montessa172
Been Around the Block
I'm not a mechanic but i am good at what I do so without any further ado, as the title says clutch plates and inspection on a yamaha xs 650, this assembly changed through the production run of the bike 1969 - 1984 but the basics and the common sense components should be similiar for any make model of bike
Symptoms
clutch was slipping at 4K ish, would rev up and then catch up with itself and continue to acclerate
replaced plates with another set and the clutch got better but was still slipping
Bought new plates and springs and installed.
1. Soak your new plates in the oil that they will be living in starting the night before.
My lube of choice is..
2. Drain oil into a clean container if you are going to reuse, if not then drain it into whatever you like and get rid of it.
3. Remove the right side peg, brake lever and kickstarter, if the brake and kick started won't release from their splines try soaking in penetrating oil and tapping a slim straight blade screwdriver in the split to spread them the tiniest ammount.
4. Remove tach cable
5. Loosen all the allen bolts in this case until the threads are free from the case. If you are unlucky enough to have phillips head machine screws or allen bolts that look like they've been through a war use an impact driver.
6. Once all the bolts are loose I pick a point in this case it was the 3 o'clock bolt, and remove the bolts in order going clockwise. This will save you trying to remember which bolt length goes to which hole.
7. To remove the cover don't just yank it off. Use your thumb to push the kick start shaft towards the left side of the bike while pulling the cover towards yourself. This keeps the return springs of the kickstarter and the entire kickstart ass'y in their home. If the kick start shaft pulls out with the cover, despite your best efforts, then thats what happens no point in crying about it.
8. If you were lucky then the PO didn't cover the gasket with silicone or universal gasket leak stopper and your gasket will come off with the cover and can be reused. If it is siliconed on then start scraping, try not to get any bits into the everywhere of the side of the engine. When its all cleaned up then you will be looking at this. Note what the pencil is pointing at, i'll come back to that.
9. Remove the 6 phillips shoulder bolts that hold the outer plate on, use your impact driver..
10. As you remove the outer plate note the marks on the plate and the hub and their orientation to eachother. They must line up on reassembly or your junk won't work.
11. Remove the plates - if you are planning on just inspecting and reassembling with the components that you have then it doesn't hurt to lay them out in order.. After the outer plate the clutch plates are installed fiber - metal - fiber metal - repeat
12. Remove the mushroom.
13. If you're just doing the plates then this as far as you go, time to inspect. Plate thickness varies bike to bike model to model, mine should spec at 3mm. Check every plate in more then one spot. If you are under what the manual lists as the tolerance for your plates then go find new ones.. Fiber plates are different thicknesses then the metal ones
14. Check the plates for warp, hold them against a flat surface that is preferably clean and check several spots with a two thou feeler guage. If the guage will sneak under the plate find new plates.. I use glass, still in the window but its clean and flat.
15. Visually inspect the metal plates for scoring, if its not too bad it can be lightly sanded with 150 grit to remove the marks and glaze. Check both sides of the plates and the outer cover also
After a light sand
If everything checks out then put it together the exact opposite way it came apart. If you want to go deeper then here we go...
16. Remove the basket retaining nut. I use an impact gun because I have one. If you don't then you can buy a tool designed to hold the hub from spinning. It looks exactly like a metal clutch plate with a piece of rod welded or bolted to it. You can make one very easily.
17. Once you have the nut off remove the components that it holds on in order, one at a time and lay them down in order. The next two pictures show the entire hub / basket ass'y laid out in order left to right is outside to inside.
18. Check your thrust bearing for signs of wear / scoring.
19. Check the basket for ridges left by the plates, these can be lightly filed to remove..
20. If everything looks good then put it all together. Note there are several different exploded diagrams of the 650 clutch assembly. Some of them are wrong. There has to be a washer on either side of the thrust bearing when reassemblying. Both the factory manual and my haynes manul omit one of the washers. Its supposed be there.
Check you manual for the torque specs for everything. I installed new springs that are of a higher strength then the stockers, I used a helper to keep the bike steady while I put the grunt into getting them started.
Installation is the reverse of removal, when its all back together hang your new gasket or reused undamaged new one and slide the cover back over the kick start shaft. Reinstall your bolts, which you laid out in order so you get the right length in the right spot.
Time to adjust. Loosen the adjuster at the lever all the way. On the left side of the bike remove the small chrome cover, under that you will see this
Loosen the nut, loosen the threaded rod with the phillips end. Tighten the phillips until you feel it contact the clutch pushrod. Loosen it 1/8 turn and lock down with the nut. When loosening the nut it is possible to knock the cable off of the inner part of this assembly. If you do that then time to remove the left side cover to fix it.
Adjust your adjuster at the lever to leave approx 1/8 of free play.
