Free Shifting on Center Stand but NO CLutch Action

[niclpnut]

GS 1100ES

Was going to take it for a spin this evening since carbs are synced, however I'm not getting any clutch action.

On the center stand I can free shift through all the gears (if I move the rear wheel some) however, pulling the clutch makes no difference, no engage or disengage.

What am I overlooking?

Clutch cable is adjusted properly with 2 mm slack at the handle.




Same action as my other 1100. The rod does not rotate without the clutch arm on and is engaged with the release rack.

Would think it's internal then, however, if someone can point me in the right direction, it might save me a headache.

Thanks,

Nic

[TheCafeKid]

Might need to rotate the arm on the spline more. The way you have it might not leave enough throw to move anything

[SqDancerLynn1]

?? What have you done to the bike since it worked last ????

[tkent02]

Was the engine running at the time?
The plates get lightly stuck when they sit for a while, the oil squeezes out from between the plates, then they are stuck. Fire it up, pull in the clutch, drop it in gear, it should be free. If not, ride around in first gear, clutch lever in, crack the throttle on and off, get the chain snatch snatching. It will break loose.

Disclaimer: If you are not capable of safely riding around without the clutch working, do not sue me if you dump it, as I am only the messenger.

[hjfisk]

Was the engine running at the time?
The plates get lightly stuck when they sit for a while, the oil squeezes out from between the plates, then they are stuck. Fire it up, pull in the clutch, drop it in gear, it should be free. If not, ride around in first gear, clutch lever in, crack the throttle on and off, get the chain snatch snatching. It will break loose.

Disclaimer: If you are not capable of safely riding around without the clutch working, do not sue me if you dump it, as I am only the messenger.

yah!! what he said

[niclpnut]

Reinstalled the clutch at the tale end of January after soaking the fibers etc... From Rebuild thread:

Today, I finished installing the clutch:



My OEM fibers and plates looked great so I decided to reinstall them. I encountered a bit of confusion when I was reinstalling as my package included 10 fibers, and 11 plates (including the plate behind the piano wire). After sorting through numerous threads I was able to identify that the 83 clutch offered an additional fiber and plates to compensate for the added torque.

Jethro
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Location: Southern New Hampshire
Posts: 14,378



"I have both an 81 and 83 1100E and have been in both clutches.

The 81 comes stock with 9 of each as you say, and the 83 has 10 friction and 11 driven again as you say. The 83 stockers are dimpled, except for the last plate againt the pressure plate."

Also, the added washer included in the assembly threw me for a loop. Typically I write down or document every step of disassembly, however I neglected to do so for the clutch, and my manuals were of no assistance, lacking to mention this "mystery" spacer/washer.



However, following Posplayr's refab and further clutch rehab I went ahead and installed the washer before #2 in the blowup against the bearing.



I can't fire it up in gear as I have no clutch, so your saying get it in neutral and drop it into first and it should unjam? I think I would dump it or at a minimum kill it...hah.

A little over a month and its jammed with fresh oil in there? Seems like I'm missing something. My other bikes have sat longer than that with old oil and don't bind

Thanks again,

Nic

[rapidray]

Take it out from behind #2. If it goes in there at all, it will go between 3 & 8. What you have done now is locked the inner hub to the outer hub. Pull the cover off & remove all the clutch plate & see if the inner hub turns at all. It should spin freely. If not, I am right. Ray.

[blowerbike]

don't stomp it into gear...you'll end up going through your garage wall.
your clutch isn't stuck...something is installed wrong or your not getting enough travel when you pull the lever in.

[blowerbike]

an 83 and all 1150's have narrow hub spacer and they come with a shim that sits next to it.
if the shim is not placed correctly next to the hub spacer your bike will have direct drive....no slip.

[blowerbike]

if your up and want me to walk you through it...
call me and i'll tell you how to install it over the phone.

that diagram is not of an 83 1100.
there is the problem!

[niclpnut]

I'll give you a shout this evening if I can get some time after work.

No accurate parts fisch for the 83 clutch so yeah it does make things a bit more difficult.

Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bakersfield CA
Posts: 13,781



That is the clutch I put together for Jim. That washer ended up going inside the large washer up against the bearings.
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Santa Barbara CA
Posts: 7,521


Rapid Ray gave me the answer
The mystery washer is the first item in the exploded view and it goes behind the pump gear.


Posplayr


Perhaps I missunderstood and took the mystery washer to mean the hub spacer.

There is a washer #2 that does go between the bearing and the clutch basket.

So the spacer doesn't go behind that washer, but seats between the large slotted washer and the bearing (8 and 3)

It can be tough sorting through all these old posts.

I'll pull it again and give it a look.

Thanks,

Nic

[niclpnut]

Looked through my PM's again.

For some reason Jim's response to my email account got filtered into junk

As I hate to keep bugging people, I didn't ask about it.


Sometimes a guy can feel down right D. U. M. B.


Thanks,

Nic

[blowerbike]

after a person assemble's the basket and impacts the large nut they should make sure the inner hub spins freely.
if the shim in question is not installed between the sleeve spacer and grooved washed you will lock the inner hub against the basket"direct drive".
sometimes when i work on 83 1100's and 1150's i will swap the sleeve spacer for an earlier models so as to do away with the shim all together.
there you have it!

[niclpnut]

yep, one simple step I overlooked. Thanks again. Going to get another lock washer and gasket and I should be good to go!


Nic

[niclpnut]

I went ahead and disassembled the clutch again, then I pulled the clutch in my other 1100E to double check my work.

Spacer installed in the right spot now. Inner hub will spin with nut torqued down.

Fiber/steels all there.

I put the ape clutch springs in and torqued down to 8lbs/ft as per manual.

closed everything up and still nothing.

After talking with a couple people I might have over torqued, so I loosened it up to about 5.5 lb/ft and nothing.

I then put 3 heavy springs, and 3 OEM springs in. torqued down to 5.5lb/ft and still nothing.

I even adjusted the cable so there was NO slack and it was tight thinking the arm on the clutch cover wasnt traveling enough. nothing.


Will still shift through the gears on center stand, but clutch has no effect.

Any other ideas?


Thanks,

Nic