Guide for changing clutch

[stevosull]

Hi All,

So my bike, r1150gs 2003, is slipping in high gears (5th + 6th, occasionally 4th) which is annoying but not really a huge issue in normal day to day driving. I have looked at the clutch fluid and it looks reasonably clear and the gear change is otherwise nice and smooth. I took off the starter and the friction plate looks about 5-6mm in thickness which i think(?) is coming towards the end of its life, I couldn't see any obvious signs of oil on the plates but there was a black powdery/slightly oily residue on the housing which I took to be clutch material. Is there anything else worth checking or am I pretty safe to assume its the clutch?

As I am off work for the month of May due to Covid-19 I am considering doing this myself -
A) am i daft? (I have some mechanical experience but this would be my first clutch on bike or car
B) is there a good, clear step by step guide anywhere online on how to do this? I have looked but a lot of videos etc show bits of the process but not all.

Thanks for any help or advice!

Steve

 

[gog]

new friction disk is about 6.5mm, minimum limit about 4.5mm. Eyeballing it through the starter recess and guestimating 5-6mm isnt really good enough. The residue on the housing shouldnt really be "oily", it should be quite dry if it's normal clutch waste.

slipping can also be caused by the driveshaft rubber cush becoming delaminated - symptoms are similar to a slipping clutch.

if you do decide to get stuck in yourself there are plenty guides already online, google is your friend. it may look daunting but if you have time and a half decent set of tools theres not really anything particularly difficult about replacing a clutch or driveshaft. good idea to get hold of a manual (clymer is better than haynes) for reference and torque specs.

 

[dub 24]

Hey Steve I've done it it's not to difficult to do takes a bit of time
I'm on this side of the pond so if you need anything just PM me your number and we can chat over the phone .
Cheers

 

[Pekkavee]

Here is some advice.

Tips, click

 

[Posh Pete]

And here ...

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...hints-tips-for-a-first-timer?highlight=Clutch

 

[Lowflyer]

Make sure your clutch lever is not "kissing " the handguard. I dropped my GS off road once,moved the handguard inwards slightly. Bottom gears were ok, or in so much that I didn't notice. In high gears, considerable slipping.
Cheap quick check before you commit to clutch removal.

 

[ahebron]

It easy.
Just look at my avatar photo to see how it is done

 

[hops]

Also it is not uncommon for the driveshaft to fail and give similar symptoms, happened with mine. The black rubber bonding that goes between the 2 parts fails. Pop the gaiter off at the final drive and have a look inside if it has failed there is likely to be (but not always) speckles of black rubber inside the casing.

More info here

 

[<<Mark_C>>]

I’ve just done a clutch replacement on my 2003 gs during lockdown. There was no problem obtaining parts from the usual suppliers. The job can look daunting, but take your time and it’s not too hard.

I decided to remove the final drive and swing arm from the gearbox to lube the splines and check the bearings at the same time. This is more work, but worth doing if you have the time. It also makes separating the gearbox from the engine easier. If you go down this route remember to heat the pivot bolts up with a hot air gun or blow torch. Going down this route also allows inspection of the driveshaft which can also be the cause of slipping as mentioned above.

I made up some guide pins with some 110mm M8 bolts with the heads cut off to help guide the box off and on and you will also need a clutch centering tool to put it all back together. A 12mm (I think) allen is needed for the pivot bolts, otherwise it’s just standard tools required.

The Chris Harris YouTube videos are good help too.

If it’s original your clutch slave cylinder might be worth replacing while you are in there. If leaking badly it can cause clutch slip.

 

[stevosull]

That's great Dub 24 thanks!, I've been watching your thread by the way, brilliant work

 

[Super10]

Did it on the R1100S.
Quite a job, but with some special tools, and lots of research, it's not too bad.
Most difficult bits for me:
1. Lower left dowel between the gearbox and the engine.
2. Exhaust studs at the cylinder head.
All studs rotten/ seized, and that dowel also seized.

I got several cans of 'Penetrus' in Swords motor factors, found it great for that part of the job.

The nuts on the exhaust studs appear to be stainless, but the studs are not. One snapped, and had to replace all of them.

Heat gun,
Temperature gauge,
Clutch centering tool,
Gearbox guide pins (diy),
Clymer manual,
Chris Harris Utubes.

Oh, and I made a sturdy engine support with 4x2 timber.

Good luck with your lockdown project

Sent from my BND-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[Steptoe]

Did it on the R1100S.
Quite a job, but with some special tools, and lots of research, it's not too bad.
Most difficult bits for me:
1. Lower left dowel between the gearbox and the engine.
2. Exhaust studs at the cylinder head.
All studs rotten/ seized, and that dowel also seized.

I got several cans of 'Penetrus' in Swords motor factors, found it great for that part of the job.

The nuts on the exhaust studs appear to be stainless, but the studs are not. One snapped, and had to replace all of them.

Heat gun,
Temperature gauge,
Clutch centering tool,
Gearbox guide pins (diy),
Clymer manual,
Chris Harris Utubes.

Oh, and I made a sturdy engine support with 4x2 timber.

Good luck with your lockdown project

Sent from my BND-L21 using Tapatalk

Changing a clutch on an 1100S is completely different in almost every way to doing the same job on a GS.

No engine support is needed for a start as the main stand is attached to the engine, the rear subframe can be swivelled up out of the way, the swingarm is attached to the gearbox not the subframe, and many other major differences.

Plus i don't know why you removed the downpipes from the cylinder head. The downpipes are left in place, even on the 1100S which has a completely different exhaust set up to the GS.


Changing a clutch on a GS is a piece of piss compared to an 1100S .

 

[Super10]

Changing a clutch on an 1100S is completely different in almost every way to doing the same job on a GS.

........................................

Plus i don't know why you removed the downpipes from the cylinder head. The downpipes are left in place, even on the 1100S .

Ok Steptoe thanks for clearing that up.

Anyways, with the exhaust thing, Standard R1100S would have been a doddle perhaps.
However, my BoxerCup has a non standard system.
With the Remus pipes, can't see any other way.
Cheers.

Sent from my BND-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[Steptoe]

However, my BoxerCup has a non standard system.
With the Remus pipes, can't see any other way.
Cheers.

Sent from my BND-L21 using Tapatalk

The front down pipes are bolted to the rear half under the bike, the bolts are a bigger to remove due to being shallow and flush, but not as bad as front exhaust down pipes that haven’t been removed in years meaning the exhaust bolts in the head are rotten, as yours were