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Springs: I just did the clutch job on my GS1100GL last night, and measured free length of the old vs. new clutch springs using a dial caliper. Old springs were 1.540". New springs were 1.624". That's .084" in free length! A note about springs: I know that some have shimmed their springs to regain spring pressure, but I don't think that is a good idea; the old springs have lost spring rate and length over time, and shimming only compensates for length. The springs are cheap. Buy them.
Discs: My clutch discs are in spec for thickness, albeit at the bottom of spec (.015", with spec being .014-.020",) so the springs alone likely would have resolved my slipping problem. But I LOATHE rework, so I bought all new discs. I will save the original discs for possible future need.
Plates (steels): Slipping, however, was not the only problem I had; the clutch was grabbing enough to tug the bike forward in gear with the clutch disengaged, but not so much that I couldn't easily restrain the bike with my feet. When I removed the clutch three weeks ago to inspect it in order to order new parts, I found uneven discoloration on three of the plates. Uneven discoloration means the possibility of distortion. Right or wrong, I associated the discoloration with the grabbing, and replaced the plates with all new.
"The Piano Wire" (Scary bedtime story number 1): If you are taking off the innermost plate, SPEND THE $4 AND BUY THIS THING. I did not know that it was a one-use part, so I didn't buy it. Not only do the bent legs at the ends of the wire deform when removed from the drum, but also the whole length of the wire gets kinked a little when it is removed from the teeth in the drum. And for those who haven't been that far into a clutch job before, I will say that there is a spring washer behind that innermost plate which must be compressed in order for the wire to fit. I would be keen to see the tool Suzuki used to install this wire at the factory. Not having a special tool, I carefully and conservatively used a pair of welder's Vise Grips (big C jaw) to compress the spring washer just enough to press the wire into a few teeth, then repositioned the drum and pressed the wire into a few more teeth. Once I got all the way around, I found that the wire needed to be clocked a bit in order for the second bent leg to fit into the hole. So the wire came off and I started the process again. Having done this once, I could probably make a fresh attempt with a new wire in less than half an hour, but the whole process of discovery took about two hours from start to finish--FOR THE WIRE ALONE.
Cover and pinion gear (Scary bedtime story number 2): With the clutch assembled and torqued, I reinstalled the cover with a new OEM gasket. I spun down all the bolts, then snugged them, then tightened them. When I went to reinstall the actuator arm, I found that the pinion shaft no longer moved effortlessly through is freeplay. I could easily push the arm through its range of play with only my index finger, but it was restrained. So I called my local GS whisperer and asked what gives. He had never heard of such a problem. I removed the cover and laid it on the flattest surface I have, which is a milled top for a table saw. I found no lack of flatness to be concerned about, reading .008" as the worst possible scenario. I inspected both mating surfaces and dowel holes for debris or any matter that could cause a bind, but found nothing. I put the cover back on and went around the bolts very gradually tightening each one and checking for movement on the pinion shaft before moving to the next. The shaft moved smoothly. The last two were the top two bolts on either side of the pinion shaft. When I gave those their last tighten, it was only then that the shaft's movement became tight. Having investigated and eliminated every other possible cause for the shaft to be difficult to turn, I decided to send it. I tightened those bolts and installed the actuator arm in the correct orientation. After running the engine and cycling the clutch a few times, I found the arm's movement to be more free. Time for a shrug...
So, I have a working, not slipping, not Bidenishly grabbing at an inopportune time clutch and am ready to take a ride and find the next failure that puts the bike back on the center stand while I wait two weeks for parts to come in...
Discs: My clutch discs are in spec for thickness, albeit at the bottom of spec (.015", with spec being .014-.020",) so the springs alone likely would have resolved my slipping problem. But I LOATHE rework, so I bought all new discs. I will save the original discs for possible future need.
Plates (steels): Slipping, however, was not the only problem I had; the clutch was grabbing enough to tug the bike forward in gear with the clutch disengaged, but not so much that I couldn't easily restrain the bike with my feet. When I removed the clutch three weeks ago to inspect it in order to order new parts, I found uneven discoloration on three of the plates. Uneven discoloration means the possibility of distortion. Right or wrong, I associated the discoloration with the grabbing, and replaced the plates with all new.
"The Piano Wire" (Scary bedtime story number 1): If you are taking off the innermost plate, SPEND THE $4 AND BUY THIS THING. I did not know that it was a one-use part, so I didn't buy it. Not only do the bent legs at the ends of the wire deform when removed from the drum, but also the whole length of the wire gets kinked a little when it is removed from the teeth in the drum. And for those who haven't been that far into a clutch job before, I will say that there is a spring washer behind that innermost plate which must be compressed in order for the wire to fit. I would be keen to see the tool Suzuki used to install this wire at the factory. Not having a special tool, I carefully and conservatively used a pair of welder's Vise Grips (big C jaw) to compress the spring washer just enough to press the wire into a few teeth, then repositioned the drum and pressed the wire into a few more teeth. Once I got all the way around, I found that the wire needed to be clocked a bit in order for the second bent leg to fit into the hole. So the wire came off and I started the process again. Having done this once, I could probably make a fresh attempt with a new wire in less than half an hour, but the whole process of discovery took about two hours from start to finish--FOR THE WIRE ALONE.
Cover and pinion gear (Scary bedtime story number 2): With the clutch assembled and torqued, I reinstalled the cover with a new OEM gasket. I spun down all the bolts, then snugged them, then tightened them. When I went to reinstall the actuator arm, I found that the pinion shaft no longer moved effortlessly through is freeplay. I could easily push the arm through its range of play with only my index finger, but it was restrained. So I called my local GS whisperer and asked what gives. He had never heard of such a problem. I removed the cover and laid it on the flattest surface I have, which is a milled top for a table saw. I found no lack of flatness to be concerned about, reading .008" as the worst possible scenario. I inspected both mating surfaces and dowel holes for debris or any matter that could cause a bind, but found nothing. I put the cover back on and went around the bolts very gradually tightening each one and checking for movement on the pinion shaft before moving to the next. The shaft moved smoothly. The last two were the top two bolts on either side of the pinion shaft. When I gave those their last tighten, it was only then that the shaft's movement became tight. Having investigated and eliminated every other possible cause for the shaft to be difficult to turn, I decided to send it. I tightened those bolts and installed the actuator arm in the correct orientation. After running the engine and cycling the clutch a few times, I found the arm's movement to be more free. Time for a shrug...
So, I have a working, not slipping, not Bidenishly grabbing at an inopportune time clutch and am ready to take a ride and find the next failure that puts the bike back on the center stand while I wait two weeks for parts to come in...
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