Clutch problem? Or just paranoid? And where does this hose go?

[sultan]

'83 GS650GLD. 22K miles.
Just got the engine back together after pulling the head. I have everything back on except for the tank and mufflers. (Thanks to the GS'ers who replied to my previous posts!) I have not yet tried to start the bike. I did *not* pull the pistons off the crankshaft, just pulled the block leaving the pistons coming out of the crankcase. The bike has been sitting without oil for several weeks. I did pull the clutch cover plate, but did not touch anything in regards to the clutch itself. The clutch was working fine before doing this work.

With the cover plate off, I noticed that the "actuating arm" (#21 in the picture) was incredibly easy to push/pull. It moved about 3/8". Looking at the mechanism (gear at bottom of #25) this seemed about right as far as the length of travel. However, I know I shouldn't be able to actuate the clutch this easily. It stops firmly while both pushing and pulling on it.

I was trying to find similar threads, but didn't come up with anything conclusive:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=118009
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=118097
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=94040
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=80349

So, given that this is a wet clutch, does something happen to 'pressurize' it once the engine is turned on?

Or, does this arm have some play in it, and the clutch lever should catch it at the end of this play? (It seems that there wasn't enough room in the clutch cover or the gears to accommodate 3/8" of play, then another 3/8" of clutch movement.)

I don't think I could have broken anything by just taking off the clutch cover, could I?

---------------

Also, the only part I had left over after re-assembly was a black hose, about 2-1/2 feet long. It looks like a fuel hose. It wasn't attached to anything, just threaded through the frame in front of the rear fender. It's *not* the breather hose for the battery. Could this be a breather hose for the gas tank or something? I have no idea where this might go or what it attached to. I don't remember pulling it off of anything and don't see it mentioned in the manual.

Thanks much for all the help.

-sultan

 

[bleeble]

I can't help you with your clutch problems, but I can tell you that the hose you found is most likely the vent hose for your gas tank. All the other vent hoses that I can think of are shorter.

 

[Dogma]

If it's like the clutch on my 850, you have to make sure the gear engages the correct tooth on the pin to get correct orientation of the lever. Some trial and error is required. Being a wet clutch is all about lubrication, and is not involved in how the mechanism works. IIRC, mine had about as much loose play as you describe. Fool around with engaging different teeth until the lever free play stops approximately perpendicular to the cable (with free play going away from the cable). Where the free play stops going toward the cable is not a hard stop. That's where it engages the release plate on the clutch, and the clutch starts to work.

 

[Dogma]

Also, the only part I had left over after re-assembly was a black hose, about 2-1/2 feet long. It looks like a fuel hose. It wasn't attached to anything, just threaded through the frame in front of the rear fender. It's *not* the breather hose for the battery. Could this be a breather hose for the gas tank or something? I have no idea where this might go or what it attached to. I don't remember pulling it off of anything and don't see it mentioned in the manual.

Thanks much for all the help.

-sultan

Could be one of the float bowl breather hoses. There should be two T's, between 1+2 and 3+4, with hoses that run over the air box and down in front of the rear fender. Without these you get get freaky power fluctuations in the turbulent air behind trucks or in cross-winds. If I'm right, then you may have lost or never had a second one.

 

[sultan]

Given that I still have the gas tank completely off, I'm *hoping* that the hose is from the gas tank. Possibly #16 here: ??

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/suzuki-motorcycle-gs650gld-1983/o/m6092

It's not the breather hoses from the carbs. Those are larger in diameter, and shorter, about 8", and there are 2 of them still attached.

The hose in question is about 2/5' long, has an outside diameter of about 1/4", and an inside diameter of about 1/8".

 

[waterman]

Is it the drain hose from airbox? I have also seen multiple battery drain hoses where a previous owner has added another not noticing the existing one.

Far as clutch, install lever actuator in such a position so that the free play is eliminated by the cable. It will take a bit of force to engage clutch.

 

[Dogma]

Given that I still have the gas tank completely off, I'm *hoping* that the hose is from the gas tank. Possibly #16 here: ??

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/suzuki-motorcycle-gs650gld-1983/o/m6092

It's not the breather hoses from the carbs. Those are larger in diameter, and shorter, about 8", and there are 2 of them still attached.

The hose in question is about 2/5' long, has an outside diameter of about 1/4", and an inside diameter of about 1/8".

Hmmm. The link took me to the air box, where #16 is a screw. #6 was the drain hose, which would be the other hose that should go in front of the rear fender. The diameter you describe seems right for that drain, though more than 2' seems long. But I can only visualize this on my 850. It's probably hard to compare across models. For example, 8" seems very short for carb vent lines, and would never reach over my air box. Do yours terminate under the tank somewhere, or under the seat?

 

[sultan]

If it's like the clutch on my 850, you have to make sure the gear engages the correct tooth on the pin to get correct orientation of the lever. Some trial and error is required. Being a wet clutch is all about lubrication, and is not involved in how the mechanism works. IIRC, mine had about as much loose play as you describe. Fool around with engaging different teeth until the lever free play stops approximately perpendicular to the cable (with free play going away from the cable). Where the free play stops going toward the cable is not a hard stop. That's where it engages the release plate on the clutch, and the clutch starts to work.

Dogma, so what you're saying is that the clutch lever should catch at the *end* of the free play? That there's enough room for both the free play and clutch travel on the gears and between the end of actuating arm and the inside of the clutch cover?

To clarify, in this picture:
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/suzuki-motorcycle-gs650gld-1983/o/m6092
I turn #25 counterclockwise until it reaches the end of easy free-play travel, then connect the clutch lever arm so that there is a 90 degree angle between the clutch cable and the end of the arm while the clutch is released? And at that point when the clutch is pulled, is turns the start gear further counter-clockwise, engaging the clutch?

This would make sense. I just didn't want to damage anything.

Thank you.

 

[sultan]

Hmmm. The link took me to the air box, where #16 is a screw. #6 was the drain hose, which would be the other hose that should go in front of the rear fender. The diameter you describe seems right for that drain, though more than 2' seems long. But I can only visualize this on my 850. It's probably hard to compare across models. For example, 8" seems very short for carb vent lines, and would never reach over my air box. Do yours terminate under the tank somewhere, or under the seat?

Sorry for the bad link. This is a link directly to the pictures
with the correct numbers:
http://www.bikebandit.com/assets/schematics/Suzuki/SU0097_035.gif

There are 2 hoses on the air box, one on top and one on bottom, #6 & #7 here:
http://www.bikebandit.com/assets/schematics/Suzuki/SU0097_013.gif
#7 goes to the top of the camshaft housing, and I think #6 is a drain hose.

There are 2 vent hoses coming out between the carbs, #72 here, that just sit below the airbox, and are relatively short.:
http://www.bikebandit.com/assets/schematics/Suzuki/SU0097_012.gif

The hose in question is none of these, thus I'm hoping that it's #16 from the first link.

 

[Dogma]

The hose in question is none of these, thus I'm hoping that it's #16 from the first link.

You could be right. That jives with the length you described, and the diameters would be about right for the nipple on my tank. But I don't have that hose at all. I never had one, and I never figured out what it was supposed to accomplish. That must be why I forgot about it.

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

The internal clutch gear MUST be aligned properly or NO amount of adjustment will make it work properly. The hose is for the fuel gauge cover