one stuck clutch please

matt81xs

XS650 Enthusiast
Messages
79
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Westbrook,Maine
so i just got my 81 xs650 and i started going through to make it road worthy again. My first issue will be the clutch. The handle is very hard to pull so i popped off the clutch cover and checked the actuator which appears to be fine, extends normally, smooth operation when the cover is off. So....what are the chances my clutch plates are stuck, this bike did sit a period of time and it was low on oil......if this is the issue how can i break them free with out pulling the entire thing apart?
 
So it rolls fine in neutral but when you put it in gear, you're locked up? Try to spin the rear wheel by hand when it is in first gear with the clutch pulled in.

The clutch lever being hard to pull should have nothing to do with the clutch plates being stuck together as long as you're still getting enough actuation on the pushrod. If your clutch being hard to pull is from a bad clutch cable or something in the worm gear so your not getting enough actuation of the push rod, then that's your problem. If the push rod is being fully actuated, then its the clutch plates stuck together, warped plates, or bad clutch springs.
 
yeah ive done that. first gear on center stand with clutch pulled as hard as i can. Still no movement. Rolls fine in neutral. Like i said i can take the entire clutch cover off and the handle moves freely and i can watch the actuator move out. So my thought is it must be some thing with the rod not pushing enough or the clutch is just stuck and thats where all my resistance is from.
 
yeah ive done that. first gear on center stand with clutch pulled as hard as i can. Still no movement. Rolls fine in neutral. Like i said i can take the entire clutch cover off and the handle moves freely and i can watch the actuator move out. So my thought is it must be some thing with the rod not pushing enough or the clutch is just stuck and thats where all my resistance is from.
if you are talking about the left side that is not the clutch cover it's the sprocket cover, the clutch cover (primary cover, is the right side) xs650s don't have the smoothest pulling clutchs in the world but if you can't get the wheel to turn with the lever pulled in (tie it down to the bar so you can work on the wheel) you may indeed have a problem that will require opening the right side and examining the clutch plates
 
With the left cover off, the worm gear may look like it's smooth and doing it's job, but once it meets any resistance (pushrod), you might find out it isn't doing as much as you thought it was. Take the left cover off and try to resist the worm gear somehow to see if that's your problem. If I remember correctly, those things can crack and look like they're working fine when they have no resistance applied to them. If you're sure it is working correctly, and you can't get it unstuck by using the methods above, you're going to have to remove the right cover anyway. So once you do, the first thing you should do is pull the clutch lever and watch for the pressure plate to move out as much as what you saw the worm gear actuating (maybe like 2.5mm). Make sure it moves out evenly and not just on one side. If it does actuate fully and evenly, then it's time to start pulling the clutch apart and looking for warped plates, a grooved hub, missing or incorrect washers, etc.
 
Back
Top