Clutch springs and plates.....

[3prongcoolness]

I have a 83 750 shadow, and the clutch is slipping. I have narrowed it down to the springs or the plates so i just want to replace both while its apart. i am trying to decide if i want to tear into it myself or send it to the shop. I am somewhat mechanically inclined but have never done anything with a clutch. I have looked around and researched how to do it but just wondering how big of a job is it. do i need to remove the whole side cover or just the clutch cover? I have seen that many of you guys have done this and wondering your thoughts.

T

[Custom85VT]

Before you go and do anything drastic I would double-check your hydraulics first. Does your clutch slip constantly and consistently, or does it seem to be all right one moment then lose grip as the bike heats up?

[3prongcoolness]

slips every time in 4th and 5th gear when getting on the throttle. Normal riding is fine but when i really get on it it just revs. it was starting to do it with less throttle before i stored it, so what ever the issue is its getting worse.

[John Hopkins]

If you are replacing the clutch a few simple things..to check if the driven, smooth plates are warped place them on a sheet of glass to see if they have any gaps or rock..when you remove the plates keep them in the same order that you removed them until you refit them, a light coating of oil on each plate will make them work better.

other than that it's easy.

If when you strip the clutch you can see nothing wrong you are probably using the wrong oil.

John.

[Three Creeks]

I recently replaced the discs, plates, and springs on my VT1100C. The hardest part was taking off the exhaust pipes to get to the cover. On mine, there are two clutch discs that are different from the others, and they go on the outsides of the stack. Also, once I got the first few discs off, I needed a long, bent pick to reach in and get the rest out. Other than that it was easy.

I don't know how similar yours will be to mine, but I hope this helps.

[Gunnar Már]

It´s not that big of a deal. just puzzled it together like you tore it apart but with new parts.
Just make sure you put oil on the disks before you assemble the clutch so you won´t suffer from a dry lock up.
I just coded all my disks with oil before I installed them and it turned out fine.
If your having trouble stopping the engine from turning when you loosen the nut just take a penny or a copper washer and put in between the teeth and it will stop.
Just dive into it

Have a good one

Gunnar

[3prongcoolness]

Originally Posted by John Hopkins

If you are replacing the clutch a few simple things..to check if the driven, smooth plates are warped place them on a sheet of glass to see if they have any gaps or rock..when you remove the plates keep them in the same order that you removed them until you refit them, a light coating of oil on each plate will make them work better.

other than that it's easy.

If when you strip the clutch you can see nothing wrong you are probably using the wrong oil.

John.

Im using the Valvoline for motorcycles oil, would that still be considered the wrong oil?

Thanks for the input i think this is a task i will tackle myself.

T

[Scrapdog2grand]

It's over kill maybe, but I soak the clutch disks in the oil I'm using, before I'm ready to assemble.
and just go easy on the bolts for the lifter plate, they get torqued to about 9ft/lbs, its not alot.

[John Hopkins]

Originally Posted by 3prongcoolness

Im using the Valvoline for motorcycles oil, would that still be considered the wrong oil?

I still swear by mineral oil, I use 15/40 but others who live in different countries will use different grades, then there are people who swear by semi synth or even full synth...

Take a look at the oiloligy thread and read everything before you make an informed decision..

I can't advise you on any particular brand name because I live in a country where some of our words are similar but you don't really speak English..come to think of it neither do most of the people who live here..

John.