R1100GS clutch alignment?

So I bought a new clutch kit (new pressure plate and cover plate that need alignment).

Reading manual flywheel, pressure plate and cover plate must be in certain position to be as a balanced system.

But can't figure out how to align my new clutch set with old flywheel. Flywheel has only one white line marking.

Old clutch set has different marks and the same markings won't work with my new clutch set (the new clutch has them on different spots if I compare the same numbers pressed in the metal 120 degrees apart).

I'll try to make pics later if needed. But I'm relatively sure the pics won't make any better sense.

Pressure plate and coverplate both have 1 green dot and 1 white line. White lines on both plates I can put in 1:1 sync (matched), but they don't sync with flywheel white line then. White lines don't go 120 or 180 degrees eighter with each other.

I can align green dot on the pressure plate to 180 degrees with with a white line on the flywheel.

So the best theory currently I have is to mach the cover and pressure plate with white lines (exact match) and then mount the clutch basket on with green dot 180 degrees to the white line on the flywheel.

Or I can ignore the markings and put it on as my old clutch kit (I had it marked myself so I exacly know how it goes on). But with this I'll risk scenareo when my clutch has a different balancing then the old one coming out of the factory.

Your thoughts on correct alignment?

Some hazy pics:


White line marking on the flywheel:


White markings on the new clutch's pressure and cover plate (they're matched on the pic, friction plate is inbetween.



Strange blue marking on pressure plate. Makes no sense to me. It's slightly off from the possible 120-deg position spots:



Blue dot on the cover plate. This I can put 180 degrees with the white line on the flywheel:




So how they (flywheel, pressure plate and coverplate) match up as a balanced system?


I can turn pressure and cover plate 120 degrees from each other:



I can mount them on the flywheel 120 degrees from each other as noted. Thus each plate from the three has 3 possible positions (120+120+120=360 degrees) playroom relative to each other.

Thus the correct balance is down to the markings that just confuse of me at the moment... I can't make all the white lines go 120 degrees with each other (flywheel line will be slightly off), I can't match the whilte lines (I can match only two as on the pic). I only got two blue markings (= can't match 3 of 'em) that don't make sense exept the blue dot can go 180 degrees with the white line on the flywheel (can a blue colour go 180 with white and whites must be matched???).

So as noted, the best theory I can come up with these marking is that I can match the two white lines on the cover- and pressure plate (like on the pic), and put them on the flywheel with the blue dot being 180 degrees relation with the white line on the flywheel. Logical or not?

IMHO.
Ignore the flywheel white line. Not sure what it is, might be a TDC mark some one has put on it. It shouldn't be a mark showing the heaviest point since the flywhel should be balanced.

The important issue is to space apart the white paint marks on the two heavy clutch parts. Since these marks do indicate the heavy points.

Anyway thats what I did and have had no strange vibrations since. (Also no mark on my flywheel).

I was under the impression that clutch components are balanced dynamically in the factory and do not need alignment.
Have you done a search on clutches?.
Just searched "clutch alignment" and found this.
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51404

Mine had three white marks on it,and I was told to line them up(or put them at 120 apart,I can't really remember to tell the truth) and it nearly shook the bike apart.It was bad enough to take it all apart again and do it the other way,which was miles better.

Not much help I know,but there is definatly a right way and a wrong way to do it.

PS It was two different Mbw machanics,in the same shop that told me to do it one way,and then the other?

You put the 3 white lines/marks as far away from each other as the mounting bolts will allow, preferably 120deg apart, but you'll be lucky to achieve this.

Really, don't worry about it -

When you remove the old clutch have a look at the markings fitted from the factory - all over place, and they're all different.

Thanks mates!

ebbo said:

You put the 3 white lines/marks as far away from each other as the mounting bolts will allow, preferably 120deg apart, but you'll be lucky to achieve this.

Click to expand...

This is how I'll do then. Various sources say the same. Mine don't fit exacly 120 degrees apart, but close in terms of even distribution of asymmetric weights of each plate. (IF it's true that the WHITE line marks the more "weighty" angle sectors on each plate)

Steptoe said:

Really, don't worry about it -

When you remove the old clutch have a look at the markings fitted from the factory - all over place, and they're all different.

Click to expand...

In fact the new one will go on exacly like the old one if I take the "white lines max away from each other" analogy (they don't acheve perfect 120 degrees from each other tho). So looks like it's the best-correct way, apparently. Or the new and old clutch kits had accidentially happened to have the same balancing from factory (judging from the numbers pressed into the plates).

Will let you know after I start it, if it'll vibrate crankcase into half or not...

Put it back together yesteday with three white marks in the max possible position from each other and had a ride today. Smooth

So apparently the correct alignment is the WHITE lines must be 120 deg (or nearly, like in my case) from each other (flywheel, pressure plate and cover plate). Ignore the various other colour markings, or otherwise you'll just get confused like I did