put it on again. You can be 90 or 270 degrees off and it will not go down all the way. Make sure the teeth along the base of the clutch basket are meshing with the teeth of the other gears and there is only the slimmest gap between the basket and the case.

When mine went it sounded like a shotgun. Shocked the hell outta me.

BTW, torque spec on those spring bolts is 5-7 pounds. Do not exceed that. You are screwing steel into aluminum and will strip them out real fast if you over torque. Then you haver aother problem. Get them snug and then just a little more oomph. Do not worry about them rattling loose. Your clutch springs will act as very effective lock washers.

Patrick

[WMarshy]

I agree with Incubus's theory, they entire clutch backet isnt fully seated on the shaft. When I did my clutch, I almost did the same thing as you but my brother was there to question me and I discovered it wasnt on all the way. The clutch assembly will protrude out about 3/8-5/8 inches more than it should if its not seated correctly... GL