| Author | Message | ||
     Ratgin |
Confused and need some advise. My clutch lever now doesnt engage until close to the bar, It was always engaging about 1/2 way threw the stroke but now its only engaging in the last 1/2 or so. Impossible to find neutral when cold. Very hard to shift when cold. Once warm its fine except for the stroke being all messed up, Couldnt see any Dot4 in the window however when i took top apart its very full So it doesnt look like i have the clutch leak. Going to take it in to the shop but as far as they are concerned its working normally. Wth is going on? why do i have no engagement until near the very end of the stroke? Can it be adjusted? Im not a fast of having to start in gear and even with clutch pulled its moves when engaging the starter. | ||
| Jdugger |
Air in the line? Pop the slave cyl cover puck and actuate the lever... do you see the piston move? | ||
| Two_seasons |
Drain some of that fluid out. Too much DOT4 is a bad thing on these bikes. If you are starting in gear, bike at operating temp, and you still roll forward when starting, you clutch is dragging. Make sure your reservoir isn't full. As your clutch wears, the DOT4 brake fluid needs room to expand. You said it was "very full", so remove some to get it back down to the middle of the reservoir sight glass. If it's overfull, according to the service manual, it can "damage seals causing damage to clutch or clutch system" | ||
| Cycledoc59 |
Yes; as Two-seasons said. Hydraulic clutch fluid migrates in the reverse of brake fluid. As brake pads wear, fluid level in the master cylinder drops. As clutch discs wear, the master cylinder fluid level rises, and can cause the clutch to be inoperative as air space is lost.... | ||
| Jdugger |
... but in this case, he says the clutch won't disengage correctly. Too much fluid would cause slipping if I follow your logic... | ||
| Two_seasons |
Jdugger, Cycledoc59 has it right. Too much DOT4 in the reservoir will make the clutch drag. This is verbatim from the 1125r service manual. When there is no room to expand, the DOT4 fluid keeps the clutch engaged somewhat. Remove some of that fluid in the reservoir! | ||
| Ratgin |
Ok called Service manager and told him your thoughts, he agrees sounds correct so they will look into it on saturday. wonder if the clutch is fried. Lever has no pressure at all which concerns me. | ||
| Nuts4mc |
I know you're up north in that maple leaf "state" - but you may want to pay for the parts to fix the problem with this: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/649095.html?1314458224 foot ball season is here ...hockey can't be far behind! good luck eh? | ||
| Jdugger |
> Lever has no pressure at all which concerns me. Again making me highly suspicious of the "too full" diagnosis as the single issue. | ||
| Ratgin |
Only thing/way to further explain is when bike is cold-- shift lever is VERY stiff. not hard to find like neutral but almost impossible to shift while not moving. Think gas station 1 block away after start up. Neutral has always been a pita on the bike but when cold there is now NO neutral. Once warm bike shifts fine neutral reappears even though its still a pita to find, Just has the full range of clutch lever before clutch engages. Had bike rev up and down like the clutch was slipping while riding at 50 mph on a cool morning. Happened only once and then sorta made a clunk sound (made me pull over) but nothing seemed outta sorts. Shifted with clutch from 1-2 and tranny made a grinding sound (i had finished the shift) and then clunk it dropped into gear. Fluid is topped off full (ive never added any nor has dealer). Bike has 7200kms..(4500 miles) (Message edited by ratgin on September 07, 2011) | ||
| Jdugger |
Now that makes more sense. If it were too full on fluid and once it got hot it started disengaging the clutch (which would promote slipping in higher gears/throttle), I'd buy that in a heartbeat. Doesn't explain why N is so hard to find though... Usually, N is easier to find when the clutch is very thoroughly disengaged. | ||
| Cycledoc59 |
Well, I was wrong earlier; the 1125 clutch is not pushrod-operated, like Jap clutches, but is direct action. (I've been in a lot of those but never into my 1125!) So, as the clutch plates wear, the fluid level will drop... There is a tiny bleed orifice in the master cylinder, that can get plugged, so the hydraulics won't work, and they won't work if there's zero air space in the reservoir, or air entrained in the fluid. So far as shifting goes, the bike should shift just fine without the clutch while riding. I don't use the clutch much above 3rd gear. But if the bike creeps, won't go into neutral/etc, that's failure of the clutch discs to release. | ||
| Two_seasons |
"So, as the clutch plates wear, the fluid level will drop..." The 1125r Service Manual says that "as the clutch plates wear, the DOT4 level increases in the reservoir". Ratgin: Why don't you remove some of the DOT4 in the reservoir and see if that helps before you take it in? | ||
| Cycledoc59 |
Humm...so I got it right the first time?... I'll have to go in sometime and take a look, I suppose. With the slave on the right, at the clutch pressure plate side, I'm lost as to how wear could cause fluid rise. From the service manual photos and parts drawing, it certainly appears plate wear would cause fluid drop...Jap sport bikes use a push rod from the left, or basket side, and do cause fluid rise as the plates wear.. Clutch master reservoirs are often so small that there is not much difference between too much and too little fluid. | ||
| Ratgin |
Ratgin: Why don't you remove some of the DOT4 in the reservoir and see if that helps before you take it in? They have asked me not too. They returned it to me with no lever pressure as "working normally" checked by two techs. | ||
| Zane_t |
Partially blown clutch syndrome. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Cycledoc59 - "I'm lost as to how wear could cause fluid rise" IDK, it seems like the pressure plate spring and piston move away from the worn and now smaller clutch pack. The pressure plate accommodates some disc wear with an additional range of movement. That extra range of movement is what pushes the fluid back. | ||
| Ratgin |
Partially blown clutch syndrome. Wish i could find out for shure one way or another. The part im worried about is the complete lack of pressure on the lever. Warranty is gone this month however i have record of it being in for service for a clutch issue. | ||
| Jdugger |
> The part im worried about is the complete lack of pressure on the lever. And to me, I keep going back to air, or bad seals in the slave, or a toasted MC. When you pull the lever, does the piston in the slave move? I guess it's also conceivable that the spherical nut or one or the pressure plate pull assembly has loosened and the hydraulic portion of the system is fine and it's mechanical connection to the clutch is causing the issue. | ||
| Ratgin |
Jdugger LOL i can add air to my tires but i dont mess with hydraulic systems. Minor changes like fairings, ecm and exhaust is my limit at present. | ||
| Banana_man |
A recent problem happened to my clutch where the bike would slow down as if the back brake was sticking on. there was that howling sound too!! after happening to me 4 time on a morning ride I had to find out what the problem was.. Turns out the nut that holds the clutch basket onto the shaft had worked loose. the howling sound was the clutch spring bolts grinding on the clutch cover as the hole clutch moved out when the lever was released. all done now though. One thing to consider when looking at your problem |
