Clutch drag

[chippit]

I finally got round to taking the clutch on my SRX600 apart.
Everything looked good although it looked as though the plates had stuck at some point in it's life, it has not done many miles.
I cleaned off any marks on the metal plates and the friction plates with brake cleaner. Put it all back together and there was no real change. Still clunking into 1st and then not being able to get it out of 1st and into neutral.

Took it apart again and put in a new set of clutch springs as one of the old springs was about 1mm longer than the rest, all the metal plates and friction plates are flat.

With the bike in gear and clutch pulled in I could not turn the back wheel, eventually it started to turn, the friction plates and metal plates still seemed to be sticking together. I am using halfords 10w40 semi synthetic motorbike oil, could it be possible that whatever oil was used in the bike before I owned it was not compatable with the halfords oil, making the plates sticky.

To prove a point I cleaned everything up again and with no oil everything turns as it should. Should I just buy a new set of clutch plates and be done with it?

[Steve H]

You havent mentioned the tongues on the clutch basket, were the tongues grooved like below(note: its not an SRX clutch)) where they contact the tongues on the clutch plates or flat ?

[chippit]

Not like the one in the photo, all completely flat, the bike has done 11000 miles and all looks like new.

[themoudie]

Aye Christine,

I use the same oil as yoursel' in Sally, with no problems, even after using other oils [car spec] and only draining and re-filling with a new filter, with no problems.

Using the 'exploded' clutch parts diagram from Steve's 'SRX Homepage' site, you will see that there is a ball bearing in the clutch operational 'chain', between the two pushrods. Have you lost yours? Has yours worn flats on it, rather than being spherical? Do you have the clutch plates and the clutch boss spring in their correct order, as per diagram? If not, it don't work to well! 'VeryNear' calipers required. Is the clutch adjusted as per manual and if that is OK, is the cable adjusted as per manual? Freeplay measured with a tape measure from the bar end weight may seem 'anorakish' but makes a difference.

If none of this throws new light or provides a solution, then after your list of repetative cleaning and assembly, Steve's lovely image drawing a blank, I would start to feel a bit flumuxed!

I hope you find a solution.

My regards, Bill.

[chippit]

Thanks for the reply Bill, I have checked everything.
The ball bearing looks like new, no flats.
Plates are all as new (measured with callipers) and not warped
New clutch springs.

I am going to take the plates apart again and give them another really good clean with brake cleaner before I give in and buy a new set.

Regards Christine

[Steve H]

Other thoughts

- Is the clutch lever bent, reducing the travel to the bars
- Probably been mentioned but are the steel plates warped (check on a piece of flat glass)
- Are the steel plates discoloured ?
- Is there excessive play in the clutch basket cush drive (try rotating it by hand and see how far the housing moves relative to the gear on the back)
- Does the clutch lift evenly when you operate it

Steve