Clutch Cover Fitment

[pontiacstogo]

I purchased a clean, used replacement clutch cover for my 82 GS1000SZ as the one that was on there was beyond restoration.

It arrived bare without the clutch actuating rod, so I managed to drive out the old shaft and install it into the new cover.

I fitted the two dowels in the cases, and installed a new gasket. I expected to just be able to slip the cover on and have it seat flush with the cases, but that wasn't what happened. It felt like it was bottoming out on the center rod from the clutch i.e. there was a gap between the cover and cases on one side or the other (depending on where I pushed).

I removed the cover and measured it sixty ways to Sunday and it seems to be identical to the one I'm replacing.

Eventually, I threaded in the bolts and gradually snugged the cover up to the cases by tightening in an opposite sequence. Everything seems to be fine - I refitted the clutch lever on the spline and was able to rotate it with a pipe extension i.e. the clutch operation feels normal (can't tell for sure because the engine is out of the bike).

Is this OK or is there something not right?

[Big T]

Sounds ok

The teeth on the clutch rods just had to meash

[Guest]

The gears on the shaft coming out of the basket should face left. Turn the gear in the cover into the gear on the basket. This should pull the cover towards the engine. You can always take off the clutch cable lever and put it on the right teeth on the splines.

[pontiacstogo]

Yep - I had no trouble meshing the gears and I had the clutch arm off the splines while I was fitting the cover.

My problem started when the mating surfaces were about 2mm apart from each other. If I tapped one side flush with a rubber mallet the other side would open up to around 4mm and vica versa.

It really seemed as if the rod coming out of the basket was 'bottoming' on the inside of the cover. I could slip the old cover on and it would mate up flush to the cases with no problem - but of course it had the clutch arm shaft out of it at that point.

I hope everything's OK

[Guest]

That's not right. The clutch cover should sit flush with the engine case after the gears have meshed. How is the clutch actuator going to pull the clutch out to seperate the plates if the pull out gear is bottoming out before you even work the clutch cable?
Check where the pull out rod has the same depth to enter each cover. Sounds like you got the wrong cover.

[pontiacstogo]

Just got back in from taking another look at it (cause it was bugging the hell out of me).

I've worked out that it's not the clutch rod bottoming out. Instead, it's binding at the front of the cover. It's not much, but it's enough to try and push the cover rearwards such that it doesn't want to go on the dowels cleanly. I found this out by removing both dowels, then fitting the cover up - it fitted flush with no problems.

I'm going to try removing a bit of material at the front of the cover tomorrow to see if I can correct it.

[pontiacstogo]

OK - an update....

I somehow have the wrong clutch cover. After starting the bike, I noticed a small oil drip at the front of the clutch cover that would run down the cases and drip off the bottom. Only after the bike was running but it had to be fixed. So off with the exhaust, drain the brand new oil and remove the cover.



Here's the gasket on the original Katana cover;



Here's the gasket on the replacement cover;



Notice that the gasket does not even cover the leading edge of the cover. It's not like a different gasket or sealer is going to fix this problem either as the two mating surfaces (cases and cover) don't line up. I was told this cover was from a GSX1100S but I don't know that for sure.

Either way, I need to find a clutch cover for a GS1000SZ.