450 clutch basket play, low mileage.

[Guest]

I've searched on this but haven't found any similar problems that were resolved, link 'em if ya got 'em.


Over the winter I rebuilt an '85 GS450L and it's been on the road for a few hundred miles now and runs like a champ*. The only issue is a slight noise that sounds like its coming from the clutch area. Hard to describe but its kind of a rubby/whirring noise and is NOT effected by pulling in or releasing the clutch. It does change with engine speed and seems to come and go at will. I've never heard anything like it on my 16v GS750 but I did hear a similar and quieter noise on a GS1100 I did rings and some top end work on last year.

Yesterday I pulled the clutch cover to check for any debris and look things over. Everything looked fine until I took the clutch disks out. With the disks removed there is some play top to bottom and side to side in the "finger" part of the clutch assembly attached to the primary gear. Is that normal? Play is about 1.5mm or so (guessing) and at first I thought I'd found the problem but I need a socket for the hub nut and that stopped things last night. This morning when looking at diagrams I wondered if what I'm feeling is normal? Maybe there is play at the springs somehow? It doesn't feel sloppy but I can move things by hand.

This engine has less than 9,000mi on it and everything looks pristine and well cared for so it's hard to believe something has gone bad already but I want to make sure the bike is 100% before the new owner/new rider takes it home for keeps.

/\/\ac

* GS450 - I like the first one so much I bought the whole trailer load...

[pete]

Just had a look in the Clymer and there's nothing I can see about free play in there, not that it means it's necessarily bad of course...

One thing though is I believe a dodgy clutch basket results in rattling rather than whirring, but I could be wrong on that.

Best thing I guess is to get it out and measure everything up, there is lots of detail in the Clymer about that.

[Macmatic]

Thanks Pete.

I got the nut off and the basket out and so far everything looks good... I think. There is a slight amount of free play in and out on the oil pump drive gear and on the OP driven gear but I assume they are designed to float back and forth a little.

I dropped the pan today and that looks great, no debris or filings that I could see so I think I'm going to put it back together and take it out for a ride this evening while I have time. I'm sure there is no better way to get an answer (that will require taking things apart again) than to bolt it up and ride.

I can't for the life of me imagine what is making the noise I'm hearing. If it persists I'll have to be more rigorous in determining what conditions cause/change the sound.

/\/\ac

[pete]

I don't recall what play mine had (if any) now and it's still not rideable yet...

My oil pump definitely had a very small amount of in/out free play, but it ran extremely smoothly and from what I could glean from what the manual said, everything looked very normal to me, and I know it was generating lots of pressure because just cranking it over to build up pressure for the first start caused a reasonably large amount of oil to spew out the two bolt holes in the rear of the head I missed putting the bolts in during reassembly

[pete]

Forgot to say get it up on the centre stand and see if you can isolate it from there.

It may be coming from somewhere else entirely too...

[Macmatic]

Hmm... what does a tight valve sound like?

Last winter I did a valve adjustment and checked it thrice since I haven't had to do a shimmed valve adjustment in about a decade and everything was a-okay. I don't remember the specifics now but I would have erred towards a looser shim than a tight one.

The noise is still there, off and on. I just put about 75miles on the bike and it runs like a top that hasn't had its carbs synched yet. I only noticed the noise loudly once and that was about 5mi into the right as I came to a stop sign. I pulled over in a lot and couldn't get it to repeat not matter what I did. I tried loading the clutch by slipping it and holding the brake, I tried letting it spin on the center stand and I tried just revving it. No noise.

It does seem like it's doing it less now so I'm going to put another 100 or so on the bike, change the oil (with a careful look at the gravy) and turn it over to the new owner.

Unless something goes BANG.

Man, these things are quick to 50mph!

/\/\ac

[pete]

That's a little odd and frustrating seeing as you can't nail it down... no idea what a tight valve sounds like either I'm afraid, but if it was too tight you'd lose compression... I'd think you'd notice that!

[Macmatic]

Weird, I'd swear I posted this earlier today. I must have closed the window before I finalized the post...


Here is a short video where you can hear the sound at the very end. I haven't been able to get a recording at it's worst because it only gets loud while riding. At times it's loud enough to hear with helmet and ear plugs when you're coming to a stop.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecache/5970141791/

I've got about 150 miles on the bike now and it runs like a champ. We're going to do maybe another 100 mi today, give it an oil change and call it done I guess. I heard a similar noise on a GS1100 I did some top end work on but the owner said the noise was there previously. Maybe it's a 2-valve thing? My only other experience with these engines has been with the 4-valve versions.

Any input appreciated!

/\/\ac