Uh oh....transmission?

[emcdonel]

Hello, all!

I have a 1982 GS850GLZ with 16,000 miles on it. I noticed that when I'm cruising down the interstate and twist the throttle HARD to speed up really fast, the bike seems to slip partially out of gear about 50% of the time. Not completely out of gear mind you - there is still some accelleration (not as if the bike went into neutral).

Does this mean my transmission is all of a sudden shot?

-Erik

 

[KGB]

No
probably time to replace the clutch or make adjustments on the clutch cable.
how far out do you need to release the clutch before it starts to engage?

I'd start with the cable adjustment first.

 

[emcdonel]

Well, I'd say the clutch must be let out about 3/4 of the way to completely engage.

-Erik

 

[duaneage]

Could be weak springs or even a broken spring in the clutch. Any rattles when cruising?

 

[Dink]

Far more likely a clutch issue than transmission.
Dink

 

[emcdonel]

I'm not much of a mechanic, but I have a manual. Is this a hard job?


-Erik

 

[daverx1]

Replacing the clutch on an 850 is EZ. If you dont need the steel plates, it will cost you $100. Totall job shouldnt take you more than 2Hr

 

[emcdonel]

What about a used Ebay clutch?

 

[JayH]

Putting someone elses used eBay junk clutch parts in your motor isn't going to help. Try adjusting the clutch like is shows in the shop manual.

 

[Redman]

When you say it slips "part way out of gear" do you mean the shift lever moves a little bit (and have to put it back before completly commming out of gear)? ... OR ... do you mean the engine rpms increase but the speed mph doesnt increase as much?

When you say "there is still some accelration", that makes me think you mean the engine rpms increase but the mph speed doesnt. If that is what you mean, then it isnt the transmission comming out of gear, it is the clutch slipping.

Clutch slipping is usally the clutch plates worn (or hard-brittle- dont grab) and need to be replaced. Maybe the clutch springs need to be replaced too (I would suggest relacing springs also if plates are thin.). Is not that difficult to do, involves just unbolting things, replacing things and reassembly. No intricate assembly nor critical adjustments required. Good first mechanical project.

If you are not too familiar with these clutch plates and basket and all that, take a look in your sevice manaul. Then take out the oil fill plug (fill plug, not drain plug), and look inside (may need a light of some sort), can see some of the clutch basket, and the end tabs of the clutch plates. Pull on the clutch lever while looking in there, can kinda see the plates seperate some. Maybe cant see them relaese, but can poke them with a screw driver and see that they are tightly held in place, then are loose when clutch pulled in. This will start to give you an idea of how it all works.

 

[ddaum]

Erik, I think I know what you are talking about. My 550 seems to do the same thing once in a while when I get on the throttle hard. I'll be up shifting fast and when I get into 4th sometimes it feels like it grabbed, but not 100%. It's obviously the clutch slipping, because while I'm still throttling, it will slowly grab and continue accelerating like normal once the clutch stops slipping. My clutch cable is brand new and I've made the correct adjustments. I think we are both due for a clutch plate replacement.

 

[Redman]

Yah, Erik, sure sounds like you mean the clutch is slipping. You may notice it at higher speeds (with the more wind resistance) when you try to accelerate, but is probably slipping more often than that.

When you do replace the clutch plates and feel it grabbing better, then you will notice how much it must have been slipping before. Will seems so much differnt and better actaully. Almost like you will have to learn all over how to operate it. You will think ou got a new bike for $100. At least that was my experience, twice, once on my 650G and once on my 850G.

 

[ddaum]

Redman, can you recommend a parts dealer for us to get the clutch plates? Not trying to hijack this thread, but when doing this work should all the plates be replaced? What about springs, etc?

 

[Redman]

Southern Illinois, You couldo go to a local Suzuki dealer if you wanted. Or could web order from Ron Ayers (N Carolina), seem to have best prices for OEM parts. Or maybe look at other mail-web order places for aftermarket (such as Vesrah) clutch plates. Dennis Kirk in Wisconson has great online catalog, but maybe not best prices.

Maybe try Power Sports web site, THat orders parts and are delivered to a local dealer that you choose, but again, not best price.

