Clutch arm is completely loose (no resistence/engadgment...)

[MaMary650L]

I have a 1982 650L
Real fast when I first got her, but performance went down quickly. By the end I was riding 35mph in 5th gear . The engine was performing well, just running very high rpms in all gears. I was hoping it was a clutch cable problem. I took off the clutch cable arm and put it back on its now completely limp . There is no disengagement at all.

Anyone have a clue why the clutch arm would go completely free/loose ? Do I have to open her up? Someone mentioned dropping her into first to free up the clutch but I don't want to cause any further damage.

Any input is appreciated.

[JEEPRUSTY]

badly adjusted clutch or its worn out fibres.

Its most like the adjustment.

Wait for the BassCliff mega welcome and peruse the links he has gathered over the years.

Welcome to the GSR.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. MaMary650L,

(Please forgive me if it's actually Ms. MaMary650L. )

Yes, it could be just a badly adjusted clutch. But it sounds like it's been slipping quite a bit for a long time. In which case you will need to open up the clutch and replace the clutch plates (at least the fiber plates). Measure the steels to be sure they are still in spec. You'll find pictures of the procedure in the Clutch Odds and Ends section of my little website. You'll also find a service manual there on my website.

Anyway, let me dump a TON if information on you and share some GS lovin'.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...



Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Big Rich]

Just guessing: did the cable stretch so much recently then finally snap?

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Here are some more pictures of what replacing your clutch plates looks like.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=172330

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[SqDancerLynn1]

If you had the arm off You most likely have it indexed wrong on the shaft

[Larry D]

If you had the arm off You most likely have it indexed wrong on the shaft

+1.

The shaft has to be rotated onto the teeth, it has to be on there properly or the clutch will have no resistance or be very difficult to pull.

[MaMary650L]

Thanks and thanks

Thanks a million everyone for your prompt responses. The cable hadn't snapped. I was digging for already posted information but had trouble finding anything on the most recent issue (limp clutch arm). With that being said, Ill soon dive in to the clutch discs with the BassCliff/Clutch discussions at my side.

At the risk of being cliche, your sight is amazing. I have done the stator and r/r replacements along with the petcock. Diagnosed and replaced in large part because of the forum. I am currently performing the carb clean. After the first carb I learned to keep those slides illustrations handy.

You give a amateur a chance!

In Peace,
Mr. MaMary

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. MaMary650L,

I may be hasty in recommending complete clutch replacement. That is a worst case scenario. First get everything connected and adjusted properly and see if it works OK. If not, then you'll have to open it up and have a look to see if the fibers are worn, steels are warped, etc.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[tom203]

Thanks a million everyone for your prompt responses. The cable hadn't snapped. I was digging for already posted information but had trouble finding anything on the most recent issue (limp clutch arm). With that being said, Ill soon dive in to the clutch discs with the BassCliff/Clutch discussions at my side.

At the risk of being cliche, your sight is amazing. I have done the stator and r/r replacements along with the petcock. Diagnosed and replaced in large part because of the forum. I am currently performing the carb clean. After the first carb I learned to keep those slides illustrations handy.

You give a amateur a chance!

In Peace,
Mr. MaMary

The clutch arm will have slight play when released- you can push on arm itself and maybe 1/8 inch travel before resistance. Make sure it sits on splines correctly before you fiddle with cable. Of course, if you only hit 35 mph in fifth gear, something else has to be wrong- I'm surprised it would pull away in first.

[MaMary650L]

Release bearing has no compression

With my carb in pieces and oil change in order I opened up the clutch to investigate. While the driven plates and plates seem to have some life left the release rack experienced no resistance, she ain't releasin. There was probably a half inch (.8cm) of free movement. I am going to do some home work on the suzuki clutch. Something that is supposed to release is stuck I figure. I'm hoping its the springs not compressing the plates .