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How to tell if clutch needs replacement

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  #1  
Old 09-18-2015, 10:36 PM
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Default How to tell if clutch needs replacement

So my boy was hot rodding around and messed his bike up. It wont go now. I believe its the clutch.

I took the primary apart and the oil smells terribly burnt. I took the clutch plates and spring out of the clutch basket.

Nothing looks wrong. But im no mechanic. Can any one describe how a bad clutch looks?

Or post pictures for comparison?
 
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Old 09-18-2015, 10:44 PM
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If its a burnt smell he probably fried the clutch and it needs replaced
 
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Old 09-18-2015, 10:49 PM
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<p>Check the splines on the clutch basket.</p>
 
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Old 09-19-2015, 02:28 AM
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You'll want to measure the thickness of the friction plates and look at the steel plates. If there's any bluing on the steel plates, that's a dead giveaway.
 
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Old 09-19-2015, 04:24 AM
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When was the fluid last changed, and clutch adjusted?
Could be the clutch became in need of adjustment and possibly a good primary fluid change.
If nothing looks wrong then I would adjust the clutch and install some new fluid.
Run it.
 
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Old 09-19-2015, 09:25 AM
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Originally Posted by JustOneDean
You'll want to measure the thickness of the friction plates and look at the steel plates. If there's any bluing on the steel plates, that's a dead giveaway.
That would be the visual inspection required. I would first do a complete clutch adjustment though. I've got over 60k on my clutch plates with virtually no wear.. I also don't try to do burnouts.


Originally Posted by QC
Check the splines on the clutch basket.
Possible... but if he lost all his splines it would be grinding bad as it would not be a 'smooth' shear.

Depends on if the clutch simply "went away" or 'bang-stopped-working'.

However, since I was just in my primary, I know that '07 and up will fracturre/shear the inner splines on the clutch hub.
 
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Old 09-19-2015, 02:14 PM
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Originally Posted by apetterez
So my boy was hot rodding around and messed his bike up. It wont go now. I believe its the clutch.

I took the primary apart and the oil smells terribly burnt. I took the clutch plates and spring out of the clutch basket.

Nothing looks wrong. But im no mechanic. Can any one describe how a bad clutch looks?

Or post pictures for comparison?
"Won't go"--- what does that mean? Do you still have the spring load feel on the clutch lever? Did he snap the belt, and it is gone, I've done that? Will it go into gear and not move? Will it move and shift but slips? A bit more info please
 

Last edited by jaxdwg; 09-19-2015 at 04:50 PM.
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Old 09-19-2015, 04:03 PM
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Yep, too vague on the symptom description.
 
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Old 09-19-2015, 05:06 PM
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Originally Posted by fxdlx
Yep, too vague on the symptom description.
Yep, for sure.
 

Last edited by jaxdwg; 09-19-2015 at 09:33 PM.
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Old 09-19-2015, 07:38 PM
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Originally Posted by jaxdwg
Yep, for sure, and isn't it amazing that so many people will chime in with a fix without getting all the info to make an informed diagnosis? I learned long ago to ask enough question to lead me in the right direction so I could fix the problem the customer was complaining about, and not something else. One can find any number of problems, but finding the exact problem they are concerned with can be tough, but that is what is expected of a wrench.
The OP said he took the clutch plates out, and asked what a bad clutch would look like. That's a fairly specific question.
 


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