8 plate clutch

[FLEA]

have a 8 plate clutch conversion with single push rod on a 78-447 frame xs650 ,has about 2000kls on the conversion.works really well but every now and then when engine is hot get a really bad shuttering when taking off (have to ride the clutch a lot) but its not all the time ,has happened 4-5 times generally on a mild up hill slope when bikes warm/hot ,any ideas...will be putting a hiedens hyd clutch on shortly but would like to sort this out first

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

There's a lot of info out there on the web concerning "clutch judder", which may be what you're experiencing. Pretty rare on our XSs. May want to look into:
- Engine oil
- The 6 springs behind the basket
- Warped plates
- Condition of contact faces of basket fingers, and hub splines

 

[FLEA]

thanks 2many ,using Castrol 20w 50 , new springs, plates checked before going in , fingers and hubs looked ok when assembling, forgot to mention have a high ratio primary gear as well , have had the shutter before on other bikes but nothing like this,i mean severe.but its random ,could understand it if happened more often but clutch behaves well then straight out of the blue, bam...only symptom engine warm/hot and stopped on a slight up hill slope

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Reminds me of chasing the old brake squeal and clutch chirp problems. Happens on one bike, doesn't on another identical model. It involves a very rapid snatch/release cycle, like flutter.

In your case, the warm/hot probably points to oil viscosity. Not the source of the problem, just reveals it.

Like in flutter, there's some sort of flex and overcorrection going on. One consideration would be an 8 plate clutch pack installed in a previous 7 plate basket and hub. Like crossthreading, the alignment of splines and nubs on previous wear spots may cause some form of plate shift during power absorption.

Resurfacing the spline and finger faces, then reassembling clutch pack, with plates randomly shuffled and flipped, may resolve that...


Sent from my Etch-a-Sketch using Scratch-and-sniff.

 

[weekendrider]

Sent from my Etch-a-Sketch using Scratch-and-sniff.

BWHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[FLEA]

bought the 8 plate kit from ippytattoo on this site,clutch basket was from a 1974 tx650 which he said would need no machining ,and have not seen any complaints /questions on his kits here (been selling them for a couple of yrs) used the proper Castrol 20/50 oil with being a new motor, changed at 200kls-500kls-1500kls so should not be the oil , have sent message to itty but still waiting a reply (only recently)..opps forgot to mention have hi ratio gears as well ,talking with the supplier as well but don't think its the hi/ratio but could be wrong open to any ideas as I'm going bald from scratching ..ippy pm me please if you read this ,will look at pulling clutch basket down and try as 2many suggests but any one having simmiler problems would be good to hear from first

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Describe your steel plates. How thick are they, where'd you get them?

 

[FLEA]

plates were standard xs650 plates with a new one supplied by clayton (itty),plates were in good cond and clutch worked well before the conversion ,out of another motor,(not warped etc) the 7 plates and basket were off 1974 tx650 with the 1 new plate supplied by itty , basket also
was set up for hi/ratio by supplier (whos been doing for his bikes and others for yrs) clutch been put into 1980 set of cases ,virtually only 2nd hand part of main motor are cases ,transmission,basket etc ,otherwise all new parts

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

The steels may have a history, overheated, snake oils, ...etc. I came across a set with a strange sticky feeling, remained after diligent cleaning. Surface lap/sanded them on a flat plate with #400 wet-or-dry, brake cleaner as solvent, stickiness went away. Check that thicknesses are 1.35mm - 1.4mm (0.053" - 0.055"). Also, lightly chamfer any sharp edges of the spline nubs...

 

[FLEA]

was hoping to hear from ippy but when checked he hasn't been on the forum since nov last yr,hope all is well with him,will be pulling clutch down hopefully later this week and will give it a good look at and clean etc etc, fairly sure its something I have done/not done, not the 8 plate or high ratio as both were checked over before I fitted them,thanks 2many will be checking as you suggested