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Clutch Swell? Anyone?

  • Thread starter Thread starter shinzon1
  • Start date Start date
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shinzon1

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Anyone had any issues with clutch swell once the bike gets good and warm?
 
shinzon1 said:
Anyone had any issues with clutch swell once the bike gets good and warm?
Click to expand...

My old 550T clutch seemed to and I never could find anything wrong with it. It didn't effect the engagement point per say but the shifting got notchy and neutral was hard to find.
 
Happened to me in extended stop-n-go traffic in Las Vegas and L.A.
 
my engagement point changes drastically! i can set the freeplay with it cold. drive for 30 min. to an hour pull the clutch in and it wont disengage. its like i have to have two different adjustments. one cold then one hot. it is directly related to how hot the engine is. any ideas?
 
is this a possible symptom of an old clutch that needs to be replaced? the bike has 25,000 miles on it. it sat for for a little over a year before i bought it. ive known the PO for several years. they said they hadnt had any problems with it for the ten years they owned it.
 
Have you checked your cable over real well? Cable stretch would cause much the same symptoms. Have you changed the oil for fresh oil? If you have old oil of unknown value it can also cause the problems you've described.
 
replaced the cable a month after getting the bike. genuine suzuki cable. made it easier to pull the handle but did not change the clutch swell. i run royal purple synthetic motorcycle 10w-40 oil in the bike. i checked around to see if anyone else has had any problems with oil, but everyone who runs it has never had any problems with it.
 
Maybe the clutch in your bike has been really abused. Mine still has the original clutch, clutch springs and pressure plate at 90k miles and the only time I've had problems like you describe was in real hot weather with a lot of "pause-n-go" or stop-n-go in traffic. I would be inclined to open it up and inspect the clutch basket to see what's happening in there since it won't adjust out.
 
i've had it open and there isn't any marks or grooves from the fiber plates or the steels. come to think about it. even when its cold when u pull the clutch lever in a few times every time u pull it in it feels softer and softer each time. u think i should just replace the fiber and steels and springs and see what happens?
 
I wouldn't want to be the one to steer you wrong, but from the sound of it, the pressure plate and springs might be your problem. You may just need a new set of springs and not the rest.
 
I had a brand new set of fibre plates that caused the same problems. They were a no-name set i got cheap off ebay. Sometimes, cheap is cheap...
 
shinzon1 said:
how can i see if i need a new pressure plate?
Click to expand...

kingofvenus said:
I had a brand new set of fibre plates that caused the same problems. They were a no-name set i got cheap off ebay. Sometimes, cheap is cheap...
Click to expand...
The pressure plate is mainly the spring pressure, if it doesn't relieve the pressure on the clutchplates when you pull in the clutch lever it could be bad.
kingofvenus has a point, but I suppose the original fibre plates could have deteriorated over the years to cause the problems he had with the cheap plates too.

Most of the clutch problems I've ever had have been to due worn fibre causing slippage, but it's possible that prior owners put the wrong lubricant in the crankcase the fibre plates could have been damaged in a manner that would cause swelling of the fibres. I'm guessing at things here as possibilities, things to check out. It would still require pulling the clutch basket. Has the clutch basket ever been pulled, and maybe re-installed with the plates mixed up and out of order in the installation process?
 
i had to remove the cover and basket a few months ago to replace the shift shaft seal. i noticed some gasket sealant on the gasket but didnt think much of it. i suppose someone could have put a differant clutch in it. i know i put it back together correctly. put it together the same way i took it apart and was looking at the manual as i was doing it just to make sure. the bolts holding the springs on also looked a little rounded on the edges like they had been taken off before. as far as the pressure plate goes isnt it just a hunk of aluminum. y would u replace it unless it was out of round or scratched on the surface where fiber touches?
 
it is pretty high but i work at a napa auto parts so i do get a pretty good discount but its still high. i just like running synthetics in my vehicles royal purple paticularly.
 
i had to remove the cover and basket a few months ago to replace the shift shaft seal. i noticed some gasket sealant on the gasket but didnt think much of it. i suppose someone could have put a differant clutch in it. i know i put it back together correctly. put it together the same way i took it apart and was looking at the manual as i was doing it just to make sure. the bolts holding the springs on also looked a little rounded on the edges like they had been taken off before. as far as the pressure plate goes isnt it just a hunk of aluminum. y would u replace it unless it was out of round or scratched on the surface where fiber touches?
 
I used to experience clutch swelling problems with Barnett plates and springs. I read an article back in the early 80's that suggested using stock plates with aftermarket heavy duty springs. I tried it and it worked perfectly.

Stock clutch plates (fiber and metal plates) and pressure plate. Aftermarket springs ( I used Barnett springs). Regularly check for proper cable free-play.
 
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