Hey guys, I ran into a problem and I was wondering if you could help me out. I bought a 87 fxlr a while ago and I started to feel the clutch start to slip. So reading on the forums and figuring everything out I opened up the trans cover to see if the thrust bearing was out. And it came out looking fine. So I open up the primary and I see this washer behind the clutch hub nut just sitting there. Confused I take the hub nut off and I noticed that the main shaft was splined and had the clutch pack that needs a special tool to compress the clutch plates. Now if I'm not mistaken the 87 came with tapered shaft? With a bolt type clutch pack? I took the hub nut off and there were two washers in there, one tightened down between the hub nut and the splines and one just floating around the nut. And when the nut was tight the clutch hub had play in it. That's not normal is it? I'm so confused any help would be appreciated....
Thanks, Max

 

I can't think of any washers that are supposed to be behind the clutch hub nut.
Have you got any pictures?

 

There shouldn't be any. Obviously some one had attempted to shim the clutch basket for some odd reason.... Take them out then upon reassembly check your primary alignment from your front gear to your clutch basket and go from there. Maybe some one had the assembly of the front sprocket incorrect and we're trying to make up for it with washers behind the clutch basket.

 

Yeah, there's been someone in there and it doesn't sound right. That transmission has been apart to put a splined shaft in instead of the tapered one it came with. You'll have to figure out what they did wrong and how to properly correct it.

 

Are you sure the washer is not part of the clutch hub?

There is a washer that is part of that model clutch hub, but it is not available as a separate part.

Inspect the bore of that hub for damage on the retaining nut side.

Your mainshaft, or more likely the entire gearshaft, has been changed to a later model unit, the clutch assembly has been changed also.

 

Ya so when I first inspected it the clutch hub had play in it and I knew that wasn't right. So I pulled it off and by looking at the two different sized washers it looked like there was a bigger one and a smaller one. The bigger one looked to fit perfectly around the splined shaft and the smaller one looked to fit the nut. So what I did was put the bigger washer in first and the smaller one next and tightened it. The play was gone. I put everything back in play and started the bike and it started making this clicking noise from the primary. I'm thinking the chain isn't lining up correctly with the stator? I have to pull it apart again this weekend. But if that's the problem I don't know how to approach it.

 

The factory service manual knows how to approach it...

 

I know I'm going to have to shim either the front gear or the clutch hub. My question is which one should I shim?

 

A straight edge placed along the gears will tell you that.

 

You use different thickness spacers to move the compensator sprocket either in our out.

This is clearly explained in the factory service manual.