scuffing clutches

[Dogma]

I've seen several mentions now of scuffing up the clutch disks when the clutch is apart. What is the purpose of this? Should it be done regularly or just when you happen to have the clutch open?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm having clutch slipping this year, or at least much more than I used to. If I'm on the gas, maybe half throttle going into 2nd (using the clutch), it slips for 3-4 seconds before I feel it bite. I'm thinking the oil is just taking that long to sling out of the disks. If I shift without the clutch, it stays locked up.

Here's what changed over the winter: I replaced the clutch springs with OEM to get a much more reasonable effort on the clutch lever. I looked everything over while I was in there, and all the disks were on the high side of the service limit and the clutch basket looks good. Clutch effort is now in line with the handful of other bikes I've ridden. New oil is normal 10W-40 as spec'd on the filler cap.

I'm fairly confident on the cable adjustment, though I still can't get neutral with the engine running. I'd adjust that out, but I'd have to have the cable tight with the lever out. Is it normal to need the full lever travel to actuate the clutch?

On a lighter note, nothing is leaking after all the work this winter. No oil, no air. Idle is steady, though a little rough. I'll get this thing right eventually!

[Zooks]

You didn't put car oil in that contained nasty chemicals did you?

[Dogma]

You didn't put car oil in that contained nasty chemicals did you?

No friction modifiers or any other funny business. Just the cheap stuff at the gas station (I took the car, don't worry). As a matter of policy, I'm trying to stay with the factory spec fluids. Still looking for metric spec air for the tires though.

[Zooks]

Then you'll need to buy yourself some metric screwdrivers and a metric hammer.

[Dogma]

Then you'll need to buy yourself some metric screwdrivers and a metric hammer.

Yeah, been scouring eBay. Got the metric vise grips though. You wouldn't think there was a DIN spec for rounding off bolts, but there is.

[82Shafty]

A serious reply would be:

Not all 10-40's are created equal; make sure on the back of the bottle under 10-40 it does NOT say energy conserving!

1) Did you cross hatch your steel plates while you were servicing your clutch?

2) How old is your clutch cable, it could be stretching it is pulled taught with the lever? For your neutral problem...

3) Did you inspect for any ridges in the clutch basket that could be hanging up your plates?


I had clutch slip at the end of last season.

1) Cross hatched steels
2) Installed new oem springs with one additional washer installed per spring... new hardware was used.
3) I will eventually give it the true test by running rotella 5-40 in it again, but for now have used castrol 10-40 with no slip in any of the gears.



Hope this helps.

[Dogma]

A serious reply would be:

Not all 10-40's are created equal; make sure on the back of the bottle under 10-40 it does NOT say energy conserving!

1) Did you cross hatch your steel plates while you were servicing your clutch?

2) How old is your clutch cable, it could be stretching it is pulled taught with the lever? For your neutral problem...

3) Did you inspect for any ridges in the clutch basket that could be hanging up your plates?


I had clutch slip at the end of last season.

1) Cross hatched steels
2) Installed new oem springs with one additional washer installed per spring... new hardware was used.
3) I will eventually give it the true test by running rotella 5-40 in it again, but for now have used castrol 10-40 with no slip in any of the gears.



Hope this helps.

Thanks. The oil, 2 and 3 are good. The cable is only two years old, but I've always had this problem with neutral. Perhaps these foamy grips are too fat.

Item 1 is what I've been wondering about. There is a dimple pattern on the disks, but nothing I would call cross-hatching. What is this that people are doing to the clutch plates? Scuffing, cross-hatching, whatever people call it. Does it help with moving the oil out? If not and I need to do it anyway, how it is done?

[Zooks]

If it helps, every GS I have ever owned has had the same 'neutral' problem you are describing. Never had any slip or other probs but neutral seems to be a bit temperamental.

[Dogma]

If it helps, every GS I have ever owned has had the same 'neutral' problem you are describing. Never had any slip or other probs but neutral seems to be a bit temperamental.

Yeah, that helps in a "give up and live with it" sort of way. Thanks. Can you tell me anything about abrasive treatment of clutch disks? My FSM doesn't seem to mention it. I really don't know what I'm looking for here.

[Zooks]

Sorry dude not my forte. I was actually trying to put a positive spin on it (truly).

[salty_monk]

When I had mine apart I just scuffed them up with some wet & dry, about 320 grit maybe less... some people use a scotchbrite pad.

I then thoroughly degreased rinsed & dried them before putting them back.

I run 3 stock springs & 3 aftermarket for good lever with a bit more pressure (I tried 6 aftermarket but lever was quite heavy).

As an aside, my 78 1000 has what I believe are stock springs but they have one less coil than the 80G...... 80G has 8 coils & the 78 has 7. Aftermarket EBC has 6. All the other stuff is the same, dia etc. From memory if you have the same dia spring over the same length you can divide the number of coils by each other to get the % increase in spring strength.

Dan

[Dogma]

Sorry dude not my forte. I was actually trying to put a positive spin on it (truly).

S'OK. I'll take what I can get.

[Dogma]

When I had mine apart I just scuffed them up with some wet & dry, about 320 grit maybe less... some people use a scotchbrite pad.

I then thoroughly degreased rinsed & dried them before putting them back.

I run 3 stock springs & 3 aftermarket for good lever with a bit more pressure (I tried 6 aftermarket but lever was quite heavy).

As an aside, my 78 1000 has what I believe are stock springs but they have one less coil than the 80G...... 80G has 8 coils & the 78 has 7. Aftermarket EBC has 6. All the other stuff is the same, dia etc. From memory if you have the same dia spring over the same length you can divide the number of coils by each other to get the % increase in spring strength.

Dan

Thanks. I had heard of other mixing the springs, and I'll probably get around to trying that.

I'll see what I can find to rough the disks up. People usually do this to the steel disks, right? Is there some sort of build-up or what? And is it necessary to do anything to the fiber disks? If I'm going to open it up again, I want to do it all...

[82Shafty]

Get yourself some wet sand 220 grit, de-oil the plates, and run a crisscross patter on the steels to break the glaze on both sides.

This is the same idea behind resurfacing brake rotors, the fibers need some tooth to grab the steels much like new pads to a rotor.

[Steve]

You didn't put car oil in that contained nasty chemicals did you?

Not all 10-40's are created equal; make sure on the back of the bottle under 10-40 it does NOT say energy conserving!

Now, I'm not going to do something foolish and come right out and say that the product doesn't exist,
but I have not yet seen a 10w-40 with they dreaded "Energy Conserving" designation.

.