Thats all i've got. I probably missed a couple things, anyone who feels they can add to this then have at it. Hope this helps someone at some point in time. I'm going for a ride now cheers.
Symptoms
clutch was slipping at 4K ish, would rev up and then catch up with itself and continue to acclerate
replaced plates with another set and the clutch got better but was still slipping
Bought new plates and springs and installed.
1. Soak your new plates in the oil that they will be living in starting the night before.
My lube of choice is..
2. Drain oil into a clean container if you are going to reuse, if not then drain it into whatever you like and get rid of it.
3. Remove the right side peg, brake lever and kickstarter, if the brake and kick started won't release from their splines try soaking in penetrating oil and tapping a slim straight blade screwdriver in the split to spread them the tiniest ammount.
4. Remove tach cable
5. Loosen all the allen bolts in this case until the threads are free from the case. If you are unlucky enough to have phillips head machine screws or allen bolts that look like they've been through a war use an impact driver.
6. Once all the bolts are loose I pick a point in this case it was the 3 o'clock bolt, and remove the bolts in order going clockwise. This will save you trying to remember which bolt length goes to which hole.
7. To remove the cover don't just yank it off. Use your thumb to push the kick start shaft towards the left side of the bike while pulling the cover towards yourself. This keeps the return springs of the kickstarter and the entire kickstart ass'y in their home. If the kick start shaft pulls out with the cover, despite your best efforts, then thats what happens no point in crying about it.
8. If you were lucky then the PO didn't cover the gasket with silicone or universal gasket leak stopper and your gasket will come off with the cover and can be reused. If it is siliconed on then start scraping, try not to get any bits into the everywhere of the side of the engine. When its all cleaned up then you will be looking at this. Note what the pencil is pointing at, i'll come back to that.
9. Remove the 6 phillips shoulder bolts that hold the outer plate on, use your impact driver..
10. As you remove the outer plate note the marks on the plate and the hub and their orientation to eachother. They must line up on reassembly or your junk won't work.
11. Remove the plates - if you are planning on just inspecting and reassembling with the components that you have then it doesn't hurt to lay them out in order.. After the outer plate the clutch plates are installed fiber - metal - fiber metal - repeat
12. Remove the mushroom.
13. If you're just doing the plates then this as far as you go, time to inspect. Plate thickness varies bike to bike model to model, mine should spec at 3mm. Check every plate in more then one spot. If you are under what the manual lists as the tolerance for your plates then go find new ones.. Fiber plates are different thicknesses then the metal ones
14. Check the plates for warp, hold them against a flat surface that is preferably clean and check several spots with a two thou feeler guage. If the guage will sneak under the plate find new plates.. I use glass, still in the window but its clean and flat.
15. Visually inspect the metal plates for scoring, if its not too bad it can be lightly sanded with 150 grit to remove the marks and glaze. Check both sides of the plates and the outer cover also
After a light sand
If everything checks out then put it together the exact opposite way it came apart. If you want to go deeper then here we go...
16. Remove the basket retaining nut. I use an impact gun because I have one. If you don't then you can buy a tool designed to hold the hub from spinning. It looks exactly like a metal clutch plate with a piece of rod welded or bolted to it. You can make one very easily.
17. Once you have the nut off remove the components that it holds on in order, one at a time and lay them down in order. The next two pictures show the entire hub / basket ass'y laid out in order left to right is outside to inside.
18. Check your thrust bearing for signs of wear / scoring.
19. Check the basket for ridges left by the plates, these can be lightly filed to remove..
20. If everything looks good then put it all together. Note there are several different exploded diagrams of the 650 clutch assembly. Some of them are wrong. There has to be a washer on either side of the thrust bearing when reassemblying. Both the factory manual and my haynes manul omit one of the washers. Its supposed be there.
Check you manual for the torque specs for everything. I installed new springs that are of a higher strength then the stockers, I used a helper to keep the bike steady while I put the grunt into getting them started.
Installation is the reverse of removal, when its all back together hang your new gasket or reused undamaged new one and slide the cover back over the kick start shaft. Reinstall your bolts, which you laid out in order so you get the right length in the right spot.
Time to adjust. Loosen the adjuster at the lever all the way. On the left side of the bike remove the small chrome cover, under that you will see this
Loosen the nut, loosen the threaded rod with the phillips end. Tighten the phillips until you feel it contact the clutch pushrod. Loosen it 1/8 turn and lock down with the nut. When loosening the nut it is possible to knock the cable off of the inner part of this assembly. If you do that then time to remove the left side cover to fix it.
Adjust your adjuster at the lever to leave approx 1/8 of free play.
Thats all i've got. I probably missed a couple things, anyone who feels they can add to this then have at it. Hope this helps someone at some point in time. I'm going for a ride now cheers.
