Clutch problem, advice requested.

[KMD]

Just limped back from a trip, having to leave the other guys over there, after the clutch on my 1150gs started to slip on the Stelvio pass. I'd felt for a couple of days that all was not entirely well with it but just couldn't put my finger on it. The clutch lever felt like it was going light, the bite wasn't as strong and the take-up seemed to be getting further out in the lever's travel.

But the bike still managed to achieve high speed at the usual revs so I wondered if I was just imagining it, til the Stelvio when there was a very noticeable rise in revs without the usual surge. After that I decided to leave the ride and return home hoping the clutch would last. It would still pull in the lower gears but slip in 'E'. Towards Zeebrugge it struggled to pull 5th and it really was a case of nursing her home. But the old girl managed it, didn't let me down

So I now have the full clutch bifta on order sale or return, but whatever I find when I get in there, I'll probably change it all anyway, including the master cylinder if only to build in reliability. (40K miles, some of it very hard going).........Scratch that, a lot of it hard going

So my question is for any advice or tips. I'll start stripping her out over the weekend and need to have the job completed soon as there's another trip towards the end of the month. Any pointers at all please guys, links if you have 'em, but all comments welcome.

 

[ELIMINATOR]

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153714&highlight=clutch

Read this.

 

[KMD]

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153714&highlight=clutch

Read this.

Excellent, thank you.

 

[Steptoe]

Really don't bother changing the clutch master cylinder if it's still working without any problem. I can't remember when i last changed one.
If anything is going to fail it'll be the slave cylinder.

 

[KMD]

Really don't bother changing the clutch master cylinder if it's still working without any problem. I can't remember when i last changed one.
If anything is going to fail it'll be the slave cylinder.

I do apologise, my head's all over the place I meant to say slave cylinder. But thanks for shouting up, and thanks for the info you put on that other thread it's just what I was needing

 

[enabb]

We,ll bugger me......... (no not litlerly)...........
I was on the same ferry, you were talking to Andy, one of our group red 1100, I was talking to a couple on a ducati who,d just done a charity ride, sorry I missed talking bollox with ya hope ya get sorted asap.

 

[KMD]

We,ll bugger me......... (no not litlerly)...........
I was on the same ferry, you were talking to Andy, one of our group red 1100, I was talking to a couple on a ducati who,d just done a charity ride, sorry I missed talking bollox with ya hope ya get sorted asap.

I wondered if any of your group were off here, I asked two more of them, one was a tall thin lad, ginger beard wearing red leathers. How'd your trip go ?

 

[ELIMINATOR]

one was a tall thin lad, ginger beard wearing red leathers.

Omit thin, omit lad, leave in tall & ginger beard

 

[enabb]

I wondered if any of your group were off here, I asked two more of them, one was a tall thin lad, ginger beard wearing red leathers. How'd your trip go ?

Yeh that would be farmer John ........rides a new zzr1400 amongst other bikes....he,s a babe magnet (honest I know you may find that hard to belive )

Did the Millau thing yeh it was impressive
did the tarn gourge and another one name escapes me now they did impress stunning views and awsome roads to be treated with respect....little under 2000 miles for the week.... great trip

Oh yeh petrol was a shocker paid upto 1.42 euro a litre, average was about 1.34

 

[boxerscott]

Dont throw your money away

Ive just done my clutch, experienced the same thing as you did on holiday except I did not let it spoil the fun. Started slipping in top in Grenoble outward bound for Italy ,smell of burning oil as clutch was working overtime in rush hour weekend traffic. Got back home 9 days later after another 1800miles, then took it to a Ducati trackday at Cadwell. I was down to three usefull ratios and drip feeding oil into her as fast as it was pissing out of the crank into the clutch housing. Used this fantastic site as a reference, bought a kit but only used the friction plate and bolts, sent the rest back for a refund. If it aint broke dont fix it. Mine was a cable operated clutch. Good luck with your project!

 

[Steptoe]

bought a kit but only used the friction plate and bolts, sent the rest back for a refund. If it aint broke dont fix it.

I can guarantee you'll be doing the clutch job again in maybe 5k miles or less. And all to save £50-£60 - and when you do replace it all again you'll need another friction plate as well.

Believe me when i say never replace just the friction plate. The pressure plate and cover do wear even if they appear to be the same thickness as new ones , and the heat treated surface will be damaged by the heat generated by a slipping clutch.

 

[MattW]

Never on any vehicle (even as a skint student running a Capri - don't tell anyone ) have I just changed a friction plate - false economy. Always a full clutch kit and if it's got an in-bellhousing slave cylinder, that too.

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

its very rare in the quik fit carworld to fit a pressure plate - in the uk

over here they insist on machining them though

 

[Stewart H]

Modern friction materials mean that when the clutch begins to malfunction the whole lot is generally finished, I only fit complete kits these days, very often OEM too, most Peugeot/Citroen clutches look fine when removed, plenty of meat on the friction plates, all looking good, but they arent.
Stewart

 

[KMD]

Been dismantling the bike today, this is what the slave cylinder housing looks like. Fluid leakage.

 

[KMD]

And this is the slave

 

[KMD]

The plate didn't look too bad

 

[KMD]

The camera hasn't picked it up well, but there is blueing to the pressure plates

 

[KMD]

I replaced the front brake bleeder with a normal bleed nipple. Is it possible to do the same with this? If so, anyone know what size?

 

[Steptoe]

I replaced the front brake bleeder with a normal bleed nipple. Is it possible to do the same with this? If so, anyone know what size?

Same as you used for the front.
Or much simpler just remove the grub screw and screw in the bleed nipple and bleed it as normal then replce the grub screw.