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Sticking Clutch 1979 GS550

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    #1

    Sticking Clutch 1979 GS550

    Hello everyone.

    I'm trying to resurrect a 1979 GS550 with little experience. Its been off the road for 5 years. I've got the engine running, freed the brakes up, but the clutch is sticking.

    It does this thing where the clutch sticks. When you pull the clutch lever it moves but gets stuck. The cable, and the mechanism that pushes the clutch work fine. I've taken it apart and replaced the friction plates. They do seem a little tight at point entry of the clutch basket, but inside the basket they seem to move fine.

    I've uploaded a video here:

    https://youtu.be/vzK9xIOubQk
    1979 GS550
    Tags: None
    #2
    Had this problem with mine when it got hot. Ended up not being the plates but was the mechanism that pushes the clutch rod in. It would...hang. lubed the mechanism at tye lube point on the left side of the bike and it fixed itself. I also took apart the clutch at one point trying to figure this out but it didn't seem to make any difference.
    Last edited by Guest; 03-02-2018, 08:22 PM.

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      #3
      Have you pulled the push rod out and looked to see if it's bent? It may be hanging up on the oil seal.
      GSRick
      No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.

      Eric Bang RIP 9/5/2018
      Have some bikes ready for us when we meet up.

      Comment

        #4
        Originally posted by gsrick View Post
        Have you pulled the push rod out and looked to see if it's bent? It may be hanging up on the oil seal.
        The clutch rod isn't obviously bent, as I've had it out. I will check again against a ruler or something. I think the mechanism that pushes the rod is fine. It was completely seized, but I took it into the local garage, and they freed it up.
        1979 GS550

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          #5
          So i got hold of a new (old) clutch basket and that doesn't seem to have made any difference. I'm thinking the problem might be in the orifice where the the clutch rod (which isn't bent) slides. Is there a good way of cleaning that out? Everything else on the bike was fairly gummed up, so I imagine that will be as well...

          Having said that when i push the clutch rod, and push back against the clutch basket with springs off, there doesn't seem to be any resistance...
          1979 GS550

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            #6
            Are you sure you're fitting the worm drive correctly? Last time I had mine apart, I refitted it 180 degrees out, and there wasn't sufficient movement to extend the pushrod fully. Confused me for a bit, and I was convinced I had a damaged clutch.
            1980 GS550ET

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              #7
              I think the problem is to do with the clutch rod. I removed the clutch rod, which was a two part arrangement. I have access to a younger GS550 engine (my brother in law has a spare), and its clutch rod was a one piece arrangement. I've attached a photoIMG-20180308-WA0004.jpg
              This shows the clutch rod that came out of the 79 on top, and the rod form the younger model below. Apparently they did make changes to the clutch rod during the years. Does anyone know what type I should be using.

              I've put the one piece clutch in and the clutch does spring back now, but doesn't disengage the transmission.
              1979 GS550

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                #8
                Not sure. The one piece arragement looks like my '79 part.

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