four hundred four strangeness

When I make off in a spirited fashion something happens clutchward.
It feels like a small wheel spin as if the back wheel was on some
gravel.
Happens occasionally when changing gear and accelerating hard.
Clutch adjustment seems to be OK.

?

 

The clutch is knackered and slipping. Replace springs and plates - cost
about £50.

 

Hmm bits seem to come to twice that at Dave Silvers but looks simple
enough to do.
Any gotchas?

 

Bad form etc
ebc are about 50 quid...

 

That's what I was thinking of. You could compromise with OE springs and
pattern plates, but I've used pattern clutch kits before and never had a
problem.

The very important thing is to remember to soak the friction plates in
clean engine oil for an hour or two before you instal them.

And, obviously, note the order in which the steel friction and the fibre
friction plates are stacked. Dont get this wrong!

When undoing and doing up the four bolts that hold the plates in, loosen
each screw a little, working diagonally, so undoing them evenly. Don't
just undo one totally, and move onto the next: it'll put a lot of strain
on the last one and the post it goes into could snap. Similarly, when
re-fitting, tighten them all up diagonally, a little at a time.

Easy job, really.

 

Ta.
I've never replaced a clutch before so any advice is welcome

I have been carefully studying the pictures in the venerable Clymer that
came with the bike. I'm assuming its rare for the metal plates to need
replacing?

I shall report back on the 'easy' factor
It'll have to wait for a little while; apparently we need a wood
burner...............................

 

Very rare. Only happens when the clutch has been so abused they've
turned blue and warped, and that really isn't likely on a
ShiteOld400Four.

 

Perhaps TOG is thinking of the days of cork insert friction plates? As
far as I am concerned a quick wipe with an oily rag suffices (though not
on a dry clutch naturally).

--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I thought it was common knowledge. It allows them to soak up the oil -
remember they're essentially fibre, and if they're totally dry, the
clutch may grab.

That said, putting them in dry and then running the engine for a
short while will probably have the same effect.

 

TOG@Toil typed:

Cork plates, definitely. I can't see why modern fibre plates should be, but
then it's recommended practice for Land Rover Railko bushes as well, and
they would seem to be impervious material. Perhaps it's magic.

--
Rich B

1971 S2a
1995 XT600E
2003 ST1300 Pan European
Oh, and a Ford

Take out the obvious to email me.

 

I've read it somewhere as part of assembly instructions, it might have
been instructions that came with a set of plates and I've heard of
others doing it.

I'm not absolutely certain why it was considered necessary, though I
have a vague idea it's to do with clutch life. I suppose that if the
engine were left a while before being started, you'd get plates that
were half oiled and maybe you could get a juddery clutch action, but
that's only a guess.

 

Oh, yes, oil the surfaces of them by all means, but I don't understand
the need for a prolonged soak of modern friction materials. I suppose if
you had done the job as part of an engine out rebuild it might be
important, but as a fix the clutch then immediately see if your fixing
has worked job I can't see the need.


--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

It seems the ebc items are cork based...

 

Neither have I and I've never done it.

When we (read: Mike) changed the clutch on the race bike they were just
put in.

 

Oh, only for a brand-new clutch. I did Google this and someone
mentioned plates swelling as the oil soaked in as a possibility.

I'm sure I saw it somewhere that had some authority (to me at the
time), though I suppose it could've been a HBoL.

I have assembled new clutches before I heard about having to soak them
and had no problems; I've also 'soaked' them for about 10 mins, again
without problems, so maybe it is just a hang-over from ye olden days.

 

The message <>

I think those Lard Roller bushes are sintered phosphor bronze, or
similar, and if so, will be very slightly porous.

BTW, don't use Hipoy or similar on Oil-Lite bushes - Mk I Concertinas
has them in their gearbrokes, Glod knows why - and they un-sintered...

 

Can't do any harm, in any event.

 

Oh well. I remember reading somewhere it was advisable and so I've
always done it.

And guess what? It's always worked ;-)

 

Yeah, but you're getting on a bit.

 

I used to live next door to a guy who used to build dragsters. He reckoned
that coating a gasket with grease and leaving it for a while to swell up a
bit was very effective. It certainly cured the leaky float bowls on the
R80RT.