Clutch gone

[Wicky]

Just had fun and games getting recovered after my clutch died. Last night over about 5 miles the clutch progressively went until there was no biting point and no pressure felt through the lever. Storm milage 50,000

Went back today where I'd locked it up (thankfully co-op car park a mile away from home) with tools - bled it and removed and cleaned up the slave cylinder without any 'bite' returning.

Just getting dark so washed off the road salt and covered her up. Now it could be 3 things a) Master Cylinder (no sign of leakage ) b) Slave (also no obvious leakage and overhauled a year or two ago) and the reservoir was full when it 'died' and from inspection there's no leakage in the hydraulics (or not enough to show when simply bleeding) or c) the clutch plates / springs.

Any hints and tips on what to begin looking at first and throwing spondoolies at to get back on the road ASAP - ta

[benny hedges]

yeh i think the piston seal in the master cyl has gone m8.
so when you are pumping the lever it's not moving any fluid.
might as well overhaul the slave as well.
wemoto do rebuild kits for both, unless you can get them cheaper used off ebay.
not a big job.
wouldnt bother stripping the clutch tho until you have they hydraulics sorted.

thats assuming when you say no biting point you mean the clutch is engaged and wont disengage with the lever?
if it wont engage its summat else and a load more q's
does the engine turn over?
any unusual noise?
could be the mc is hydro-locked as in it's not allowing fluid to return
if that's all ok it could be a problem with the pushrod, where it shoves against the end plate, or the top plate couldve come off :s

let us know what you find.
the schematics in the manual are a bit crap but theres a better exploded drawing in the parts fiche on wemoto.

[AMCQ46]

Same thoughts as Benny, need to understand if the problem is the clutch wont engage, ie you have no drive...........or wont disengage, ie you cant stop the drive.

As you talk about no lever pressure, I am assuming you cant disengage, and same as benny, I would do a rebuild of the master cylinder as it sound like the seal has given up.

[Wicky]

Cheers guys - Yup can't disengage the clutch (and no hills to get a rolling start!)

I've looked at wemoto for the Clutch master cylinder piston repair kit but they seem to only do the slave kit. If they don't do one then DS do one for £33 *eek*.

[sirch345]

I don't know what this kit is like, but take a look:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HONDA-VTR-1000-F- ... 7234170939

Chris.

[tony.mon]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HONDA-VTR1000-05- ... _530wt_905
a buy-it-now for £15-odd near enough for a trip to collect if time's pressing....

[benny hedges]

that cider must be fkin good tony.... thats a brake mc lol!!
unless the reason he cant move is cos the brake is stuck on!!!

theres a few master cyls for the clutch on ebay - and rebuild kits for £18
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=vtr1 ... m270.l1313

if thats too expensive i have one in the garage with a broken res but the cylinder per se is good.
yours for a pic of your mams hooters

[tony.mon]

Ah yes, the other side, with you now.....
(That'd do to get you out of trouble, though, wouldn't it?
Just fit it upside down and back to front, push instead of pull and bob's your elderly relative come to call.....can't be that tricky..... )

Anyway, there's no fluid because wickyleaks.
Couldn't resist, but that one's done to death now, so I'll get me coat.

[benny hedges]

tony that is the exact excuse i got off an ebay breaker when he sent me a brake mc to replace the clutch mc with the broken res.
'theyre both the same'
i sad no theyre not, unless i have the lever toward me and facing the clocks....
he said 'you obviously dont know much about bikes, just mount it upside down'
i explained about a strange phenomenon called gravity on my planet and the fact there'd be an air bubble at the top then he said ok my bad, i'll send you another.
so ive got a spare brake mc as well if anyone is stuck!

[Wicky]

Thanks Tony & Benny aka Morcombe & Wise for your suggestions

Gone for Sirch's ebay rebuild kit - time to root out the circlip pliers and steady hand after the crimbo and new year DTs

[benny hedges]

youre welcome to this one if you want it m8, can stick it in a jiffy bag termorrer if you like... you'll be on the road before you get parts off ebay.
you can always rebuild yours later...
pm yer addy if you want it.

[Wicky]

Rebuilt the clutch master cylinder with ebay kit, mucho twiddly fun but no joy. Replaced entire clutch line - still diddly squat.

No apparent leak from slave and able to bleed system but no backpressure/bitepoint/no clutch disengagement. If Benny's spare master expected Tues doesn't work then all that remains is something gone in the clutch itself.

On the shopping list; coolant, new gasket & clutch nut - is there anything I should take a good gander at that could account for the problem

[benny hedges]

no point speculating about it tbh til you have done the obvious.
if that dunt work then as you say, strip it apart & have a loog what's up.
hopefully its something & nothing

[Wicky]

Right - methodically replaced all the clutch hydraulics with alternative parts to no avail (many thanks & credit to Benny for sending his spare MC)

So drain the oil, cooling fluid - off comes the water pump cover but clutch cover firmly stuck - whacked it with rubber mallet to try & break the gasket seal - still it won't come off - Any hints and tips? ta

[benny hedges]

Right - methodically replaced all the clutch hydraulics with alternative parts to no avail (many thanks & credit to Benny for sending his spare MC)

So drain the oil, cooling fluid - off comes the water pump cover but clutch cover firmly stuck - whacked it with rubber mallet to try & break the gasket seal - still it won't come off - Any hints and tips? ta

have you double checked there are no more bolts????
undone all the water pump bolts?
it is held on 2 dowels about 10mm deep.
if you look near the swing arm and at the front, in front of the water pump, there are 2 rectangular bits where you can Carefully lever the cover.
dont pry it on the gasket surface obvoiusly.

if it has been stuck with gasket glue it will be hard to get off. ive found in the past that pouring a boiling kettle over it helps shift it.

i reckon youve missed a screw tbh - done same meself!