Another clutch basket failure.

TonyA said:
Hello Ken , nice job once again. How much do you torque the 4 bolts ? This looks like a pretty good route to take for the rest of us ? I hope it last a long time.
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Could Norton now sell to us 961 owners a brand new fully sorted clutch basket?
 
MAK said:
Could Norton now sell to us 961 owners a brand new fully sorted clutch basket?
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That would be great . But first they must accept that the original is flawed . There have been enough clutch basket issues now that surely they see a need for investigation/improvement ? Then there will be the cost , many will shake their heads at this one . Can you blame them ? It frustrates to say the least . I think that a clutch re-build service is just around the corner for a few who have the skills/equipment. How many of us would be willing to send their clutch basket to an expert rebuilder to get a life long clutch back into their bike ? Me Me ... Maybe Norton can step in here too ? Take on this rebuild service or and exchange program ? I see an opportunity here for someone , there are enough bikes around to justify this in my mind. I would be willing to pay a service or Norton for this especially if Norton can warranty that their new basket will hold together . Getting the clutch off is doable for most of us and as you can see Ken had his bike going again within a week.
 
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I thought I had mine pretty sorted as it runs and rides fantastic until I read this...now I need a clutch cover gasket to have a look...never ending! haha
 
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TonyA said:
That would be great . But first they must accept that the original is flawed . There have been enough clutch basket issues now that surely they see a need for investigation/improvement ? Then there will be the cost , many will shake their heads at this one . Can you blame them ? It frustrates to say the least . I think that a clutch re-build service is just around the corner for a few who have the skills/equipment. How many of us would be willing to send their clutch basket to an expert rebuilder to get a life long clutch back into their bike ? Me Me ... Maybe Norton can step in here too ? Take on this rebuild service or and exchange program ? I see an opportunity here for someone , there are enough bikes around to justify this in my mind. I would be willing to pay a service or Norton for this especially if Norton can warranty that their new basket will hold together . Getting the clutch off is doable for most of us and as you can see Ken had his bike going again within a week.
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Tony,

Certainly I would think that if these issues were associated to a Honda, Yamaha, or Kawasaki clutch basket, they would get the necessary attention from the engineering dept. However, TVS has committed to suppling replacement parts for the 961, and that is wonderful, but re-engineering an engine component is a different level of commitment. If they did this, it would indicate that they were prepared to take on a greater commitment to the 961 than they have previously stated.

If TVS has no plans to continue 961 production, why would they spend the necessary resources to re-engineer the clutch basket, or any other 961 component for that matter?
 
TonyA said:
Hello Ken , nice job once again. How much do you torque the 4 bolts ? This looks like a pretty good route to take for the rest of us ? I hope it last a long time.
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Hi Tony, I torqued them to 45 ft-lb, based on the assumption that they were 160,000 psi tensile strength bolts, a typical spec for AN and NAS fasteners assembled dry.

Ken
 
MAK said:
Could Norton now sell to us 961 owners a brand new fully sorted clutch basket?
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It would be great to have a factory pick and mix list of all the bits which could be better - bearings, sensors, clutch, pistons/rings if blowby is an issue and no doubt more.
 
That’s the role of after market suppliers. I’m very surprised that the Cootes, or Theil don’t do exactly this.

The factory are highly unlikely to do it. If they did, the next thing that would happen is folk demanding that the parts should be free (and don’t say they wouldn’t cos this is EXACTLY what has already happened in the past). And they’d open the door wide for accusations and legal challenges that they’d sold lemons etc. A huge and risky can of worms that no manufacturer wants !
 
Normally i would agree but in this case the phoenix which has risen from the ashes isn't liable for the shenanigans of Garner and Co, having only bought "certain assets".
If the 961does continue (a big if perhaps) then there should be a factory store of good quality parts to choose from, i cant imagine they would continue with the knock off stuff.
 
Yes, a factory store of good parts should indeed be there. In fact it’s a legal requirement for manufacturers to offer adequate ‘services parts’ which doesn’t just mean parts for servicing, it also means parts for mechanical repairs, accident damage etc. So I think that may happen.

I also hope they stop using knock off stuff. So, in time, owners should be able to by from Norton knowing they’re getting ‘the good bits’.

Just don’t expect a factory list of ‘upgrades’ or ’replacements for knock off parts’ etc !
 
Out of interest.
Would it be possible for any one who has experienced any form of clutch trouble to say what the issue was and importantly state whether it was a billet style clutch or die cast clutch ?
It would be interesting to collect some common data. This may help towards a resolve
 
BritTwit said:
If TVS has no plans to continue 961 production, why would they spend the necessary resources to re-engineer the clutch basket, or any other 961 component for that matter?
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Hopefully they understand a brand can charge profitable prices for new bikes only if they keep an eye on residual values of the older models. If the 961 gets a bad rap as a 5 year life and then its the dustbin, then all the later bikes are tarnished until the 961 is forgotten, Lancia Beta et al.

en.wikipedia.org

Lancia Beta - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

The corrosion problems could be structural; for instance where the subframe carrying the engine and gearbox was bolted to the underside of the car. The box section to which the rear of the subframe was mounted could corrode badly, causing the subframe to become loose. Although tales of subframes dropping out of vehicles were simply not true, a vehicle with a loose subframe would fail a technical inspection.

Now would be a good time to remind them.
 
Nikoli said:
Out of interest.
Would it be possible for any one who has experienced any form of clutch trouble to say what the issue was and importantly state whether it was a billet style clutch or
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
die cast clutch ?
It would be interesting to collect some common data. This may help towards a resolve
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As previously mentioned a year ago now , I had A few mangled gears here from a tiny bit of a Cush drive spring breaking off at 16k , rather unpleasant noise I can tell yer
 
BLIGHTYBRIT/SF said:
As previously mentioned a year ago now , I had A few mangled gears here from a tiny bit of a Cush drive spring breaking off at 16k , rather unpleasant noise I can tell yer
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That is indeed a later die cast clutch from 2014 on wards.
I'm interested to see if there is a pattern here.
 
Nikoli said:
That is indeed a later die cast clutch from 2014 on wards.
I'm interested to see if there is a pattern here.
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My bike was built in March 2016 to order , I hit a false neutral between 4th & 5th gear & the BANG , sounded like someone hitting the engine with a club hammer 10 times a second, pulled clutch in & stopped , damaged gearbox parts as well
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
Another clutch basket failure.
 
Fast Eddie said:
That’s the role of after market suppliers. I’m very surprised that the Cootes, or Theil don’t do exactly this.

The factory are highly unlikely to do it. If they did, the next thing that would happen is folk demanding that the parts should be free (and don’t say they wouldn’t cos this is EXACTLY what has already happened in the past). And they’d open the door wide for accusations and legal challenges that they’d sold lemons etc. A huge and risky can of worms that no manufacturer wants !
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cost is too high and low sales for sure. Otherwise we would. Once pinned all is good. Any machine shop can fo this. 1/4” press fit dowels 180 deg apart.
 
Along with the press fit dowels check those 4 rivets and 4 cush springs for looseness . This seems to be a must now . How long are the 1/4' press fit dowles Richard ? Thanks , Tony
 
TonyA said:
Along with the press fit dowels check those 4 rivets and 4 cush springs for looseness . This seems to be a must now . How long are the 1/4' press fit dowles Richard ? Thanks , Tony
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FWIW, I used 5/8" long dowels, and drilled the holes so that they were half in one piece and half in the other.

Ken
 
Sounds Good Ken , I was thinking 1/4" dia x 1/2" L , So 5/8 " Thanks .
 
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