Bike Bandit has fairly good prices (both OEM and aftermarket), and good OEM microfisch parts look up, but is in Califonia so shipping may be a bit more than Ron Ayers or Dennis Kirk.

Set of aftermarket plates I got for my 80 GS850G a few years ago are Vesrah VC-330 and say are for 80-82 850 G and L (and other 650s, 750s.

Ron Ayers probably doesnt have the microfish part lookup for your bike (didnt for my 850G nor 1100GK).

My micro fisch for my 80 850G has part number of 21441-45100 for the plates, need a set of 8. They all wear the same perrty much so need to replace all. And all deteriate (get hard - brittle) the same.
Part number for the springs are 09440-19007, need 6 of them.

Your service manual will state service limits for how thin the plates can be before needing to be replaced, but sometimes they slip before that if the surface of them (has kinda like brake pad material) gets to hard - brittle.
And your service manaul will state a service limit on the springs being worn out. Actaully they get longer when worn out, so the manaul has you measure them when they are taken out and relaxed to full length. But you probably dont want to order a set then, and wait then.

If the clutch is slipping some, you decide if its accetable or not (again, is probably slipping more than you know, and will get worse). I would recommend replacing the plates and the springs, with that low of milage they are probably the original.

We are talking about the plates here that have the clutch material on them, they are called the drive plates. THere are other plates, called the driven plates, but they seldom need to be replaced.

Also need to inspect the slots in the baskets (slots where the tabs of the plates ride in). If the slots get notched, then the tabs can get hung up, but thats a somewhat different probelm than what you are stating.

Oh, something else . .. you havent used any oil additive or sysnthetic oil have you? Have heard that some of those can make the clutch slip.

Work on the bike in next couple weeks, Erik, then join some of us for the Brown County ride in southern Indiania in May (see details in Meetingplace) (link to my pictures from last year on my webpage).

 

[Redman]

Whats anybody else say about replaceing the clutch springs without first measuring them?

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

Clutch is easy to replace if needed. BUT what kind of oil are you using ???

 

[emcdonel]

Redman,

You are right to assume that when I try to give the bike a sudden burst of power, it is not the clutch lever slipping, but that about 50% of the time, the engine revs fairly high in RPM all of a sudden with only a little increase in acceleration.

I guess I'm going to hunt for some new clutch plates. Any chance it could just be the springs?

Why would the clutch plates be so worn after only 16K miles? I've only put 2K of those miles on the bike myself.

-Erik

 

[beby99]

BUT what kind of oil are you using ???

??????????????

 

[JHawkins]

Redman,

You are right to assume that when I try to give the bike a sudden burst of power, it is not the clutch lever slipping, but that about 50% of the time, the engine revs fairly high in RPM all of a sudden with only a little increase in acceleration.

I guess I'm going to hunt for some new clutch plates. Any chance it could just be the springs?

Why would the clutch plates be so worn after only 16K miles? I've only put 2K of those miles on the bike myself.

-Erik

Clutches can wear quick or last a loooong time - it depends on the driver mostly. Some people are harder on the clutch than others. I just replaced my clutch out yesterday, got an EBC clutch and springs. I ended up not using the springs as they don't seem to be the right ones for the bike even though the part numbers match up. (couldn't release the clutch at all with half ebc and half stock - way too stiff). I payed $86.00 locally for the friction disks, I could have gotten them cheaper online, but it was convenient to get them local. The feel of the clutch is so much better it is shocking.

 

[dpep]

I agree that this sounds like a clutch problem, but you ought to be aware of a potential related problem. You have an 82 G model which means the splines inside your rear wheel hub are of the softer compound and will give out on you at some point. On the 1100s anyway that typically seems to be at the 30-35000 mile mark, give or take.

If your clutch is shot because the PrevOwner was into drag race starts, there is a good chance your splines could be near the end of their service life as well. When they give out the engine will rev up but the wheel won't roll and you will hear a tell-tale rattle coming from the hub.

The only way to check them is to remove the rear wheel. If you don't do it now, certainly do it when you next get tires. Do a search on the word "Splines" on this website for details.